THE first person to be appointed to lead an academy school in Stoke-on-Trent has been named.

Andy Stanier is currently headteacher of Brownhills Maths and Computing College, in Tunstall, and will take over as principal of the school which is replacing it next year.

The Co-operative Academy will open in September 2010, although it won't move into a brand new £20 million-plus building until a year later.

Burslem-based Co-operative Travel is the lead sponsor of the new school and the company today welcomed Mr Stanier's appointment.

Managing director Mike Greenacre said it would bring "strong continuity" and allow them to build on the success of Brownhills.

Mr Stanier has worked at Brownhills since the 1980s and was part of the team that saw it through special measures to become one of England's most improved secondary schools.

He said today: "Brownhills has made significant progress in the past few years, specialising in maths and computing. However, giving the school academy status will be of huge benefit in the years ahead and I am looking forward immensely to taking the school on the next stage of its journey."

Brownhills currently has around 750 pupils. As an academy, its roll is expected to grow to more than 1,000 students by 2012.