A BACKLOG totalling £39 million exists for maintenance work to bring Bradford Council's schools up to scratch, a new report has revealed.

And £11m of this work has been deemed "high priority".

Among the improvements needed on the authority's schools estate is almost £8m for electrical work, £10.8m for mechanical services, £4.7m to repair and improve walls, windows and doors, and £267,735 for furniture, including desks and chairs.

The stark figures relate to the Council's 123 primary and secondary schools, nurseries and pupil referral units.

They will be discussed by Bradford Council's children's services scrutiny committee next week and its chairman has said they should do all they can to fight in Bradford's corner to get funding from any different sources.

Councillor Malcolm Sykes said the problems were due to the Council's ageing building stock, adding: "This is what you expect in older buildings."

The total amount of work backlog is £38,788,675, with £31,604,614 of the work needed in primary schools.

The most urgent works are referred to as ''priority one' and £11,145,080 of the works backlog falls into this category; £11,749268 are classed 'priority two', £8,625,168 'priority three' and £7,269,140 'priority four'.

Money for school repairs is provided through a Capital Maintenance Grant to the Council, which this financial year is £5,614,808, and a Devolved Formula Capital fund paid to schools, which stands at £1,317,713 for 2014/15.

The report says: "Each year schools receive a Devolved formula Capital budget from the Department for Education. Schools are expected to contribute to major repairs from this fund.

"Devolved formula funding reduced by about 90 per cent in 2011. This means the schools ability to contribute towards major repairs has reduced significantly."

Work is expected to start next year on rebuilding four of the district's schools. They are Belle Vue Boys, which is also likely to become an academy, Carlton Bolling College, Oakbank School, Keighley, and Samuel Lister Academy, Cottingley.

They will all be funded by the Education Funding Agency, and the council predicts it will help reduce backlog maintenance by £12m.

The Council is also waiting to hear if the Government will provide funding for either complete or partial re building of eight other schools in the district. If successful this will further help reduce the backlog maintenance by £8.5 million.

Councillor Ralph Berry, the executive member for children's services at the Labour-run Council, said the backlog could not be cleared until more funding became available.

"Government funding has been reduced and so has the ability for Councils to bid for funding. We are having to squeeze our resources to fund school's basic needs," he said.

"What we've got is a growing backlog and what the report highlights is a real problem. We need to be able to borrow money and invest in schools."

Councillor Debbie Davies, the Conservative spokesman for education, said: "It does sound a lot, and some of this does have to be done. But I do think that quality of teaching is more important than your surroundings."

The committee meets at Bradford City Hall on Tuesday from 4.30pm