The new City Academy proposed for Bradford will not use interviews to select pupils, school chiefs have pledged.

Other schools have nothing to fear from the proposed £20 million secondary school as it will not be allowed to 'cream off' the best pupils, those behind the plans stressed today.

The Academy would be created from a merger between high-flying Dixons City Technology College, which has the highest results of any local state school, and Bradford Cathedral Community College in East Bowling, a school in special measures near the bottom of the league table.

When first unveiled, the plans caused concern among heads who already resent the admissions policy used by Dixons. The CTC takes children from all ability bands and ethnic backgrounds, but its policy that parents attend an interview has been very unpopular with leaders of other schools, who say it favours youngsters from the most supportive and aspirational families, who are likely to achieve most highly in their school careers. Talks have now taken place with head teachers to reassure them over the proposals.

Tony Thornley, director of strategy at Education Bradford, said: "These proposals bring the CTC into the family of schools. It has been very isolated in the past and admissions are a part of that. We have involved the other south Bradford heads in detailed discussions. They have been involved in drawing up how this might work.

"The admissions policy will be an amalgam. There definitely won't be any interviews."

Describing the City Academy plan as "a tremendous opportunity for south Bradford," he added: "It won't be one school subsuming the other, but building on the strengths of both." Detailed plans are now being made to decide how the merger could work. Management consultants Capita have been brought in to develop proposals.

Project manager Ged Rowney, of Capita, said: "It's exciting and there's a real buzz - people want to make it work and see it happen and get actively involved."

Architects are expected to report back in the next fortnight over how the new Academy could run most effectively across its split site.

John Lewis, principal of Dixons CTC, said: "People initially had the impression the Academy would be an additional school taking children from existing schools, but in fact it's an amalgamation of two schools which currently exist. It's a potentially unifying force. There's a gradual understanding of what is intended and a recognition that it is not a threat. It will benefit Bradford as a whole."