A SCHOOL has gone ahead with its audacious bid to avert closure — and scupper parts of a multi-million pound school re-building scheme.

Beardwood Humanities College, Blackburn, has lodged its 11th hour bid to secure academy status with the Department for Education.

Headteacher Ruby Hussain said the school was now waiting to hear from ministers if the application would continue to the next stage.

The Preston New Road school is due to shut next year under Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Building School’s for the Future, BSF, scheme.

But if education bosses in Westminster give the proposal the go ahead it could scupper parts of the £210million programme.

Headteacher Ruby Hussain said: “The governors have unanimously supported the application. The application is now with the ministers and we are waiting for a response.

In the circumstances I don’t want to be hopeful it until it happens. It’s a case of waiting ”

If the application is approved the school could stay open as it would be free of local authority control. It would be in charge of its admissions, curriculum and finances.

But the council said the move would have a ‘domino effect’ on the entire BSF process.

Beardwood is set to shut in July 2012, with Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School moving into the site.

If Beardwood was successful in becoming an academy, Tauheedul would be unable to leave its Bicknell Street site.

There would also be surplus places at Blackburn Central High School being built on Haslingden Road as well as Witton Park and Pleckgate schools.

The new Blackburn Central High School replaces Blakewater College, Shadsworth Road, which is due to close next summer.