AN education authority has been accused of not coming clean over the future of a controversial school due to open in September.

Freebrough Community College, an amalgamation of three secondary schools - Warsett in Brotton, De Brus in Skelton and Rosecroft at Loftus - has also come under attack recently for planning radical timetable changes without consulting parents. These involve a late start on Tuesdays, no lessons on Wednesday afternoons and daily lunch breaks of just 30 minutes.

While this controversy rages Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is considering an alternative to the community college which involves the building of a multi-million pound single-site City Academy with satellite offices around East Cleveland.

Coun Ian Jeffrey, lead member for lifelong learning and leisure at the council, said: "We were led to believe that by taking out the surplus places at Freebrough we would receive funding. That hasn't been forthcoming and it has left us in the position of considering other options."

The sponsor-owned and run City Academy would play a key part in the regeneration of east Cleveland communities and provide a broad curriculum using state-of-the-art facilities.

The council has between £5m to £16m for the City Academy and initial consultation with would-be sponsors has already taken place.

East Cleveland Independent councillor Steve Kay believes, though, that there needs to be public consultation on the matter.

"The public is demanding a full explanation of what is going on. It is cards-on-the-table time for our education bosses. Let the people decide now what is best for their children," he said.

Coun Ian Jeffrey said that the proposals would go to the council first. Then, if councillors think the possibility of a City Academy is a good idea, the people of East Cleveland will be consulted. This is unlikely to be until after the General Election