DIGNITARIES including the Bishops of Durham and Jarrow attended a ground breaking ceremony marking the start of work on a £8.7m school yesterday.

The Venerable Bede Church of England Secondary School, being built on the former Ryhope Golf Course, near Tunstall Hills, Ryhope, in Sunderland, will be the North-East's first new secondary school of the century.

Officials hope it will become a main neighbourhood school providing quality education with a Christian emphasis.

The school is being developed by the Diocese of Durham in partnership with Sunderland Local Education Authority.

Over the next five years, the school will admit 180 students into year seven per annum until it reaches its capacity of 900 in 2006.

Yesterday, the Bishop of Jarrow, the Right Reverend John Pritchard, cut the first sod at the site.

He was joined at the ceremony by the Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull, the Reverend Canon David Whittington OBE, Durham Diocese's education director, chairman of governors and vicar of Ryhope David Meakin, as well as ward councillors from Silksworth and Ryhope.

Mr Meakin said: "I am really looking forward to seeing the contractors on site and watching the building grow over the next year.

"It truly will be a wonderful resource for the community."

Headteacher of the new school, Dr Ed Yates, said: "It has taken almost a year from the exciting design being presented by Nappers Architects of Newcastle and the start of building work.

"The Venerable Bede Church of England Secondary School will be at the forefront in the use of technology to help students with learning."

Contractors Allenbuild Turner has been appointed to construct the school and throughout the design phase, care has been taken to ensure the most up-to-date technology is included.

Innovations such as interactive whiteboards will be included in the school, making it one of the most high-tech schools in the region.

Colin Veitch, Allenbuild Turner's managing director, said: "We are delighted to have secured this exciting project - we know how important it is for the local community and when complete, it will provide one of the best teaching and learning environments in the North of England."