Bradford's best performing state school is to partner up with a failing school in a revolutionary bid to boost standards.

Dixons City Academy's head teacher Dwayne Saxton will take over as head at struggling Wyke Manor School from the start of next year.

The move is part of an initial three-year partnership deal to raise standards at Wyke, which has been in special measures for 18 months.

Dixons, in West Bowling, became the district's first city academy this term and is run independently of Bradford Council with the backing of a private sponsor.

It was formed in 1990 as a city technology college and receives cash directly from the Government. The academy draws pupils from across the city and massively outperforms Bradford's other inner city secondary schools.

This summer, 99 per cent of its pupils achieved at least five A* to C grades at GCSE compared with a district wide average of 45 per cent.

Mr Saxton told the Telegraph & Argus the three-year plan was to bring Wyke Manor out of the special measures category and possibly move it towards becoming a city academy.

He said Wyke Manor would also be applying for specialist school status. This would mean up to an extra £500,000 funding from the Government to pay for a new buildings and resources to focus on one subject area.

Mr Saxton said that Dixons were asked to form the partnership by Bradford Council and Education Bradford, the private firm which runs the district's education services.

He said: "We have entered into a partnership and we want to support the continuing development and improvements which have taken place at Wyke."

He said the move could involve pupils having lessons at both schools in future and said city academy status would also be looked at.

Staff from the two schools will begin meeting next month to explore how the partnership will work.

Dixon's City Academy's principal Sir John Lewis will become the partnership's chief executive officer.

And Nicholas Weller, who is currently a head teacher in London, will take over as Dixon's principal next month.

Sir John said: "We are delighted to have this opportunity to work closely with our new colleagues at Wyke Manor and we are looking forward to the many challenges and opportunities which the partnership will offer to both schools."

David Platt, Education Bradford's Director for Secondary School Improvement, said: "We endorse the decision of the Wyke governors to seek a partnership with Dixons City Academy. Wyke Manor School continues to make encouraging progress and this collaboration with Dixons should secure the long-term future of the school."

Wyke Manor was branded as a failing school in July 2004 by Oftsted inspectors.

Their report said pupils in a third of lessons had poor or unsatisfactory attitudes and refused to listen.

And inspectors also criticised teaching for being too dull to capture student's interest and highlighted significant gaps in some teacher's subject knowledge.

The T&A revealed in October that the Government is considering closing Wyke Manor down and replacing it with a privately-sponsored newly-built city academy.