COUNCILLORS are to make a fact-finding visit, as controversy rages about the running of a planned "super school".

The Vardy Foundation, set up by car dealership boss Sir Peter Vardy, is contributing £2m to setting up the £20m South Middlesbrough City Academy.

Sir Peter is chairman of governors at Emmanuel College, Gateshead, where it was claimed creationism - the literal belief that God created the world in seven days - was being taught at the expense of evolution, in science lessons.

The Vardy Foundation says it is misleading to suggest the Middlesbrough academy will be run the same way as the Emmanuel College, which has won Government status as a Beacon School.

But a group of parents fear evangelical indoctrination of their children and now a group of local councillors, including education commissioner and Coulby Newham councillor Paul Thompson, are to visit Emmanuel College.

Coun Thompson said: "Assurances have been given that the national curriculum will be taught in full, and that includes evolution. It's not a faith school."

Teachers at Brackenhoe and Coulby Newham secondary schools, which the academy will replace, will transfer to the new school when it opens in September next year.

Sir Peter said: "We see the academy as a chance for children to raise both their educational standards and their aspirations for the future."

The foundation's information website says the planned academy "will present the teachings of the Bible as the starting point for positive living".

Concerned parents are trying to lobby Prime Minister Tony Blair to get him to wrest guarantees that the foundation's "Christian ethos" will not find its way into everyday lessons.

A spokeswoman for the parent action group said: "It appears that for around 20 per cent of the set-up cost, an organisation of people we don't know anything about can take over control and ownership of our community's school and the Government put up the remaining 80 per cent from our taxes.

"When a parent chooses to send a child to a C of E, RC or Muslim school, for instance, they know exactly what they are getting. We haven't had the choice.