Parents and headteachers in Northumberland have launched a campaign supporting a controversial schools shake-up.

The GO2 campaign was the brainchild of a number of first school heads who back proposals to move the county to a two-tier education system.

Those proposals, which would see 44 middle schools closing, have hit huge opposition from parents, who have lobbied for middle schools to stay open and launched a political party to fight this year's local election.

The first school heads set up GO2 because they were worried the well-organised parental opposition groups were dominating the debate and a "silent majority" of parents in favour of the plans were not being heard.

A website launched by the groups has already attracted a number of supportive messages from parents, and a petition is being circulated to gauge support for the proposals. Charles Ellis, headteacher at Croftway First School, in Blyth, is one of the headteachers behind the campaign.

He said: "It's understandable the way the debate has gone so far.

"But we want there to be a vehicle for people who actually think that change is a good thing and long overdue so they can register their opinions and have them heard.

"One of the difficulties at the moment is that some of the consultation meetings are becoming very divisive and hostile and it's not the best of environments for people's views to be heard. I feel change is necessary, not least due to the fact that Northumberland is completely out of step with the rest of the country."

Since the GO2 website was launched earlier this week, nearly 250 people have logged on and a number of parents have posted messages in support of a change to two-tier education. Among the comments from parents is one that says: "Surely if the rest of the country are organising schools on a primary/secondary model, we should be grasping the opportunity to do the same."

Another says: "After a disgraceful display from middle school staff at the area consultation meetings, I hope the `silent majority' of parents and first and high school staff will now make their feelings known in favour of the two-tier system."

In addition to the website, a petition is being sent to all first and high schools to collect signatures in support of proposals to set up primary and secondary schools. The petition will be handed to Northumberland County Council later this month.

A spokesman for the parents' action group NEAG said yesterday: "It's not right to say that they're not being listened to. Their point is already the only thing that the county council wants to hear."

Page 2: Students charged £3,000 a year