HEAD teacher Peter Wood has outlined many of the changes due to take place at Ilkley Grammar School as a result of the Bradford Schools reorganisation.

Major building work will have to take place at the Cowpasture Road school to take an extra 480 pupils from next year and while it is being done, the school will operate on two sites.

Years seven and eight will be based on the site currently occupied by Ilkley Middle School on Valley Drive. In charge will be Richard Jennings who is now head of Ilkley Middle School. He will become head of what will be known as the Lower School.

Mr Wood said: "In spite of being on two sites to start with we are determined that we will be one school from the first day. We will try to ensure that as many staff as possible teach in both buildings.

"I shall certainly make sure that my time is divided equally as possible."

To cope with the extra pupils, 19 teachers from feeder middle schools, Addingham, Ilkley and Burley-in-Wharfedale, have been taken on.

Mr Wood said the extra staff had a great deal of experience in teaching across the 11-18 age range, would be able to carry on the long tradition of working together with grammar school teachers, and the children would have familiar faces in charge of their education.

Mr Wood said: "We are already well into our planning for September 2000. Inevitably we are further advanced in some areas than others.

"Our teaching staff is almost complete, though there are still some support staff appointments to be made."

The name of the new school has not yet been decided but already a new school uniform has been developed which will begin to be worn from September next year.

Mr Wood said one crucial element in the school's planning for the massive upheaval is the need for regular communication between school and parents.

"Undoubtedly, a lot of hard work lies ahead. We believe that the new school will give us all kinds of opportunities. The challenge is to make sure we grasp them and make they work for the benefit of the children," said Mr Wood.

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