Priests and governors are to form a working party to consider the future of Bradford's three Catholic secondary schools.

One of the three is likely to close because of falling numbers and the multi-million pound cost of planned building projects.

Head teachers and chairs of governors from St Joseph's Catholic College, St Bede's Catholic Grammar School and Yorkshire Martyrs Catholic College held talks with the Diocese of Leeds' director of schools, Eileen Fitzpatrick.

They decided that a Bradford-based working party should make initial recommendations to the diocese. Detailed terms of the review still have to be approved by all three governing bodies.

Mrs Fitzpatrick said: "This is a self review for Bradford and we are keen that this goes out to the widest possible consultation. The working party will be in listening mode."

Talks about the review first began in the summer term. Mrs Fitzpatrick said the initial trigger had been when a major refurbishment was proposed for Yorkshire Martyrs. There were already plans to replace buildings at St Joseph's and a refurbish science areas at St Bede's.

The total cost of the proposed building works added up to £4 million, of which Catholic church-goers in the city would have had to find 15 per cent. All three projects have now been put on ice until after the review.

The other major factor was that the number of pupils expected to attend the schools is set to drop dramatically over the coming years. In 1994 there were 443 babies in the city baptised as Catholics and expected to enter the schools in 2005. But by last year the figure for pupils likely to enter schools in 2010 had fallen 311.