City councillors said today they were already looking at different ways of rebuilding four York schools.

Hob Moor Junior and Infant Schools, in Acomb, Fulford St Oswald's Primary and St Barnabas' Primary in Leeman Road are all in need of rebuilding work.

The two Hob Moor schools were made of corrugated aluminium in the 1950s and were only meant to stay up for 15 years. The other two school buildings are cramped and outdated.

The City of York Council is asking the Government for approval to go ahead with a private finance initiative deal for the fifth time in three years, but headteachers are worried about what may happen if the deal does not get approval again.

Coun Janet Looker, executive member for education on the City of York Council, said: "We are not going to just sit here and twiddle our thumbs and wait for the PFI. We are going to seriously look at alternative ways of sorting this out.

"I don't know why it hasn't been successful so far, we have jumped through every single hoop that everybody has asked us to and I have raised it personally with our MP Hugh Bayley. John Grogan has also been very helpful in the past and for one of the bids helped set up a meeting with an education minister.

"I have asked officers to go back to the drawing board and I plan to meet with the head teachers to talk to them."

Coun Peter Vaughan, Liberal Democrat education spokesman, said: "Clearly it is a very urgent matter that decent buildings are provided. We will be looking at alternatives to try and give the children and teachers some hope."