The stage is set for a former teacher at a doomed York school to help keep the site alive – as a new home for her own School of Rock.

Sue Williamson taught Music and English at Burnholme Community College for 22 years and fought to defend the place from closure.

But when it was decided the doors should close for good she opted to take redundancy rather than be redeployed to another teaching job in York.

Sue, 50, who lives just around the corner in Hull Road, Tang Hall, has become the first to launch a social enterprise project in her former workplace.

The building is due to be reopened as a new community centre in 2016 and the aim is to keep the site warming, pending the redevelopment.

There are already a number of childcare and sports-related businesses operating out of the college.

But Ms Williamson’s Tang Hall Rock School is the first social enterprise scheme to be launched there, using the music room as its hub.

The School of Rock will be hosting music classes on the site, catering for children with special needs, and putting on gigs.

She said: “I fought the campaign to keep the school open for as long as there was any point to it.

“But with the decision made I thought it was time to do something new.

“I had the choice of taking redundancy or being moved to another York school. But I am not moving.

“After 22 years, the roots go down so far I did not want to pull them up.”

Launching the new project will be a Big Gig taking place on the site on Saturday July 12 from 2pm to 6pm.

As well as being one of 150 such gigs taking place across the country on the same weekend, the event marks the 'reclaiming' of the site for the community and music, she added.

The Rock School, working in partnership with Tang Hall Big Local, has been awarded a grant to unite the community to celebrate local talent.

More than 600 are expected to attend the launch, which will feature at least four hours of music.

Bands or solo artists who would like to take part should contact www.tanghallsmart.com or call 07725997342.