MORE than 25 per cent of pupils at two primary schools in Malvern and 20 per cent at one of the town's high schools have to study in temporary accommodation.

108 pupils out of 389 (27.8 per cent) at Great Malvern Primary are taught in portable buildings, as are 59 out of 209 (28.2 per cent) at Grove Infants and 325 out of 1,619 (20.1 per cent) at The Chase.

Angela Rodway, acting head of Great Malvern Primary, said: "The whole of Years Three and Four are taught in temporary classrooms and it is a problem.

We have worked very hard to make the classrooms attractive but they have toilets, which is a great help."

Julie Millard, deputy head at The Grove Junior, said: "The main problem is a logistical one, getting the children to and from the mobile classrooms and the main schools. The mobile class rooms leak as well."

David Fawbert, head of the Chase, said: "We've got 13 mobile classrooms, nine of which are really quite smart, but four of which are pretty grotty. Fortunately, we've secured funding to replace them with new buildings, so it will be nice to be going into the 21st Century with better facilities."

Worcestershire County Council is considering what strategy to adopt to tackle the problem. Other schools in the area with pupils taught in temporary buildings are Malvern Parish Primary (16 per cent), St Joseph's (14.9 per cent), The Grove Junior (10.1 per cent), Powick Primary (16.9 per cent), Upton Primary (9.8 per cent) and Hanley Castle High (10.4 per cent).