A struggling school has put forward plans to turn its fortunes around by linking up with Bradford University and a West Yorkshire health food group.

Nab Wood School in Cottingley is bidding for Foundation School status by setting up a charitable trust in the hope of improving pupils’ achievement.

The move comes after it was named among ten schools in Bradford with pupils achieving fewer than five A* to C GCSEs, including English and maths, in last year’s exam results.

A month-long consultation with parents ended this week and a meeting of the school’s governing body is planned for the new year.

Head teacher Elaine Shoesmith said: “The trust school status, we think, would give us the opportunity to tailor the curriculum and provide more career opportunities for the students. It will give us more chance to improve the attainment of the students.

“We have had a lot of positive feedback but it is really now up to the governors.”

If governors decide to forge ahead with the Foundation School status, it will mean building a partnership with the university and Suma, a health food co-operative based in Elland, near Halifax.

The school would remain part of Bradford’s education authority but would have much greater autonomy, similar to that of faith schools.

Its governors would be responsible for staff, assets and pupil admissions, which they believe would help to raise the school’s education standards.

Earlier this year, Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, held a Whitehall summit exploring changes to rapidly improve results.

He was targeting 638 schools across the country which fell short of a benchmark of 30 per cent of pupils achieving five A* to C grades at GCSE, including English and maths.

Options discussed included schools being linked in a trust, buying in expert help in English and maths, or creating partnerships with better performing schools.

e-mail: marc.meneaud@telegraphandargus.co.uk