THE head of a new secondary school that will eventually have 1,050 pupils is busy preparing for the school's opening in September.

Bradford Forster Academy will occupy a £12 million building in Fenby Avenue in Bowling, and principal Diane Pickering and her staff are already hard at work to prepare the school to welcome its first pupils.

And she has one ultimate aim - to help prove educational standards in the city.

The academy will be part of the Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT), which operates a number of Church of England academies in the Bradford area.

It will be the second academy to join the trust after Bradford Academy, which opened in 2007.

MORE EDUCATION HEADLINES

The school, for 11-16 year olds, now has a funding agreement signed off with the Secretary of State, and has 120 students expected for September, although places are still available for the entry year seven.

The school will increase by a year group each year until 2020 when it reaches its capacity. It will also have 60 teaching staff and a similar amount of support and site staff.

Recruitment at the school is now well under way, and the school also has a vice-principal, leaders for English and maths, a curriculum leader for some of the hard to recruitment areas such as technology and performing arts and a lead behaviour practitioner.

The school governing body is in place and has already started to hold meetings and is already approving the policies and structures for opening. The choice of school uniform has also been finalised.

Miss Pickering, 42, was formally head of Landau Forte Academy in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and said the opportunity to be the first head at a new school in Bradford was too good an opportunity to miss.

She moved to Bradford specifically for the job, which she started in January. She said: "I saw the advert for the job and thought it was such a fantastic opportunity that I would regret not replying for. It is every head's dream to start their own school from scratch.

"I felt that working in Bradford was a chance to make a real difference. It is a terrific challenge to take on, a really exciting role."

She said the staff applying for jobs were from both within Bradford and from around Yorkshire, with teachers from York and other cities wanting to fill some of the roles.

As well as staff being eager to stamp their mark on the new school, Miss Pickering hopes the pupils aspire to do the same.

She said: "I think that is what will happen, you will have year sevens taking on the opportunity to shape the school."

There are also plans to make the school a community hub, with facilities such as sports pitches being opened up to the public. "We feel we should be the heart of the community and we are working hard to make the school just that," Miss Pickering said.

"Everyone here wants to make a difference and improve education in Bradford. It can be hugely rewarding."

Although the school will be based on Christian values, children from all faiths will be welcome.

Philip Turner, BDAT chairman of governors at Bradford Forster Academy, said: “We are now very close to opening the doors and progress is moving at pace with children having been allocated their places, a new principal and staff in place and our funding agreement with the Department of Education now confirmed.

"I very much look forward to chairing Bradford Forster Academy as the new, high quality education provider for the children of Bradford.”

Pupils at neighbouring Lower Fields Primary School have been given a tour of the under construction new building, with contractor, Wates Construction, giving them an exclusive preview of a model classroom.

Alongside the main school, Wates will also build the indoor sports centre with a four-court multi-purpose hall.

Paul Dodsworth, business unit director, Wates Construction North East & Yorkshire, said: “Ultimately this project is about creating an outstanding educational experience for the young people of Bradford and this site visit is a great opportunity for the team to hear the feedback of those that may one day learn here.”

The school is holding a opening celebration on September 11.