PARENTS and teachers have just days left to wait until a report outlining the responses to a consultation on the future of education in west Northumberland is made public.

Due to be published in advance of meetings of Northumberland County Council’s cabinet and family and children’s services scrutiny committee, the document is expected to summarise more than 2,000 responses to proposals which could overhaul education across the Hexham and Haydon Bridge partnerships of schools.

Three potential options put forward by the council as part of the informal process, which put up to 16 schools at risk of closure, have attracted fierce opposition.

The council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for children’s services, Coun. Wayne Daley, issued a letter on Monday which thanks schools and parents for sharing their views.

Based on the feedback, the council is expected to decided whether to proceed to a formal consultation on changes.

Despite indicating that the council currently has a neutral view on the separate Hadrian Learning Trust proposals to close Hexham Middle School and expand the age range to make Queen Elizabeth High School a secondary school, interim director of children’s services Andy Johnson, has urged the trust to “bear in mind the intended and unintended consequences” on the 30 other schools in the west of the county.

The comments were included in the council’s response to the trust’s own consultation, which closed on March 29.

The trust is expected to signal its intentions, having considered the feedback, by May 8.