BRIGHT Tribe and Northumberland County Council are at loggerheads over future boarding provision at Haydon Bridge High School.

The county council has a lease arrangement for the use of Ridley Hall until the end of July.

But the local authority believes future boarding provision should be taken on by Bright Tribe once it is appointed as the school’s main academy sponsor.

A county council spokesman said: “The academy orders served by the Government are for the whole school, including boarding.

“The responsibility for boarding arrangements will therefore become that of Bright Tribe once negotiations between the Department of Education and Bright Tribe are concluded.”

Bright Tribe disagrees, and insists that while it remains committed to leading the school forward as an academy, boarding provision remains a local authority responsibility.

A Bright Tribe spokesman said: “In the absence of a boarding facility it is the responsibility of the local authority to ensure that children get to school.

“We share the concerns of parents of Ridley Hall boarders and are committed to working with the local authority and Department for Education, which is responsible for taking the lead on this issue.”

A DfE spokesman said boarding provision would fall under the auspices of the local authority, which was responsible for ensuring children get to school.