Addingham people are calling on the community to unite in a bid to make sure village youngsters win places at Ilkley Grammar School.

Despite assurances from ward councillor Michael Kelly (Con, Craven) that Bradford Council would explore ‘every possibility’ of making sure children secure a local secondary school place, villagers fear children in future years will be sent to schools out of the valley.

Residents and parish councillors have called for the community to take the matter into its own hands, concerned at Bradford Council’s hesitance to guarantee places for Addingham children at Ilkley Grammar in future.

A number of children in Addingham and Burley-in-Wharfedale – both in the school’s Priority One catchment area – were this year initially allocated places at schools outside the area, because the student intake places for this September were full.

The school has since been directed to make extra places available, a move which has caused concern at the school itself.

And two years ago, Addingham families were faced with a similar agonising wait to learn if their children had been accepted at Ilkley Grammar.

Addingham Parish Council met with Coun Kelly, who as well as being Bradford Council executive member for services to children and young people, is a ward councillor and Addingham resident.

Parish councillor, Catherine Coates, told residents at the council’s annual parish meeting last week that Coun Kelly had offered a reassurance that the number of pupils coming through the education system from Addingham was going to be slightly reduced.

But she said Addingham was a rural village, and any split of the village, with some children being sent away to other schools, would be ‘damaging’.

Coun Sheila McLachlan said she was ‘frustrated’ by the meeting with Coun Kelly, and concerned that the figures on which school admissions are based do not take into account such factors as the number of primary school age children currently in private education.

“He was pressured very hard by our chairman. I think every single councillor make it plain that we were far from being satisfied with this,” she said.

Coun McLachlan felt that sending all or some Addingham youngsters to schools further afield such as Greenhead High School, near Keighley, could have serious consequences for the future of Addingham.

Such a move could split the village, hit house prices and local business, and turn Addingham into a commuter offshoot or a retirement village, she warned.

Addingham parent Fiona Mann, who was at the meeting, said local councillors and parents should join forces with Addingham Primary School, plus societies, churches and businesses to assure local schools places for their children.

“I think it’s vital that the community works together,” she said. “There’s no confidence in the Bradford executive to do anything about this.”

She questioned how likely the new Ilkley Grammar School building is to go ahead, given the change in Government, and opposition from some quarters locally.

Coun McLachlan agreed that the community should pull together over the issue.