PUPILS at a new primary school in Brockworth face starting the year in temporary classrooms because the school buildings will not be completed in time.

The parent-led consortium tasked with setting up Cooper's Edge School says it is "very likely" the necessary infrastructure will not be in place by the scheduled opening date in September next year.

The school was originally slated to open in 2012, but the county council brought forward that date when it chose the Parent Community Group to run it in January. In a letter to council bosses, consortium chairwoman Joanne Vickers asked for more funding to pay for the appointment of a head teacher in January 2011, rather than Easter of that year, to oversee the development.

She said: "Because of the opening date being brought forward, it is very likely that the school will have to open in temporary accommodation.

"The head will therefore face not just the challenges of the developing and opening of a new school, a huge task which anyone who has done it will attest to, but also establishing a temporary school for one or possibly two terms on a different site."

Cooper's Edge is a new estate being built on the site of the former Brockworth airfield.

More than 400 homes have been occupied and up to 1,900 in total will be built. After giving the go-ahead for a new school, the authority then asked community groups to come forward and bid to run the site with its support.

The county council has agreed to give the group up to £7 million in Section 106 money from developers including Bovis, Barratt, Persimmon and David Wilson.

The funding included enough money to pay for a head teacher from Easter next year, in line with the council's school start-ups policy.

But Ms Vickers said it is crucial a leader is appointed earlier.

She said: "Given the specific challenges of this project, it is vital that the head is appointed with adequate time to fulfil these tasks effectively.

"It will be the most cost-effective solution in the long-term."

A county council spokeswoman said the wrangling would not delay the school's opening.

She said: "The school building will be open in December 2011, which we agreed with the parent promoters initially.

"Building a brand new £7 million school building takes time, and we are committed to ensuring the best possible facilities are provided."