TEACHERS are to meet the man heading a schools' shake-up today.

Richard Jenner has been given responsibility for the coordination and delivery of plans to build a £10m City Academy on the site of two existing comprehensives, Langbaurgh and Keldhome, each marked for closure.

Mr Jenner is a manager with the private sector Amey group, partners with Middlesbrough Borough Council in the project.

Today, he will come face to face with governors, teachers, pupils and parents of the doomed schools.

A spokeswoman for Amey said a key part of Mr Jenner's role would be developing ideas for the academy with pupils, parents and staff from the schools. as well as building links with the community and local businesses.

She said: "He will be meeting the governors and teachers at both schools. In the evening he will meet the parents and pupils of both schools.

"He will be there to introduce himself and have a chat with parents about ideas and what they want for the academy."

The National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers has said it may demand a judicial review of the closure decision.

The union, which represents most of the teachers at the schools, is angry that just after the council published the proposals to close the schools and while a formal consultation exercise was in progress, Education Secretary David Blunkett wrote to Middlesborough council chief executive John Foster assuring him of "whatever support is necessary to help you take your plans forward."