ANGRY parents have hit out at education chiefs after their children were forced to stay away from school because building work is still taking place.

Many of the schools formed under the Redditch Review opened on Monday but pupils at Ipsley Middle, on the site of the former St Peter's Middle, were only allowed back today.

And children in Years 9 and 10 at Kingsley College, on the former site of the Leys High, cannot go back until tomorrow as building work still needs to be finished.

Scores of parents were outraged after only being officially notified of the delay on Saturday.

Mother-of-four Penny Middleton said: "It's a very bad start and it shows the education department has no strategy whatsoever. They must have known last week and they could have sent the letters then."

Mrs Middleton urged parents from every school in the town to join forces and campaign on the single issue of education.

She said: "All of it has been very badly handled - it's no wonder the schools are performing poorly."

Parent Sandy Muckle was forced to take two unpaid days off work to look after her son and a friend's child who were due to start at Ipsley Middle.

She said: "I think it's absolutely disgraceful as they would have known it was going to take longer. And to find out at the weekend does not give anyone time to sort out childcare."

She added: "I just can't believe such a massive project could not have been timed right."

A spokesman for Worcestershire County Council's education department said: "The reason we informed parents so late is because we wanted to leave it as late as possible to make a decision.

''We might have known on Thursday or Friday whether we could open on time.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused."

THE new Trinity High School and Sixth Form Centre opened its doors on Monday.

The school, on the site of the old Abbey High, has seen extensive transformation, including a new suite of classrooms, a music technology centre and extended IT facilities.

The school is the result of a merger between the Abbey and Bridley Moor High under the Redditch Review.

Headteacher Marian Barton said: "I'm delighted with the improvements and I'm convinced staff and students will be able to achieve success in a new environment."