A FRESH row has broken over plans for a "super school" on Teesside.

News that the Vardy Foundation was putting money into an academy for south Middlesbrough sparked controversy when it was revealed the same sponsor runs Gateshead's Emmanuel College, where it was claimed creationism - the literal belief that God created the world in seven days - was being taught at the expense of evolution.

Now it has emerged that the names of parents wishing to sit on a consultative group to help shape the new Teesside school were drawn from a hat.

One parent, Stuart Parker, is now throwing down the gauntlet to David Vardy, project director for the foundation which is putting £2m into the £20m academy, to publish a breakdown of names and number of year group representatives.

Mr Parker's name went forward for ballot selection to the consultative group, but he was not picked, and nor were two parents who set up an action group website.

The website has accused John Burn, the foundation's chief academic advisor, of not being open with parents, a claim he has denied.

Mr Parker said: "Drawing names from a hat is not a ballot, which it was supposed to be - and I want a breakdown, a list of people.

"It has been handled badly. It was not the way it was supposed to happened and there should have been someone independent to oversee the proceedings.

"Were we just going through the motions?'' he asked.

Linda McEvoy, a parent who voiced concerns that the foundation might influence lessons in religion and science, has been given a place on the nine-member group.

The academy will replace Middlesbrough secondary schools Coulby Newham and Brackenhoe, and will also take children from the Beverley school for the deaf.

Mr Vardy said that Brackenhoe and Beverley schools put forward the names for their representatives on the consultative group themselves.

He said: "At Coulby Newham all parents were asked if they were interested in serving on the consultative group and over 20 put their names forward, with the result that we decided the fairest way was to put names in the hat, based on each school year group and draw out the four who will join the group."