THE controversial transfer of land at Darwen Vale High School from the council to the Aldridge Foundation will be rubber-stamped this week.

The academisation of the school was confirmed last year after a consultation with local residents and parents.

Many were angered at the move, claiming the school was on the up after moving back to its Blackburn Road home.

It had been extensively refurbished under the Building Schools for the Future programme and following the appointment of Fiona Jack as headteacher.

There was further controversy when it emerged the Government wanted the Aldridge Foundation, which already runs the town’s two other high schools Darwen Academy and Darwen Enterprise Studio, to be the school’s new sponsor.

The statutory site transfer, by way of a 125-year lease of the school site and buildings will be approved by Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive board on Thursday.

However the site containing the Blackburn Rovers Sports Arena (BRSA) will be retained by the council.

Executive member for schools and education Dave Harling will tell his council colleagues: “On May 26, the council was formally notified by Lord Nash that the secretary of state had made an academy order in respect of Darwen Vale High School, naming the Aldridge Foundation as sponsor.

“The council is obliged to transfer the council-owned site to the Aldridge Multi Academy Trust.

“In 2008, the council, in partnership with Blackburn Rovers and Darwen Vale, formed a company to operate and manage the BRSA facility.

“The separate company was a grant condition of the externally-secured funding from the Football Foundation for the development of a community sports facility.

“The BRSA site is leased to the company for a period of 21 years.

“Due to this commercial arrangement, the area is excluded from the statutory transfer.”

Academisation was imposed on Darwen Vale following an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted report last year.

Staff went on strike over the move, claiming improvements were being made which were backed up by better GCSE results.

However, this year only 38 per cent of pupils achieved A* to C in five or more subjects including English and maths, a fall of 15 per cent on the previous year.