A new secondary school will open in Bradford to meet a population ‘bulge’ – but no-one knows where it will be, or who will run it.

Bradford Council was given the go-ahead to open the 1,050-place school in the ‘BD4’ district, as part of a £820m Government cash injection.

Extra places will also be created, by September 2014, at:

  • Princeville Primary School (215 places) – making it three-form entry
  • Cullingworth Village Primary School (105 places) – making it two-form entry
  • Chellow Heights Special School (35 places) – allowing it to open a ‘satellite’ site, in Netherlands Avenue, Low Moor.

But, under Department for Education rules, Bradford Council is not allowed to set up the new secondary, or even decide its location. Instead, it must search for a private sponsor to run an academy, with Council-run ‘community schools’ outlawed in almost all circumstances.

Education Secretary Michael Gove will then decide whether the sponsor is suitable, with Dixons – already running three Bradford secondaries – the firm favourite.

The Education Funding Agency will take charge of the search for the best site for the new school.

Ralph Berry, Bradford’s executive member for education, said: “I expect it will be built in West or East Bowling – that’s where the population bulge is.

“However, it will be the Education Funding Agency that decides the location, after examining where the demand is going to be.”

Mr Berry suggested Dixons were the likely sponsor, adding: “They are popular with folks in Bradford – and other academy chains are in meltdown.”

Recently, Mr Gove criticised the Academies Enterprise Trust – which runs Feversham Primary Academy in Bradford – and said it would not be allowed to take on any more schools.

In total, Bradford was awarded £15.86m for extra school places yesterday, having submitted a bid for £21m.

However, Mr Berry said: “I’m pleased with the announcement, because this is the essential investment we needed.”

Across England, 45 new schools will open and a further 333 will be expanded – but the Dfe received 570 applications.

David Laws, the schools minister, said: “We are determined that every pupil should not just have a place, but that the growth in the system is concentrated in schools that parents and pupils really want to go to.”

Mr Laws said 74,000 extra school places would now be created nationwide by September 2015, on top of 190,000 created between 2010 and 2013.

He added: “By 2015, we will have spent more than £5bn on new school places – more than double the £1.9bn spent by the previous government over an equivalent period.”