ELECTRONIC whiteboards and computerised registers will help turn a Manchester secondary school into one of the country's most advanced.

Ducie High in Moss Side has been saved from the threat of closure. This follows the government's announcement of its decision - campaigned for by the Manchester Evening News - to make it one of the United Kingdom's first city academies.

In recent years, Ducie High has earned a damaging reputation for poor results, high levels of truancy, bad behaviour and spiralling debts.

But an injection of up to £7m from the charitable Church Schools Company, the Manchester Science Park and the Education Department will put the school at the forefront of technological development and replace the dingy building with facilities to be proud of.

The sponsorship package, revealed in yesterday's M.E.N., has been endorsed by School Standards Minister Stephen Timms.

And since then, project manager Jan Atkinson has been moving on apace to make sure the new academy - which will be known as The Manchester Academy - will be the envy of the region.

Mrs Atkinson is now working on detailed plans for the academy - which will follow the National Curriculum, but focus on business and enterprise.

These will have to be submitted to the Education Department before July if the academy is to open in September 2003.

Meanwhile, the city council will now begin consultation on the formal closure of Ducie High.