Parents from Swire Smith Middle School and Long Lee First School say both schools should close, not just one.

At a meeting last week parents confronted Jennie Sadowskyj, head of public services in education at Bradford council, and Keighley North ward councillor Sandy Macpherson about the injustices of closing Swire Smith.

The attack stems from Bradford council's proposals under which all Keighley middle schools and two first schools are earmarked for closure.

Under the proposals, Swire Smith is to be turned into a primary school for pupils aged three-11. Teachers, staff and pupils at Long Lee First School are to move in to the Swire Smith buildings starting in September 1999.

Last week's public meeting was led by Tony Armstrong, the chairman of governors at Swire Smith. Parents said it would be 'more than sad' and 'ridiculous' for teachers and staff at Swire Smith to be threatened with job losses while those at Long Lee look set to be given posts in the new primary school.

They put forward suggestions to close both schools and to re-employ staff in other newly-established primary schools. All staff should have the chance to re-apply for jobs, they said.

But Mrs Sadowskyj said that not all staff would lose their jobs if Swire Smith closed because under the council's non-redundancy policy, they would be entitled to keep their jobs.

She said: "We are looking to find a way where there will be very little impact on staff and specialist teachers. The authority is trying to get staff problems sorted as soon as possible, but these are still proposals and no definite decision will be made until next year at the earliest."

Questions about when children would change schools were also raised and whether some pupils would be able to cope with moving to two different schools within two to three years.

Mrs Sadowskyj explained that pupils at the top end of first schools would transfer to middle schools as Year 5 students in September 1999 and would then stay at their new schools as Year 6 pupils before transferring to secondary schools in September 2000.

A public meeting is being planned for parents, teachers, staff and governors to discuss the possibility of closing both Long Lee and Swire Smith schools.

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