THE row over East Cleveland's new school deepened this week.

Amid controversy over hours at Freeborough community college, Redcar and Cleveland council has been urged to "come clean" on the scheme.

Coun Steve Kay, Independent, said the sums did not add up, and claimed the college would only last three years in its three-site form, with a single-site operation now a favoured option.

The authority's lead member for education, Coun Ian Jeffrey, said no decisions had been taken on a single-site scheme. But if the council did decide to consider it, there would be full consultation.

Freeborough combines three existing schools at Rosecroft in Loftus, Warsett in Brotton and De Brus in Skelton, to offer an educational experiment for 1,300 pupils from September.

But Coun Kay said there would not be enough government cash as a result of removing the schools' surplus places to do all the improvements needed on the three sites.

He said the favoured option now was for a bid for £15m to build a city academy for East Cleveland on a single site.

"If this goes ahead, secondary education will cease at De Brus, Warsett and Rosecroft," said Coun Kay. "Although Freeborough community college will open as planned in September, its life in three-site form will only last a couple of years.

"It is cards on the table time for our education bosses."

Coun Kay referred to a document presented to councillors at a briefing on Tuesday proposing Freeborough on three sites should be closed from August 31, 2003, and replaced with a city academy on a single site with satellite provision for learning elsewhere.

Coun Jeffrey said the borough was about £1m short on funding for Freeborough.

"But I must stress there is no hidden agenda, nothing is being forced on people. The objective is to make sure the youngsters get a decent education."

The council's education director, Mr Patrick Scott, is preparing a report on the possibility of securing funding through an academy.

Earlier in the week, Dr Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, called for a cooling-off period over changes to hours at the new school.

Dr Kumar said many parents were worried about plans to change school hours so children would not be in the classroom on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday afternoons, to allow for staff training.

Coun Jeffrey said the idea had come from principal-designate, Ms Allison Fraser, who had not been obliged to consult as Freeborough was a new school.

"We are disappointed there has not been consultation," he said. "It would have been the sensitive thing to do."

Coun Jeffrey said the situation had been retrieved by Ms Fraser agreeing to some consultation on the issue.