CHILDREN'S education would be improved by moving out of the dilapidated Christopher Whitehead High School, its headteacher has stressed.

Neil Morris presented a huge list of problems with the outdated buildings to a public inquiry into the St John's school's potential relocation.

"I and my staff wholeheartedly support the proposed move for the single reason it would be hugely beneficial for the education of the children at Christopher Whitehead High School," he said in his submission.

"The additional benefit, if the new school is correctly designed would be a facility that would be beneficial to the Worcester community."

Mr Morris' worries over the current site included:

Dog mess and broken glass littering the playing pitches, in Bromwich Road.

Sports lesson time being "significantly reduced" by a 10-minute walk to fields.

Small, "mould-ridden" classrooms in the English and Modern Foreign Languages block.

An annual bill of £3,000 for smashed windows and 30 calls to police from last September to February because of poor security.

Teachers and students losing lesson time because of travelling "vast distances" over a 14-acre site.

He added that pupils were taking part in bullying and truancy "due to the rambling, poorly-designed site that has many nooks and crannies".

Michael Bedford, counsel for Worcester City Council, which opposes the school's move to the western outskirts of the city, quizzed Mr Morris yesterday over whether investment in the current site would solve the difficulties.

"If the school was subjected to the investment agreed by the local education authority, you're not really saying the physical conditions are so bad that you have passed the point of no return?" said Mr Bedford.

Mr Morris said the problems of PE taking place on split sites and security of the perimeter fence would remain.

The inquiry continues.

'Bullying and truancy aren't problems here'

THE headteacher of Christopher Whitehead fears an on-going inquiry could damage its reputation after dismissing claims that bullying and truancy are problems at the school.

During an inquiry into a possible move for the high school, the county council's solicitor said relocation was needed because dilapidated buildings had led to bullying and truancy.

However, Neil Morris firmly rejected that the security or attendance of pupils was a problem at the St John's school.

"We don't have a bullying problem. We have a zero-tolerance policy and if somebody raises a fist they are excluded," said the headteacher.

"But our exclusions are low - at their lowest for a long period of time - and attendance is up two per cent, which is one of the best performances in Worcestershire.

"The relationship between the pupils, staff and parents is very good and, though I welcome the chance for the public to speak out about a move, this is two weeks of potential disruption that has taken me out of school."

Mr Morris is a staunch supporter of the move, as the current site - two schools amalgamated in 1983 - creates a range of difficulties for its 1,000 students and staff.

I'm all about excellence and I believe that here we have a chance to create excellence for Worcester, with a brand new 23-acre self-contained school," he said.

Our pupils and teachers do fantastically well considering this learning environment and bullying and truancy just aren't major problems here.