THE high standard of educational outcomes and experience of pupils at Queen Elizabeth High and Hexham Middle School could be at risk without change.

That was the message from Graeme Atkins, the executive headteacher of the Hadrian Learning Trust which runs the schools, as he announced a formal four-week consultation on plans to form a secondary school.

The consultation document, which went live on the school’s website on Friday asks parents, teachers and the local community to respond to two questions: Should the age range at Hexham Middle and Queen Elizabeth High School change to form an 11 to 18 secondary school from September 2021?

And should the trust expand to welcome children from Haydon Bridge High School from September 2019, if a decision is taken to close the school?

The document acknowledges that significant building work would need to be carried out to expand the high school and stipulates that, if agreed by the Regional Schools Commissioner, the middle school would remain open until August 2021 to allow a “carefully planned and managed” transfer of Haydon Bridge High School pupils to Hexham.

“I understand that some people feel passionately about the three-tier system. However, it is not enough to say that it works for firsts and middles without considering what happens beyond this,” said Mr Atkins.

“As the head of the high school, I have responsibility for the 96 per cent of children from our feeder middles. I am determined that the great outcomes and experience we offer will continue.

“Without change, my professional judgement is that these are at serious risk.”

Chairman of the trust board, Simon Kitchman, said he believed the proposals, coupled with Northumberland County Council’s wider consultation on education in the west of the county, provided an opportunity to establish a physical design, organisational structure and culture that could retain the smaller-scale pastoral experience associated with the three-tier system.

“The threatened closure of small rural schools is not an inevitable consequence of QEHS and HMS coming together as an 11-18 secondary, as some have suggested,” said Mr Kitchman.

“In our document we made the point that many rural areas such as Cumbria and North Yorkshire run successful small primaries, with viability enhanced by having two additional year groups compared with first schools.

“There are also creative ways for schools to pool their resources, something that we understand is already happening on an informal basis in the North Tyne.”

The consultation will run until March 29, with the intention of informing the wider county council consultation, that closes on April 9.