Blackburn with Darwen's first Muslim state school could move into the site occupied by Beardwood High School, council chiefs have confirmed.

Beardwood High School is earmarked for closure in 2011 as part of Blackburn with Darwen Council's £150million Building Schools For The Future (BSF) bid to "improve standards and integration."

Blackburn's Pleckgate High School Mathematics and Computing College, Witton Park High School Specialist Business and Enterprise College, and Blakewater College could be rebuilt as super schools' - possibly as early as 2011.

But believing the west of Blackburn "will not support three community schools" due to a predicted fall in population, Beardwood is earmarked for closure as it is on "the least satisfactory site for development."

The plans will also see the exclusively Muslim Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School, Blackburn, move to a bigger site and council bosses have confirmed "there is a possibility" it could be the Preston New Road site currently occupied by Beardwood.

The Tauheedul school would double in pupil numbers and its new home would cater for 600 children.

Coun Maureen Bateson, executive member for children's services at Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "We have to look at every possible site in the borough and one possible site for Tauheedul is Beardwood.

"But no decision has been made as it is just one of many possibilities."

Another possibility being considered could see Tauheedul move to part of the existing Witton Park High School buildings.

Experts have been drafted in by the council to determine each site's feasibility.

The consultation process will run until September and then the council will make its final submission to the government for approval.

Coun Bateson stressed: "Our proposals for school reorganisation, including proposals for new sites and any closures are just that - proposals - and we will not be making any final decisions until we have fully consulted with stakeholders and the public and heard their views."

NUT Lancashire executive member, Simon Jones attacked the plan, stating: "It seems inconsistent that on the one hand the BSF seems to be all about integration in the community, yet on the other by allowing the expansion of Tauheedul they are encouraging parents to send their children to a single-faith school.

"In theory pupils of all faiths could apply there but as it is oversubscribed like virtually all faiths schools, preference is always given to pupils following the faith of the school."

The previously privately-run school in Bicknell Street reopened under local authority control in April 2006, making it only the sixth state-funded Islamic high school in Britain.

Canon Chris Chivers, at Blackburn Cathedral, who has the responsibility for inter-faith relations in East Lancashire said: "While I welcome the expansion of Tauheedul the council does send out mixed messages as they have in the past been quick to complain that church schools are creating divisions in the community."

Deputy Tory leader on the council and Beardwood ward member Coun Michael Lee said: "Tauheedul already exists and you can't ignore it.

"Ideally though you would like to see mixed schools and I would like Tauheedul take on more non-faith pupils and church schools should do the same.

"I do have misgivings about it and would seem to go against the (BSF) integration plan when you make one school muslim faith only."

Tauheedul is made up entirely of Asian pupils and it is unlikely this will change.

New government admission codes which came into force in February insist all schools "must admit whichever applicants wish to apply for the school" but when oversubscribed, schools can give "higher priority" to pupils practising their faith or denomination."

Tauheedul is subject to the same national curriculum guidelines and inspection regime as other publicly-funded schools and has got off to a flying start with its GCSE pass rate at A* to C shooting up since 2005 from 76per cent to 96per cent.

As part of the council's consultation, a Building Schools for the Future newsletter and questionnaire now available in schools and community facilities and online at the website below.