Schools across the county are going to suffer because the planned reorganisation in Oxford is four months behind schedule and tens of millions of pounds over budget, according to councillors.

Cllr Tom Richardson (Lab) criticised the scheme to switch city schools from three to two tier in line with the rest of the county.

At a county council meeting yesterday he said: "This scheme is already four months late. It is already due to cost millions more than we were due to spend. In the meantime, the rest of schools in Oxfordshire are having to suffer."

He said inspectors from the Office For Standards in Education had stated the most pressing issue for the county's schools was raising standards.

The report said that too many schools in the county were 'coasting' and overall pupil performance needed to be raised.

Only one school in the county - Marlborough, Woodstock - appeared in the list of 100 most improved schools this year, he added.

But Cllr Janet Morgan, the Liberal Democrat education spokesman, said: "This scheme is not four months behind. People who carp on and give incorrect information do no favours to the pupils and teachers in our schools."