Hundreds of priceless works of art could be handed over to a Bradford school to help create a prestigious new art gallery.

Work by artists of the magnitude of David Hockney, Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth could form part of the collection.

The inspirational pieces are to be loaned out by Bradford company Provident Financial as part of an attempt by Rhodesway Upper School to build a public gallery at its site in Allerton.

The school has submitted a bid to the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) to become a specialist arts college and has used its links with Provident Financial to back its proposal.

More than 450 works make up the company's collection and many of them will make their way to the school for the opening in September next year, if the bid is successful.

Ian Morrel, project manager at the school, is expecting an announcement from the DfEE next month.

He said: "The whole of the DfEE bid will bring in, over four years, just short of £1 million which will go on extra staff, refurbishment of classrooms and other things.

"We will refurbish part of the school to become the public art gallery which will be open out of school hours.

"It's a really exciting project and won't just benefit the art students, or even the school, but the whole community."

The school had to raise £50,000 in funding to lodge the bid, a substantial amount of which came from Provident Financial and Mr Morrel said there was also the possibility of the art college featuring in Bradford's bid to become a European Capital of Culture.

Provident has been collecting art since the 1970 with many housed in its Bradford headquarters.

Accompanying pieces by some of the world's leading artists are works by prominent Yorkshire figures, including Tom Wood, Caroline Jariwala and Diane Jones.

Community relations manager Brent Shackleton, pictured with art student Richard Blyth, said: "There will be a cross section of paintings rotated on an ongoing basis in the gallery.

"It will be set up as if it was a proper gallery with the security and structure of one.

"We first began working with the school through the artist Tom Wood. We have some of his works and he has also been involved in residencies at the school.

"So when he put us in touch with each other, we thought it was a great idea."

If the school's bid is successful, work will begin on the new arts rooms this September with the gallery following a year later.