Council praised for “listening” to consultees

An initial consultation by Northumberland County Council about schools in the West of the county drew anger from parents.

Parents are celebrating victory in a fight to save rural schools from closure.

A controversial consultation by Northumberland County Council sought to address challenges for schools in the West of the county which were brought to a head when academy sponsor Bright Tribe abandoned struggling Haydon Bridge High School, and bosses at Queen Elizabeth High School (QEHS), Hexham, asked to expand the age range of the school.

The council emphasised that the initial consultation had not contained any firm plans, and that they had wanted to seek the views of parents and teachers.

As many as 16 schools were put under threat of closure under the initial proposals, but now only one, Bellingham Middle School, could shut under final proposals which will now go out for further consultation.

A number of parents’ groups formed in response to the plans, and earlier this month hundreds gathered outside County Hall in Morpeth to protest.

Helen Yates, from the parents’ group STARS (Save Tynedale’s Amazing Rural Schools), said: “We’re really pleased, it does seem like the council are actually listening. We had a briefing about the plans and I nearly fell off my chair.

“Although it does mean the closure of Bellingham Middle School, it’s better than any of us could have hoped for at the start of this process.

“We will now be watching closely to see that all these improvements are made in the right places and that is certainty for the future so that this debate doesn’t rear its ugly head again.

“I dropped my daughters off at school this morning and I could see the head teacher was looking so pleased, some of us were holding back tears, it’s fantastic news.

“It just shows what can happen when you work together as a community.”

The plans will see a support plan of £1.54m offered to troubled Haydon Bridge, which will be brought back under council control until a suitable sponsor can be found, while an overhaul of the curriculum will be considered.

If the proposals are approved, the council will draw up a plan to restore buildings at QEHS, but will oppose the plans put forward by its academy trust, the Hadrian Learning Trust, to transform it and Hexham Middle School into a 11-18 school, saying the move away from the three-tier system is not supported by the community.

Bellingham Middle School will be put forward for closure from August 2019, but six first schools will be invited to expand into full primary schools.

Helen also welcomed council plans which could see a new local authority-run multi-academy trust set up to oversee academy schools in the area, with the support of other local public bodies.

She said: “What we’ve seen with the devastation left behind by Bright Tribe is that academy trusts don’t seem to have any accountability to the community.

“I think this could be an encouraging step, but we will be watching closely to see that the same problems don’t develop here.”

Councillor Wayne Daley, council cabinet member for children’s services, thanked parents and teacher for the more than 3,000 responses to the consultation received, and pledged to work in “partnership” with rural schools.

He said: “This is a watershed moment for the schools in the west of Northumberland.

“From the outset this has been a big conversation which was all about hearing the views and ideas of everyone with an interest in education – whether that’s parents, teachers or young people themselves.

“We know how important schools are to local communities and it was vital we had this conversation and considered all available options.

“There are a number of significant issues that need to be addressed to ensure children across the west have the best possible access to a first-class education.

“With these new recommendations we’re looking to take back control of Haydon Bridge, continue to give parents choices in education and invest millions in schools.”

The move was also welcome by Hexham MP Guy Opperman, who said: “I am very pleased that Coun Daley and the County Council’s leadership have really listened to parents on this issue. They said they would listen to what local people have to say that they have kept to their word.”

The Hadrian Learning Trust has been approached for comment.

 

Article originally appeared on Chronicle Live

The Institute cannot confirm the accuracy of this story or confirm that it presents a balanced view. If you feel this is inaccurate we would welcome your perspective and evidence that this is the case.

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