Northumberland County Council’s consultation on education in the West of Northumberland includes the possibility for schools in the west of the district to become two-tier.
But schools in the east of Tynedale still hope they can form a three-tier multi-academy trust, after last year it was announced that 10 schools would be joining forces to create the Tynedale Community Learning Trust.
Members of the Save Tynedale’s Amazing Rural Schools group have indicated that if the Hexham partnership becomes two-tier, parents may decide to send their children to Prudhoe instead of Hexham high school.
Prudhoe High School said this week that its Published Admission Number (PAN) is 220 spaces for students per year. It estimated it takes 190 students per year and said it was never fully subscribed due to the size of the school.
The decision on the application of the proposed MAT has been deferred by the Regional Schools Commissioner until after the results of the Education in the West of Northumberland consultation are known.
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