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Academy bid for threatened town school


Published on Friday 30 July 2010 10:56

A SCHOOL facing an uncertain future after the Government pulled the plug on a number of rebuilding projects is pushing ahead with its plans to become an academy.

Dyke House Sports and Technology College, in Hartlepool, is one of just six in the entire North East and North Yorkshire areas to submit an application to the Department for Education to opt out of local authority control.

Shotton Hall School, in Peterlee, has also submitted an application alongside Dyke House.

The six schools to lodge formal academy applications are from more than 30 that expressed an initial interest.

But Dyke House bosses are anxiously waiting to hear whether they can move to the old Brierton School site while their existing premises in Mapleton Road are rebuilt.

All of the six schools have been given "outstanding" inspections by Ofsted which could see their applications fast-tracked by September.

But until the Government announces whether Dyke House is to get funding, staff and pupils are still unsure where they will be starting the new term because of the wrangle over the Building Schools for the Future programme.

A number of schemes in Hartlepool were scrapped and the proposed 12.4m rebuild of Dyke House was put on hold for further discussions.

Last week, school head Bill Jordon appeared on BBC Question Time where he made a live, impassioned plea for the school's future to be sorted out quickly.

The same day, Peter Mandelson visited the school to speak with pupils and promised to lobby the Education Secretary Michael Gove in a bid to secure funding for the rebuild.

The other schools are in Northumberland, Sunderland and York.


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