AN overhaul of schools in Evesham and Pershore could be on the cards as education in the Vale comes under the microscope in a major county-wide review.

The review is being hailed as an exciting move forward for education in the area and could result in future generations of children being taught in more modern classrooms and busy schools being encouraged to expand to create more places

Worcestershire county education officers will begin collecting information next spring on all kinds of things to do with schools in the Vale: their structure, the state of buildings, age ranges, pupil numbers and catchment areas.

At the same time they will build up data on the area generally looking at housing plans and other factors likely to affect education provision in the foreseeable future. It is expected to take five years to complete.

It could be particularly beneficial in Evesham where schools are already nearly all full and often have waiting lists.

A new school in the town has been discussed by county councils for many years and will undoubtedly come up again.

Headteachers generally welcome the review which could give them the opportunity to develop and improve their schools.

Julia Adams of Bredon Hill Middle School said: "The system we have is working extremely well.

"However, there are concerns over the shortage of places in the area.

"We are keen to get rid of temporary classrooms and if the review addresses this it is obviously going to be to our advantage."

Bengeworth First School head David Braham believes the review is a major step forward for the area.

He said: "I welcome the review which will give everyone the opportunity to explore the possibilities of reorganisation with a view to improving the education provision of the schools in Evesham."

So why undertake the review? Head of policy development at County Hall, Colin Weeden, said it is to ensure there are enough school places to meet demand.

He explained: "We also need to provide good value for money and ensure the children are receiving the best education possible.

"Clearly there are a lot of exciting things going on in education. We want to support schools in their endeavours to improve and to ensure there are places available for parents and children in the localities in which they want to live.

"Added to that we want to be able to give assurances that the places available are also in high quality accommodation."

Although the vibes from County Hall are all very positive, some reviews have led to radical changes in parts of the county where they are already going on.

In Redditch, falling pupil numbers led to the closure of 12 schools, which were reorganised and only six reopened.

Mr Weeden said: "The issues can be contentious when it comes to closing schools but, in other areas such as Worcester, all are full so they will be expanding.

Schools around Evesham look safe. Prince Henry's is full and Evesham High has only 66 surplus places.

Bredon Hill Middle, St Mary's RC in Broadway, Offenham First and Ashton-under-Hill are also full. Pershore High has 10 surplus places and Abbey Park First School two.

However, a potentially contentious issue in the Vale is the future of middle schools. The Vale is one of few areas which still has middle schools. Getting rid of them would ensure all pupils changed from primary to secondary schools at the same age.

The age range in other schools also varies across the area. In Pershore, for instance, children in most first schools are aged between five and nine, except for two Catholic schools which teach five to 11-year-olds.

In Evesham, the age ranges are mostly five to 10, except for two Catholic schools who again teach five to 11-year-olds.

However, nothing will be changed until a report has been produced following the study and parents consulted on any recommendations.

Some parents are already planning to have their say on transport to school. They can choose to send their children to any school provided there are spaces, but transport ceases to be free if it is outside the catchment area.

Some children in the Combertons go to Prince Henry's instead of Pershore High. Parents there have long been complaining that the county will not bus them, despite offering to pay.

County councillor Adrian Hardman said: "I am arranging a meeting to get all the facts from parents before the review to try to negotiate some sort of solution."