ALMOST half of Worcester's schools are teaching in temporary classrooms, a new report has revealed.

Eleven out of the city's 27 primary and high schools are listed as having temporary buildings.

The worst case is at Northwick Manor Infants School where 29.1 per cent of places are housed in temporary buildings.

Worcestershire's education and lifelong learning panel heard that officers had carried out a survey of temporary accommodation in county schools.

It found that 7.71 per cent of primary school places and 4.59 of high school places were currently housed in temporary classrooms.

Despite receiving £5.8m of extra cash under the Government's New Deals for Schools scheme and earmarking funding from its own budget, officers said the authority was still facing "considerable pressure" for additional accommodation in Worcester, Bromsgrove, Evesham and Pershore.

"Bids will continue to be made to secure the funding necessary to support increased pupil numbers in permanent accommodation where a long-term need is identified," said the report.

"However, it must be acknowledged that much of the capital funding available so far to the authority over the next three years is fully committed.

"In some circumstances it will be inevitable that pupil growth will have to be catered for in the short term by additional temporary accommodation."

Pressure

Officers said influxes of young families in areas of new housing and the Government's refusal to pay for additional classrooms for growing sixth forms was increasing pressure on some school buildings.

Andrew Jarvis, of Worcestershire's property services, said modern temporary buildings provided "very good" accommodation.

"But the problem is that once we get two or three at a school we are putting additional strain on central facilities such as the school hall or toilets," he said.

But Coun John Smith said all four of Evesham's first schools relied considerably on temporary accommodation.

"That cannot be good for the staff, the children or the environment," he said.

In April 2000, a total of 65 primary schools, 10 middle schools and 16 high schools in Worcestershire were teaching classes in temporary buildings - accounting for 5,284 places.

Primary schools relying most heavily on temporary buildings were Bromsgrove's Fairfield First where 50.8 per cent of places are housed in portable classrooms, Himbleton CE First with 50 per cent and Bromsgrove's The Linthurst First with 49.1 per cent.

In the middle school sector Bredon Hill with 27.9 per cent and Alvechurch CE with 16 per cent had the most temporary places.

Out of the county's high schools, Haybridge High School in Hagley had the most with 27.3 per cent, Tenbury High with 20.5 per cent and The Chase in Malvern with 20 per cent.

Of the 11 city schools to rely on temporary accommodation two were high schools - Blessed Edward RC with 9.2 per cent and Nunnery Wood High with 1.9 per cent - the rest were primary schools.

As well as Northwick Manor Junior School with 29.1 per cent, Northwick Manor Infants has 22.9 per cent and St Barnabas CE has 22.8 per cent of places in temporary accommodation.