Students at a Bradford school are organising a glittering "graduation ball" for classmates this summer.

But only pupils who meet academic targets and do not play truant will get tickets. The idea has come from youngsters at Wyke Manor School who are determined to haul their school up from the bottom of the Bradford league table.

Last summer, only 16 per cent of school leavers left Wyke with at least five "good" GSCE passes at grades A* to C, far below the Bradford average of 37 per cent and the national average of 51 per cent. Worryingly for school bosses, 16 per cent left the school without a single qualification.

Wyke was also revealed in the most recent league tables to be among the lowest in the district for "value added" which measures how much progress pupils make, and has shown a decline in GCSE results over the past four years.

School leaders accept there are problems, but insist it has turned the corner. They expect a big leap in GCSE successes this summer.

Pupils are backing the drive for improvements, with 60 or 70 children attending regular revision sessions after school.

Alan Oswin, acting head teacher, said senior staff were "gobsmacked" when pupils suggested the "prom". Students will dress in black tie and ballgowns for the event, at a local hotel on Monday, May 12. School leavers will be presented with records of achievement during the day. One of the event organisers Sarah Davey said: "We have got a lot of Year 11 involved and we are hoping it's going to be really good."

Sarah, who is predicted As and Bs in her GCSEs and wants to stay on in the sixth form, added: "We think this is one way of promoting the school and making it better, particularly getting attendance up.

"So far, other students have agreed with us."

Another organiser Jodie Pickles said: "I think results here could be better than they are at the moment. This is something people can look forward to - it should help."