Britain's first state-funded Muslim secondary school looks set to be established in Bradford.

The Government has indicated that Feversham College Muslim Girl's School will finally be successful in its bid to transfer into the state sector as a voluntary aided school.

Secretary of State for Education David Blunkett said that around £5million would be invested in the school as soon as a few outstanding details were ironed out.

"I hope that this new facility will improve the educational opportunities in the area, particularly for Muslim girls," he said. "I am satisfied that with the support of the local education authority (LEA) and its external consultants this school will provide a good standard of education."

At the moment the independent school is in Feversham Street, off Leeds Road, near Bradford city centre, and has 183 pupils with 27 sixth formers. When final approval is given it will expand as a state school to cater for 580 pupils with 130 sixth formers. The plan is for it to move to the site of the former St George's Catholic School, in Cliff Road, Undercliffe.

In a letter to the school's promoters, the Muslim Association of Bradford, Mr Blunkett has said that confirmation of the availability of the site and the need to check that provision for special educational needs is satisfactory, are the only two outstanding matters.

In 1997 the association's bid to move its school to the site of the former Cottingley Manor School was scuppered when the site's owner, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds, decided to sell to a health club offering a higher price.

The association was also disappointed in 1995 when the Conservative Government turned down an earlier bid for voluntary aided status. It followed this up with another bid in 1996.

Once it moves into the state sector, the non-selective school will have to deliver the national curriculum and comply with all other regulations governing state schools. Last year 41 per cent of its pupils passed five or more GCSEs grades A*-C. That compares reasonably with other Bradford comprehensives.

Muslim state schools already exist in London and Birmingham, but they are both primary schools - making this move a British first.

Mr Blunkett, who has also written to Bradford's LEA about the school, said there would be financial support for Feversham College in addition to extensive Government funding of the district's schools shake-up.

Chairman of governors Mohammad Ibrahim said today he was ecstatic.

"It is a great day for the school, and for the whole of Bradford. It is particularly good that this news has come on a Friday which has such religious significance for Muslims.

"Everyone who has been involved in this long-running campaign for the past eight years is very pleased at this long-awaited decision."

Nawaz Khan, foundation governor and secretary of the Muslim Association, added: "It is the first Muslim secondary state school and that is great news for the people of Bradford. We can now look forward to the next stage which is to buy the land and build the new school."

Bradford North MP Terry Rooney said: "It has taken a long time and I hope it gets running as soon as possible."