THE future of Haydon Bridge High School could become clearer next week.

Education Secretary Justine Greening is considering Northumberland County Council’s controversial proposal to close the school next summer, and send its 400-plus pupils to Hexham’s Queen Elizabeth High from September.

If given the go-ahead, the merger would lead to the opening of a new super school at the west end of Hexham, in 2020.

The council’s plans are in direct opposition to the current scheme to improve the school, which involves turning it into an academy, run by the trust Bright Tribe.

The school was placed in special measures in 2015 by Ofsted.

This week, the county council said a response from Mrs Greening was expected imminently.

Questions remain unanswered though about capacity at QEHS and how the pupils from Haydon Bridge would be accommodated for three years prior the opening of the new school.

The county council says it will not reveal more details about its proposal, until it receives correspondence from the Department for Education. But a council spokesman confirmed this week that discussions had taken place with QEHS.

He said: “We have yet to receive an acknowledgement of the recent letter sent to Justine Greening, although a response is expected in the next few days. Until the Government decides the long term future of the school, we understand that uncertainty and speculation do not help, but we are powerless to do more.

“Queen Elizabeth High School has spare capacity to take pupils in several year groups and early discussions have taken place with QEHS about temporary accommodation.

“But that would be subject to full public consultation. No decision would be forced on the community.”

If the county council’s proposal wins Government approval, it would mark a significant U-turn over Haydon Bridge High School. In 2015, the Government announced an academy plan for the school, after it was placed in special measures.

A proposed takeover by the Bright Tribe Academy Trust has been blighted by bureaucratic delays, and the trust’s unwillingness to take on Haydon Bridge High’s Ridley Hall boarding wing.

Last summer Queen Elizabeth High School became an academy when it joined forces with Hexham Middle School to form the Hadrian Learning Trust.

A spokesman for the trust would not be drawn on the issue of capacity at QEHS. He added: “Should the county council hold a consultation on this matter in the coming months, we would respond in full at that time.

Hexham’s MP Guy Opperman said: “The county council proposal is a back of the envelope job. It has not provided enough information about how it will work.”