COUNCIL bosses will today decide whether to reduce pupil numbers at an inner city primary school.

Falling pupil numbers at Princeville Primary School in Listerhills has led to the decision to reduce the numbers of pupils it takes on each year from 90 to 60.

With empty spaces in its classrooms, Princeville has not been able to achieve its full funding.

The decision to reduce numbers comes just a few years after the school increased its admission number from 60 to 90 to deal with a rise in school age pupils in the area.

Bradford Council’s decision making Executive meets this morning to decide whether to go ahead with the reduction. If the plans are approved, the new admission numbers will be introduced in September 2020.

The Executive will hear that a number of planned housing developments in the area have either been scrapped or are yet to be built, meaning there are far fewer spaces needed at the school than originally predicted.

Recent years have seen a rise in birthrates in the district, although that rate has since fallen. It means there was a surge in primary school aged children, and a number of primary schools were expanded to make space for this surge.

However, the children who made up this “surge” have since moved into secondary school, leaving some expanded primaries with empty places.

Titus Salt School looks to increase pupil numbers

The district is divided into a number of primary school planning areas, and with Princeville falling into the South West 4 planning area. A report to the Executive says: “Over recent years the number of younger children requiring a school place in this area has reduced. The reception class at Princeville Primary School has not filled in the last three years.

“Funding received by schools is directly related to the number of pupils attending the school. Too many vacancies mean that schools do not receive the maximum possible revenue.

“Data received from the NHS shows that the number of younger children living in this area who will require a school place in the coming years is lower than the number of school places available.”

A letter was sent to parents of children attending the school last year asking for their feedback on the plans. It said: “Recent information published by the Office of National Statistics shows that the number of births in 2017 was the lowest recorded both nationally and in Bradford, since 2006; therefore the Council does not anticipate that the numbers of children requiring school places in the South West 4 planning area will increase significantly in the near future.”

Just two people responded to the consultation on the planned reduction in numbers - one in favour and one opposed.

The objector said: “How does the Authority know that there will not be a need for the additional places in this school if there is an increase in the number of families coming into the country seeking asylum? These children will need educating and could potentially place unnecessary strain on the other schools who will now be filling their places due to Princeville’s reduction?”

The Executive meets in City Hall at 10.30am.