Teachers lay down marker in school row

Jun 16 2009 by Nicola Juncar, The Journal

TEACHERS on Tyneside have written an open letter highlighting their concerns over plans which could close their school.

Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) at Ryton Comprehensive, in Gateshead, have written to the local authority urging them to reconsider its proposals, which form part of a review of secondary education in the west of the borough.

Earlier this month, Gateshead Council announced it was to start a consultation process with schools and parents to address the issue of falling pupil numbers.

The review focuses specifically on the future of Hookergate School, in High Spen, and Ryton Comprehensive, in Main Road, Ryton.

The local authority wants to consult the public on a number of options. One is to close Hookergate and transfer existing pupils to Ryton School.

Another option would see both schools shutting and the opening of a new secondary school.

All pupils would initially stay on the Ryton site before moving to a new site in Greenside.

However, NUT members at Ryton Comprehensive, who stress they have the full backing of all school staff, say that closing both schools would just lead to unnecessary upheaval for more families.