A STRUGGLING secondary school, placed in special measures earlier this year, could be either closed down or taken over by an academy chain.

Newly-released documents suggest the most likely option for Belle Vue Boys' School is that it will be taken over by the trust that runs one of the district's best performing schools, and becomes a mixed sex school.

The school, on Thorn Lane in Heaton, was put into special measures in July after Government inspectors deemed there were few signs of improvement at the school, ranked among the worst performing nationally at GCSE level based on last year's results.

On Wednesday, the Bradford Schools Forum, made up of council representatives, governors and headteachers, will discuss the future of Belle Vue Boys, and will be urged to back plans for the school to become a sponsored academy, with Beckfoot Academy Trust as the sponsor. The trust runs Beckfoot School in Bingley, which was recently praised as Outstanding by government inspectors, and Hazelbeck special school.

The council believes the trust could turn around the fortunes of Belle Vue.

However, another option on the table will be to shut the school down, with a new academy or free school opening somewhere in the district to take on the displaced pupils.

As well as getting poor exam and Ofsted results, the new report reveals the school's financial position is "significantly weakened" by its low pupil numbers. Out of a possible 600 year 7 to 11 pupils, the school only has 435 on roll. Estimates say that unless something is changed at the school, it will face a £3.8 million deficit by 2018.

Bradford Council had replaced the school's governors following poor performance in 2011, installing an interim executive board in its place. However there was still little improvement, and for the past 18 months the council has been looking for an academy chain to take it over, in line with government policies on failing council-run schools.

So far, Beckfoot is the only one to have shown any interest.

Weighing up the different options, the report says: "The closure of the school would take time, and would not be a certain outcome. It is also not the cheaper option."

It says that discussions are ongoing with Beckfoot, but for any takeover to go ahead the trust would likely require a new building built on the school's existing playing fields rather than re-developing the exiting building. It would also see the school become "co-educational."

David Horn, Headteacher at Beckfoot School: "As a Department for Education approved sponsor we have been asked to give consideration to potentially sponsoring Belle Vue Boys' School. We are in discussion with the School and Local Authority as to whether this is achievable."

Of the preferred option for the school, Councillor Ralph Berry, executive for children's services at Bradford Council, said: "The key here is that we've found a local Bradford solution to help deliver a high quality school to this community. This will provide quality education with the support of Beckfoot. Working with the local community will be absolutely essential to make this work.

"The delay in dealing with this has been absolutely unacceptable. We have had to run a talent show of academy chains. We were told we had to find an academy chain to run the school, but none came forward. Luckily we have found a possible solution within Bradford. It is a serious response to a serious situation."

Colin Wilshire, the head of Belle Vue Boys School was unavailable for comment.

If they vote to support the conversion to the Beckfoot chain, the Schools Forum will be asked to help fund some transitional costs. The meeting takes place at 8am on Wednesday in Bradford City Hall.

An Ofsted inspection into Belle Vue Boys School, held in June, found: "This school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education, and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure necessary improvement."

Referring to the governors, it added: "They have not challenged senior leaders well enough about the school's performance, and hold them to account for the school's decline."

Beckfoot Academy's report, published the previous month, said the school was "outstanding" in every category adding: "The inspirational headteacher has made the improvement of teaching and learning his relentless focus. Along with his creative and dynamic senior team, he has ensured that teachers are equally obsessed with getting the very best from students.

"The school’s work to promote equality and tackle discrimination is excellent. There is a buzz of learning in the school and students take a genuine delight in mastering new skills.

"A finely honed sense of community is shared and promoted by all the students and adults."