A PETITION set up to protect the future of Ponteland Middle School was handed into Number 10 Downing Street after receiving over 2,200 signatures. 

But in a bid to secure its survival, the school has announced it plans to convert into a primary after launching a consultation on December 20. 

The top-performing school twice rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted was recently placed 25th in a Sunday Times ranking of the top 250 state primary schools in England.

Read more in Thursday's Hexham Courant