A group of parents claim there are so few pupil places at Bradford’s secondary schools that they have been forced to teach their children themselves.

Full-time healthcare assistant Julie Smith and the parents of five other former pupils from Sandy Lane Primary School are set to draw up a rota to teach their children in a church hall in Heaton, Bradford when the new term starts in September.

The married 39-year-old was one of hundreds of parents across Bradford district whose children didn’t get into their first choice secondary school.

Mrs Smith’s daughter, Deandra, 11, was refused her first choice of Beckfoot School in Bingley and her parents’ second and third choices of Thornton and Bingley Grammar schools.

Eventually, Deandra was offered a place at struggling Rhodesway School, soon to be turned into Dixons Academy in a bid to turn its fortunes around.

But Mrs Smith, of Cote Lane, Allerton, Bradford, said the parents would rather teach their children themselves.

She said: “We were given choices of schools we wanted our kids to go to by Education Bradford but we don’t know why they have bothered even sending out the forms. Their decision is either ‘go to Rhodesway’ or ‘it’s tough’, there has been no help for us at all.

“We are working people and we are now going to have to pay twice to get our children a decent education – once through taxes and once to buy books and teach our children ourselves.”

A meeting was held this week at the Diamond Community Café at St Martin’s Church, Haworth Road, Heaton, to discuss how the school would operate.

It will be held each day at the community café when the new term starts in September.

Mrs Smith said: “We have never done anything like this before but we have been left with no choice. We have been backed into a corner by Education Bradford and bullied into accepting Rhodesway because there are not enough school places for children.”

A spokesman for Education Bradford said 6,404 pupils or 96 per cent of pupils moving from primary to secondary education had been allocated one of their first three choices of school.

The remaining 236 pupils have all been allocated a place at the nearest available school.

Parents can choose to school their children themselves but Ofsted inspectors will have to visit their “schools”. If the teaching is judged satisfactory, it will be allowed to operate but if not, parents will be set targets.

Should they fail to meet the targets, Education Bradford will attempt to get the children back into mainstream schools.

The spokesman said: “Parents may choose home education for a variety of reasons and when any parents make such an enquiry to Education Bradford we advise them to think carefully about the commitment and energy this can take, the primary interest being the suitability of parent’s education provision.”

Anyone, including qualified teachers, who may be able to help the group, should contact Tom Brame on (01274) 221710.

e-mail: marc.meneaud @telegraphandargus.co.uk