A BRADFORD secondary school that was put in special measures following a highly critical inspection earlier this year will soon be taken over by an academy chain.

Hanson School in Swain House, judged inadequate by Ofsted in June, is to become part of the Wakefield City Academies Trust, a group that already runs 16 academies.

It will be the second time attempts have been made to make the school an academy. It was originally intended to join the Schools Partnership Trust Academies, even going as far as renaming and re-branding itself as Hanson Academy on signs and school uniforms.

However, the academy sponsor pulled out for "unresolved financial and legal issues."

At over 1,700 pupils, Hanson is one of Bradford's biggest schools, and details of Ofsted's first follow up inspection have just been published.

It says the transition from being run by Bradford Council and the eventually scrapped academy plan caused some issues with standards at the school.

The report says: "The local authority did not monitor the school closely while it was subject to an academy order and informally under the auspices of the nominated academy trust."

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The Section 8 inspection report shows that new appointments at the school made by Bradford Council, including an executive head from Guiseley School and a consultant head from Oakbank School in Keighley, and an interim executive board brought in to govern the school, "are having a positive impact and are starting to bring about necessary improvements."

The original report was highly critical of behaviour in the school, but the follow up says: "Senior leaders and staff are more visible around the school which is helping to stabilise behaviour."

It says the Council's "statement of action" for the school is fit for purpose, as is its school improvement plan.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, the Council's executive member for Education, Skills and Culture, said: “I'm pleased Ofsted has confirmed that the prompt action taken by the council to put an Executive Headteacher into Hanson and our other substantial support has had a positive effect on the school. There is still a lot of work to do but this is a major step forward in making sure the children at Hanson receive the good standard of education they need and deserve.

“The Council would have preferred for the conversion to Academy status to have happened sooner, but the proposed sponsor at the time failed to reach an agreement with the Department for Education relating to buildings liabilities on the site which is why that conversion fell through.

“However we now look forward to working with Wakefield City Academies Trust, who will be the new sponsor of Hanson School.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “No child should spend a day more than necessary in an underperforming school. We are working with Hanson School and the local authority, who are responsible for the school until it converts, to find an academy solution."

The Schools Partnership Trust Academies had not commented on the report as of the Telegraph and Argus going to press.