GOVERNORS at Heywood Community School have pulled out of a deal which would have seen church leaders involved in running the Cinderford secondary.

The town school has opted to go with a non-religious education charity instead.

Chair of Governors David Thornes looks poised to sign a deal with E-ACT, which already has 11 schools under its wing and is due to open a £30 million new academy in Leeds this Autumn.

He said: "Recently the governors of Heywood School secured the services of E-ACT as a sponsor, to move forward our aspiration to become an academy."

The charity is run by former Labour government schools' commissioner Sir Bruce Liddington.

Director general Sir Bruce said: "E-ACT have been impressed with the commitment from the governors and staff at the school to ensure that there is a long-term future for a school in Cinderford. E-ACT is fully committed to supporting this aspiration."

Headteacher Tanya Prosser said: "We are now awaiting approval from the Secretary of State.

"E-ACT are a secular organisation who have successfully sponsored a number of schools in a wide variety of settings."

In July, Churches Together said they had the backing to close Heywood and create a brand new Trinity School for children aged five to 16 on the same site.

They wanted to base the school on the same principles as the successful Trinity Academy at Thorne in Doncaster, which is part of the Emmanuel Foundation, an organisation with Christian leanings.

But angry parents at Forest View mounted a petition to try and stop their primary school being swallowed up.

The United Learning Trust, which owns the Emmanuel Foundation, decided not to sponsor the 350 pupil school.

A spokesman explained: "Our policy at the moment is to develop clusters of academies close to each other and, unfortunately, this would not be the case with Heywood School."

Heywood is now going it alone with a non-religious sponsor.

Tim Cracknell of Churches Together said the recent riots showed that it was more important than ever for Cinderford to have a school with the 'Trinity vision' of high expectations and outstanding pastoral care.