[14] The government announced a plan to improve the 18 schools by providing them with expertise from successful advisory headteachers and staff.

[17] Atkinson worked with Russ Wallace, the new headteacher of Blakelaw Comprehensive, to bring changes to its curriculum and decrease illiteracy.

[16] In November 1997, the school was still open and Newcastle City Council applied to have it join the Fresh Start programme.

[4] Firfield Community School was in receipt of an extra £1.5 million in funding through the Fresh Start programme.

[21] Headteacher McAlpine agreed to allow Channel 4 to film a six-episode television documentary about the Fresh Start programme throughout Firfield's first school year.

[24] This led to a reduction of students enrolling to the school, meaning that further Fresh Start funding could no longer be received, thereby resulting in two teachers possibly being sacked due to staff cuts.

[21] In March 2000, without informing the school's governing body, Carol McAlpine abruptly resigned from her post in order to take over an education action zone in Norfolk.

[20] After McAlpine's resignation, the general secretary of the teaching union NASUWT, Nigel de Gruchy, disclosed that Firfield's teachers nearly went on strike six weeks prior due to students' misbehaviour.

However, inspectors concluded that behaviour had improved and instead criticised the school's continued absence, innumeracy and inconsistent teaching.

[8] Like Blakelaw Comprehensive, Firfield and West Denton were closed and given a fresh start as the unified All Saints College.

[22] In the summer of 1998, headteacher appointee Carol McAlpine was given £2.4 million from the Fresh Start programme to renovate the school's campus.

[22] Firfield Community School benefitted from business partnerships with British Telecom and Marks & Spencer.