AFTER seven anguished weeks filled with uncertainty and outrage Ponteland Middle School has been saved from closure.

The top-performing school, twice rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted has been given permission to convert to an academy.

The academy order from the Department of Education will protect the school from closure by the county council.

In early March, proposals to introduce a two-tier system to the Ponteland area shook the community and sparked outrage among parents.

In the shake-up ahead, Belsay, Whalton, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Darras Hall, Ponteland and Stamfordham first schools and Richard Coates CofE Middle School would become primary schools.

These new primary schools would then feed into Ponteland High School and Ponteland Community Middle School would close.

But on March 22, Ponteland Middle School put in an application to convert to an academy. And last week, on April 21, headteacher Caroline Pryer received the news she had hoped for.

She said: “Apparently, the reason we were successful was because we’re an outstanding school, a teaching school and we are financially efficient.

“We are delighted to have received an academy order, Ponteland Middle School will remain open.

“We are all absolutely thrilled, the staff have been able to relax and I’m hugely relieved.

“We told the children in assembly on Monday morning and you could hear them take a deep intake of breath; they knew they wouldn’t have to worry about their teachers or their school any more.

“It was lovely.”

Ponteland Middle School will now run its own consultation with school stakeholders, governors, parents and the community regarding the academy order.

And Mrs Pryer also hopes to open a dialogue with other schools in the Ponteland partnership with a view to working together.

She said: “We have been granted an academy order with a deep wish that we’re able to meet with and engage again with the schools in our partnership, re-open the multi-academy trust conversation, build bridges and endeavour to heal any rifts within the community.

“I want to have conversations with headteachers, governors and parents so that we can bring the multi-academy trust back to the table.

“I’m very much hoping that’s going to happen.”

This hope is echoed by Newcastle mum Margaret Bebb who has a child studying at Richard Coates Middle School.

Margaret runs the Facebook campaign group ‘Stop Richard Coates Being Turned Into a Primary School.

She said: “I am very pleased that Ponteland Middle School has been saved from closure by obtaining academy status.

“As a concerned parent, I hope that all the schools in the Ponteland Partnership can reopen talks in positive manner to discuss joining Ponteland Middle School in a successful three-tier Multi Academy Trust before the consultation deadline.”

Northumberland County Council say that the consultation on the two-tier proposal will continue until May 11.

A spokesman said: “We understand that Ponteland Middle School has been advised by the Department for Education that they will be issuing an academy order for the school.

“This will not have an impact on the consultation process which is currently under way.

“As we have said previously, all options put forward will be considered at the end of the consultation process.”