New sponsor for Grindon Hall Christian School

Education bosses say the future of a Sunderland school has been secured after a new sponsor was appointed.

The Department for Education has named the Emmanuel Schools Foundation (ESF) as the preferred new sponsor of Grindian Hall Christian School.

Subject to the usual due diligence process, the school will join the ESF multi-academy trust by September.

ESF has run a number of schoolsintheNorthofEngland over the past 30 years.Its leaders say they have a long-term commitmenttotheschooland joiningthetrustwillprovideit with a stable future.

GrindonHall,inNookside, was thrown into the spotlight inNovember2014whenitwas placedinspecialmeasuresby Ofstedandwastoldtojointhe Bright Tribe Trust.

Professor Mark Pike, chief executive of Emmanuel SchoolsFoundation,said:“We are pleased that the DepartmentforEducationhasnamed our trust as the preferred sponsor of Grindon Hall.

“The academy has enormous potential as a Christian-ethos school of character for the whole community and we want local families to have confidence in its future.

“Theopportunityforfamiliestohavetheirchildrenstart in the nursery or the primary years and stay on through their senior years has huge academic benefits, all within a small school with a family atmosphere where character counts.”