Education bosses say pare-ntal preference of schools will continue to operate under the proposed new two-tier system.

In response to Bradford council's proposals to close all middle schools in favour of a new primary-secondary education structure, some parents have expressed concerns as to which primary schools would feed into which secondary schools. Their concerns primarily focus on Oakbank and Green-head upper schools and their catchment areas. Some parents fear they will not be able to choose between the two schools.

But Labour's education committee chairman cllr Jim Flood says: "The system which exists in Keighley at the moment will continue whereby parents can select up to three schools of their choice. But, if the new two-tier structure is approved, instead of children changing schools twice, they will only have to make one transfer."

Under the present Keighley pyramid system, parents can select a school on an admissions form. But selection is based on a number of priorities, set out under Bradford council's approved admission criteria for middle and upper schools.

This criteria states that priority is given to children who have brothers or sisters already attending the chosen school of their parents and for those children who go to schools within the catchment area of the selected school.

In the case of Calversyke Middle School, pupils at Guard House and Laycock first schools are given top priority, as these two schools feed into Calversyke.

But Calversyke head-teacher David Brett believes that if the admissions system is not changed, problems could arise. These problems centre around the fact that many of Calversyke's parents opt out of the pyramid system and send their children to Oakbank rather than Greenhead.

Mr Brett fears that if Oakbank's intake is increased under the proposed changes, some parents are destined to be disappointed because there won't be enough places for everyone.

Mr Brett says: "What interests our parents is the linkage between the schools as this is very important in the Keighley district. If the schools begin to fill up, there will be less chance for parents to send their children to a school of their choice and this will upset many of them."

At the moment, only Hartington, Worth Valley and Bront' Middle Schools feed into Oakbank.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.