Strategic Education Review Update – Outcome of the pre-publication consultation

Q1. Are you responding to the questions about the proposal to close Monkseaton Middle School as a:

• Pupil at Monkseaton Middle School
• Parent/Carer of a pupil at Monkseaton Middle School
• Parent/Carer of a child planning to attend Monkseaton Middle School
• Staff member at Monkseaton Middle School
• Governor at Monkseaton Middle School
• Member of staff in another school in North Tyneside
• Governor at another school in North Tyneside
• Trades Union representative
• Resident of North Tyneside
• North Tyneside Ward Councillor or Member of Parliament
• Local business or community organisation connected to Monkseaton Middle School
• Representative of another local authority
• Other

Q2. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to close Monkseaton Middle School?

• Agree (Go to Q5)
• Disagree (Go to Q3)     

Q3. Having read the proposal in the background documents and the options appraisal, do you have an alternative option to the close of Monkseaton Middle School?

• Yes (Go to Q4)
• No (Go to Q5)

Opposition to closure due to school’s overall impact on pupils, families and community / Don’t underestimate the positive impact the school has on community 

Keep open due to Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision and specialist role 

Look at funding alternatives

Closure would impact children with SEND 

The Authority understands and appreciates that the school provides a high quality, mainstream provision including for those children with SEND and this has been carefully considered. The Authority’s SEND Support Service would work directly with children and young people with an Education Health and Care Plan which names Monkseaton Middle School, to ensure a smooth transition to another setting were the decision taken to close Monkseaton Middle School.

However, the declining birth rate and approved closure of Monkseaton High School means there is too much capacity in the three-tier system. Unfortunately, pupil numbers at Monkseaton Middle School are declining and the school is only currently 60% full. This means the financial viability of the school is at risk. The numbers on roll (NOR) as of January 2025 were 227 with the PAN being 384, meaning that there are 41% surplus places.

Keep open due to SEND provision and specialist role

/  proposal from school 

A potential viable alternative was presented during the consultation. Initial conversations have already taken place to explore its feasibility and additional time is required to explore it further. To enable this to happen it is recommended that the Authority does not formally publish proposals and commence statutory consultation on proposals to close Monkseaton Middle School at this time. 

It is important to note how school funding works and the respective role of the school and the Authority. School funding is the responsibility of the DfE; either by direct funding agreements with Academy Sponsors or via local authorities to schools where budget management is the delegated responsibility of each governing body. 

Since 2017, there has been a move towards a National Funding Formula (NFF) approach to determine how funding is allocated to schools. In North Tyneside, the NFF approach has been applied since 2021/22, and is agreed each year by the North Tyneside Schools Forum (a representative group of school leaders and governors) before being ratified by Cabinet. This means that the Authority neither directly funds nor determines how much money is allocated to schools.

Cabinet agreed at its meeting on 22 September 2025 to authorise the commencement of an initial pre-publication consultation with schools, parents and other stakeholders in relation to each of the four proposals. It is a statutory requirement for the Proposer (in this case the Authority,) to consult any parties it considers appropriate before publishing statutory proposals.  The Pre-Publication Consultation ran from 2 October 2025 to 13 November 2025. The Stage 1 Pre-Publication Consultation was carried out in full accordance with DfE statutory guidance.

The Authority is conscious that while many staff and parents understand the reasons for the Pre-Publication Consultation, there is also understandably a great deal of emotion connected to any change within a school and its place in the community. Throughout the process the Authority has sought to respond to queries and concerns with transparency, for example through the survey, responding to resident enquiries and Freedom of Information requests and uploading documentation and FAQs to the Engagement Hub.   

In considering the matters raised during the course of the pre-publication consultation period, the Authority published additional information at various points and also updated the FAQs. Whenever an FAQ was updated this was made clear on the Have Your Say page to ensure it was obvious which ones were new or had been updated. Newsletters were sent out which informed those who had registered and/or already submitted a response that there had been some updated information and FAQs added to the Authority’s Have Your Say consultation page. 

This would not be a cost-effective structure taking into consideration staffing, management and premises costs for four school sites with a reduced pupil intake.

In the current financial climate facing schools this is not something the Authority could support financially.

Housing delivery by private sector developers, especially on the Authority’s strategic housing sites at Murton Gap and Killingworth Moor, have experienced reduced build-out rates which are below the annual target identified in the Local plan 2017. This, together with delays in the expected submission of planning applications is delaying the anticipated increase in pupil numbers.

Also, new homes do not always mean new children of education age.  On average, each 100 homes create 32 pupils across all twelve-year groups. Current projections show that the total number of pupils new developments would bring remains lower than the current birth rate decline. 

In the period 2010 to 2024 there has been a net increase of 7,777 dwellings across the Borough, with an average build per year of 555 dwellings. This therefore suggests that despite that level of new homes, the decline in the birth rate and pupil population continues.

One option previously explored was moving the three-tier system to a two-tier system of education. This was considered in a review of education provision in 2000 and was not considered appropriate. It was then considered again in the education review of 2013-15. Significant consultation was undertaken in October 2014 and the feedback from that was clear that the schools and local community were committed to the three-tier system. As a result, it was agreed that the Authority would work with the schools to “maintain and raise standards and tackle the collective financial challenge” and would “work with Headteachers and Governing Bodies across the Whitley Bay and Monkseaton group of schools to retain the three-tier system while managing places, raising standards and controlling costs.” 

The option was considered again in discussions with schools in 2022/23 but again dismissed as the vast majority of school leaders and governors were clear that they and the community wanted to maintain the three-tier system. 

In the Cabinet Report of September 2023, the Authority gave a firm commitment to the three-tier system in the Planning Area and to working together with the schools to ensure it is viable and sustainable. It was made clear that in order for this to be taken forward there needed to be a firm commitment from all of the schools in the Planning Area to protect the integrity of the current three-tier system and to continue to collaborate and work closely together to ensure educational and financial sustainability. 

We understand that change can be particularly challenging for children and young people with SEND, including those with SEN Support Plans and Education Health and Care Plans.  School leaders, education services and support networks would work with children, young people and families to have in place the transitional support needed, which is thoughtful and inclusive for every child.  

Support may include: 

• Personalised transition plans for children who need them, developed in collaboration with families, and both current and future schools.  Plans may include support, for example, from Education North Tyneside, SEND Support Service, SEND Information and Advice Support Service (SENDIASS), Educational Psychology, North Tyneside Parent Carer Forum, Connect Mental Health and Specialist Teaching Teams.
• Visual timetables often help, and sensory-friendly tours, and other tools can reduce anxiety and help children and young people feel prepared
• Familiar staff who know children well would be involved in handover planning
• We would work with school leaders to offer transition days to help children meet new teachers and explore new environments.
• Assistance with travel may be available in specific circumstances and each child’s circumstances would be considered individually. 

The Authority is committed to ensuring that there is a sustainable, sufficient, and high-quality educational system in the planning area and has worked closely in partnership with the schools over many years to address the significant challenges faced. 

The Authority remains committed to the three-tier system but recognises that changes are necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of schools. Pupil numbers moving through First and Middle Schools need to align with available places in Whitley Bay High School. This alignment has become more pressing due to a declining birth rate, which means fewer pupils are entering First Schools. As a result, many schools are operating below capacity, which is not financially or educationally sustainable.

Should the proposed school closure or an alternative solution progress, and this affects childrens’ transport arrangements, we would work with those students affected to understand their home to school travel requirements. 

Assistance with travel may be available in specific circumstances and each child’s circumstances would be considered individually. The Authority’s home to school transport policy is available here.  

The Authority understands and appreciates that the school provides a high quality, mainstream provision including for those children with SEND and this has been carefully considered. However, the declining birth rate and approved closure of Monkseaton High School means there is too much capacity in the three-tier system. Unfortunately, pupil numbers at Monkseaton Middle School are declining and the school is only currently 59% full. This means the financial viability of the school is at risk. The numbers on roll (NOR) as of January 2025 were 227 with the PAN being 384, meaning that there are 41% surplus places.

The Authority recognises that a consultation of this nature will be a concern for local communities however the current educational and financial position is not sustainable. The Authority aims to have a system of education that brings about the highest possible standards of education for all children and doing nothing will not achieve this in the rapidly changing educational landscape.

The Authority understands the impact the consultation may have on those affected. Our Connect Mental Health Team works directly with schools and can provide additional support to pupils, colleagues and parents.  

School leaders, education services and support networks would work together to ensure transitions are thoughtful and inclusive for every child. There would be additional support for children with SEND. SEND Support Service and Educational Psychology teams can work with a child’s current and future school to create a personalised transition plan. 

Visual timetables and sensory-friendly tours may be used to reduce anxiety. Staff who know pupils well would be involved in handover planning. Joint events and transition days help children meet new teachers and explore the new environment gradually. Schools would try to keep friendship groups together during the transition where possible. 

Catchment areas are an Oversubscription tool within most schools’ Admissions Arrangements.  Catchment areas do not prevent parental choice, and would not allow admissions to be refused in circumstances other than oversubscription.  Where capacity exists, a place would be offered, irrespective of the catchment position.  Therefore, changes to the catchments would not guarantee additional pupils, and therefore funding, coming to Monkseaton Middle School.