A GOVERNMENT education minister has backed a bid for a £20m city academy to replace an under-performing school.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, Lord Andrew Adonis, indicated his support for an academy for Eastbourne School, in Darlington.

The minister was said to have taken a personal interest in the bid after talks with Darlington MP Alan Milburn and Darlington Borough Council leader John Williams in London earlier this week.

The Northern Echo understands that Lord Adonis will now visit Eastbourne School in January.

News of his visit comes after the Department of Education and Skills approved an expression of interest for the academy for Eastbourne last month.

Eastbourne, which has been in and out of special measures and has had six headteachers since 2002, recorded some of the country's worst GCSE results this summer, when 19 per cent of pupils passed with A* to C grades.

The poor performance followed a decision to abandon plans to merge Eastbourne with top-performing Hurworth School Maths and Computing College.

Hurworth villagers opposed the plans, sparking a bitter row with the council.

Now, a feasibility study for an academy, which will involve only Eastbourne School, is being undertaken to develop the plans in more depth.

The academy will be sponsored by the Church of England, with some funding from David and Anne Crossland, who established travel company Airtours.

Elaine Richardson, headteacher of Eastbourne, said: "We are still in the feasibility stage but his backing is a great boost for everyone at the school."

Mr Milburn said the minister had offered strong support for the academy

He said: "I know from my discussions with parents and staff that they are all looking for a fresh start. The sooner that begins the better.

"It is very encouraging that Lord Adonis is taking such a close, personal interest in the academy development."

Coun Williams said: "Our meeting with Lord Adonis could not have been more positive. The council now looks forward to working with our sponsors, partners and the local community to turn our vision for an Eastbourne academy into a reality."