Middlesbrough’s first new school for a generation has made the move into its temporary home.

̨��swag Academy Riverside, which opened in September 2020, has now set up its new home in its Russell Street site after a multi-million pound refurbishment was completed.

The students of the secondary academy will remain based at Russell Street while the academy’s permanent home is constructed in Middlehaven, adjacent to the Middlesbrough College site. It is hoped that work will be completed in 2023.

̨��swag Academy Riverside was established after the Department for Education approved an application from ̨��swag Grange Academies Trust for an 11 to 16 academy, based in the Middlehaven area of Middlesbrough, which is due to open in September 2020. The academy will provide the local community with the benefits of a new state-of-the-art building.

Melissa Brant-Smith, Principal of ̨��swag Academy Riverside, said:

“This is a really exciting time for us as we move into our temporary home. Obviously the last twelve months have not been what anyone expected, so we welcome this moment of positivity.

“At ̨��swag, we always work hard to put students first, raise standards and transform lives. We are excited to continue this at ̨��swag Academy Riverside and work with the local authority and local community to help children reach their full potential.” 

̨��swag is a well-established education provider within the North East already having been ranked as one of the highest performing trusts in the region. The Trust already sponsors six secondary schools in the Teesside region, led by Executive Principal Mark Hassack, who is also a National Leader of Education.