KEIGHLEY’S three upper schools will between them lose £2.5 million within the next two years due to government funding changes, claims an election hopeful.

John Grogan, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Keighley, this week published figures for primary and secondary schools in the Keighley constituency.

He claimed the figures, calculated by the National Union of Teachers using information from the Department of Education, show the impact of measures introduced by the Conservative government.

According to the research, University Academy Keighley faces an estimated budget reduction of £1.58 million by 2019 – an estimated loss per student of £2,643.

Beckfoot Oakbank would lose £538,890, a loss of £403 per student, and Holy Family would lose £404,663, or £535 per student.

Primary schools in Keighley Central ward could lose up to £228,000 each, all primary schools in Craven ward would lose more than £100,000 each, and across Keighley West and East awards 11 primary schools would lose a total of more than £2 million.

In the Worth Valley the loss facing the six primary schools totals more than £500,000.

The figures use 2015/2016 as the baseline to calculate the impact of the cash freeze on the amount of funding for each pupil, the proposed cut to the Education Services Grant and the proposed introduction of a National Funding Formula.

Mr Grogan said: “Up until 2020 in real terms Keighley and Ilkley schools are facing cuts of about £7 1/2 million.

“Ilkley Grammar School alone will lose around £750,000 and Oakbank in Keighley around £500,000.

“Anybody who is currently serving on a local school governing body is facing the reality of these cuts with threats to teachers and teaching assistant jobs. They are putting under threat the quality of the next generation's education.”

Mr Grogan pledged that a Labour Government would stop the cuts.'

Mr Grogan said the National Union of Teachers planned to organise an election debate in Keighley on education.

Ms Liddell