Work will get under way this week on the the Venerable Bede Church of England Secondary School.
The school will occupy a prominent site on part of the former Ryhope Golf Course, overlooking the North Sea, near Tunstall Hills, Sunderland.
A partnership project backed by the Durham diocese of the Church of England and Sunderland Education Authority, it will cater for 900 pupils from a catchment area taking in Ryhope, Silksworth and surrounding areas of the south of Sunderland.
Designed by Nappers, best known for its work on Sunderland's Winter Gardens, the project will cost about £14m.
The construction contract was won by Allenbuild Turner, of West Yorkshire, one of the largest building companies in the north of England.
A ceremony will be carried out on site, on Thursday, to mark the start of the project.
The Bishop of Jarrow, the Right Reverend John Pritchard, will cut the first sod of turf, accompanied by Canon David Whittington, Durham diocese director of education, David Meakin, vicar of Ryhope and chairman of governors at the new school, and local councillors.
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