Parents and teachers have pledged to wage a battle royale to save their threatened schools.

Ann Kay, a support assistant at Leaventhorpe Middle, said: "It is absolutely disgusting how the Council has ridden rough-shod over the feelings of parents and teachers."

A leaflet distributed by parent governor Beverley Gatenby and her daughter, Lauren, 12, said: "The authority said it was going to get rid of old, decaying schools. Why is it closing down a modern school with playing fields, an all-weather pitch and room for development?"

Parents from Ashlands First, Ilkley distributed a leaflet claiming it was the only first school to have its pupils "evicted" to make way for another first school. It would be taken over by All Saints' CE First.

Tom Birch, whose daughter Emma, five, attends the school, said: "This is part of a multi-million pound land deal. The Council is going to sell off two sites at All Saints to provide the most expensive housing estate in Bradford."

Parents from Stocks Lane First said their school would be needed because of housing development in Queensbury and the Westwood Hospital site.

Janet Crampton, whose six-year-old daughter, Rebecca, attends the school, said: "It is the centre of our local community. There is no way we will allow it to close."

Maggie Redpath, the head of the smallest school in Bradford, Oldfield First, with 36 children, said: "Parents value the role of a small rural school at the heart of the community. We are the only focal point for our community and this close-knit farming community deserves to have somewhere to meet."

She said standards were well above Bradford averages in English, maths and science, the quality of teaching was praised by Ofsted and they worked hard to balance the books.

Cathy Furness, teacher governor at Bronte Middle, said: "We have the most wonderful facilities. We have the space for sports and we feed Oakbank which has been designated a college of sporting excellence. It seems illogical to close us.

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe today gave the thumbs-up to plans for a two-tier education system in the district.

"I believe it is a way forward, providing it is resourced properly. It is a system used by most authorities in the country," he said.

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