The Department for Education (DFE) has identified Cumbria Education Trust (CET) as its "preferred sponsor" for The Whitehaven Academy.

The move comes after the department launched a competitive process to find a replacement for Bright Tribe Trust after it relinquished its sponsorship of the academy late last year.

Stockport-based Bright Tribe, a non-profit making, multi-academy trust, faced widespread criticism from various organisations, including the GMB, the union for schools support staff, which called on education authorities in Suffolk and Essex to investigate whether the Bright Tribe Trust, which also runs five schools in those counties, was fit and proper to run these schools.

Bright Tribe runs nine primary and secondary schools in different parts of the country.

In late November, Bright Tribe confirmed that its CEO, Mary McKeeman, who took over the role in February, had resigned.

As preferred sponsor, CET will now undertake due diligence at The Whitehaven Academy to provide assurance that it can bring about the required swift improvements and provide a sustainable future for the academy.

The trust has written to parents of students at The Whitehaven Academy and to its stakeholders and an announcement has been distributed to local media advising of CET's intention to take up the sponsorship subject to a satisfactory conclusion of the due diligence process and the CET Trustees' passing a resolution.