SCHOOLS across the district are facing increasing pressure for places as this September will see a record number of children reaching primary school age locally.

When schools start back, an estimated 8,782 children will have just reached primary school age – up 157 compared to last year and 1,041 compared to 2009.

And a report says the areas of pressure in this year’s admission process were the Silsden/Keighley district, Denholme/Cullingworth and in the BD5 postcode.

The council is increasing the classroom sizes of many of its schools to meet the need for space, but one councillor warns that entire new schools are needed to relieve pressure.

The council has been hearing 1,913 appeals for school places this September over 121 days, around 14 appeals a day.

Of the 8,782 children of primary starting age, 8,200 have applied for primary schools in the district. Others are either attending private school, schools out of the area, being home-schooled or other educational options.

The primary school admission numbers for this September saw 85.99 per cent of children get their first choice primary school, a figure that rose to 86.43 per cent after appeals. 3.33 per cent were allocated to a school that wasn’t even in their top five, although this fell to 2.27 per cent after the appeals process.

There are 203 families still waiting to hear the results of their appeal.

Out of 160 primary schools in the district, there are currently just 24 with five or more spare places in reception.

When it came to secondary schools, 75.52 per cent of pupils got their first choice school, rising to 76.22 per cent after appeals. Initially 5.40 per cent were allocated a secondary school that was not in their top five, but this fell to 3.31 per cent after the appeals process.

Of the total appeals, 212 were upheld, 806 were unsuccessful, 305 were withdrawn and 579 are still awaiting a result.

One way to deal with the increased number of primary school pupils has been to increase the size of certain schools. In the past five years the council has increased the size of 46 primary schools.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, executive for children’s services, said: “Since 2010 we have created 6,400 primary places in Bradford and we’re currently planning expansions at a further four primary schools for 2016.

“All these expansions were made possible by the Government’s Basic Needs Capital Grant which is reducing from £9.6 million to just over £700,000.

“It is the secondary sector where I see the most pressure on places in the future and with reduced Government funding this will be the greatest challenge.”

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, Liberal Democrat spokesman, said: “What is concerning is that the Council seemingly fails to deal with the increasing number of children in the district.

“What it is not good enough to do is just to say ‘it is the Government’s fault.’ We are at least two primary schools and two secondary schools short.”