Headteachers from schools across the city have welcomed Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown's promise of more money for 'every pupil in Bradford'.

Schools in the district will receive a massive financial boost as part of the Government's newly revealed three-year public spending plan.

An announced 5.4 per cent annual increase means that by next year £430 more will be spent on each pupil than in 1997.

The money going directly to schools is also being increased, with an average £60,000 extra a year heading for each of Bradford's secondary schools.

Primary schools will get up to £20,000 in direct payments, to be spent at the headteacher's discretion, under the new funding.

Alan Hall, headteacher of Belle Vue Girls' School, said: "One of the problems we face as a school is that whatever we have tried to do in the past, we have been cash-strapped. This will be a much-needed cash injection."

June Bingham, headteacher at Killinghall Primary School, said the advantage of this money was it came in a lump sum.

She said: "Schools can choose exactly what to spend the money on. The cash comes directly to the school, rather than through the Local Education Authority, which means schools can address their own individual priorities."

Bradford South Labour MP Gerry Sutcliffe said: "This is good news for Bradford and will give our schools re-organisation a tremendous boost."

The Chancellor said the money would be used to recruit more teachers, buy books, and renovate school buildings.