BRADFORD schools are having to make difficult decisions in the face of funding cuts, an education union and a Bradford MP have said.

One of those is Hollingwood Primary School, Horton Bank Top, which has launched a petition to the House of Commons to highlight the strain.

In a letter sent to parents, school head Jonathan Duke said 11 staff members are due to leave tomorrow. While some are retiring or taking up new jobs, the letter says: “For the first time some are leaving because the school has had to reduce staffing levels because of the school budget.”

According to the school cuts website, which is run by the National Education Union (NEU) and supported by other unions, Bradford has lost nearly £80 million between 2015 and 2019 - the difference between funding and the amount needed to protect per pupil funding in real terms - equating to a loss of £376 per pupil. It says 182 of 183 schools have suffered cuts.

Ian Murch, the Bradford representative for the NEU, said: “They are having to make difficult decisions - it’s not their fault, they are just not been given enough money to keep things as they are.”

And Bradford South Labour MP Judith Cummins said every school she visited in her constituency raised the issue of insufficient funds.

Mr Duke said “difficult cuts” have had to be made at Hollingwood, and while some staff members will be replaced, others will not. He said the school would be working hard to minimise the impact.

“There’s a lot of really committed, hard working people that are determined to continue the good work,” he said, adding the situation is not unique to Hollingwood.

The petition, which highlights a reduction of nearly £250,000 in funding in the past four years, urges Government to reverse the cuts made to school budgets.

Parents met at the school yesterday to add their names to the petition, with some raising concerns about what it would mean - particularly for children with special educational or additional needs.

The Nurture team, which provides extra support, will have one staff member, rather than two. Mr Duke said it was not a decision that had been taken lightly.

“We have prioritised it and the fact that we are making that cut now shows how committed we have been to it,” he added, and said an experienced learning mentor would be supporting the needs of those children.

Other parents said they felt they had not been involved in the decision making and that they had been told last minute.

Mr Duke said difficult decisions had not been reached lightly and there perhaps could have been better consultation with parents.

Mrs Cummins said: “I have raised cuts to schools in Parliament with Ministers repeatedly. Our schools, such as Hollingwood Primary, should not be in a position where they are forced to make cuts due to a lack of funding. Every school I visit in my constituency raises the issue of insufficient funding to meet their needs.

“The cuts at Hollingwood Primary School will hit the most vulnerable children especially hard.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “This year, under the National Funding Formula, Bradford local authority received £4,802 per pupil on average, above the national average of £4,689 per pupil. Bradford received 1.5 per cent more funding per pupil compared to 2017-18, equivalent to an extra £13.4 million for local schools, when rising pupil numbers are taken into account.

“We’ve made funding fairer across the country but recognise budgets remain tight which is why we’re supporting schools and head teachers to make the most of their budgets and reduce costs on things like energy, water bills and materials.

“The Secretary of State has made clear that as we approach the next spending review, he will back head teachers to have the resources they need to deliver a world class education.”

According to the Department for Education, Hollingwood Primary School has attracted 0.9 per cent more funding per pupil, compared to 2017-18.