APPENDIX 3: Responses to the pre-consultation survey question 3
Appendix 3: Responses to the pre-consultation request to ‘Please use the space below to provide any further comments you wish to make about the proposal to close Monkseaton High School
These responses are as written by respondents to the pre-consultation question, the only amendments made are to maintain confidentiality and remove any information that could identify any individuals.
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Closing the school would force children into schools that are not suitable.further expanding the.mental.health crisis. Closing the school.will.have a negative impact on the local area and businesses. I chose the school.because it was smaer and more suitable.for.my son whom is autistic clsing now.would create a huge problem and negatively impact his academic career further . |
With so many houses being built around the area where are these children going to go to high school? |
It seems disengenuous of you as a council to spend so much money expanding whitley high school rather than encouraging a better spread of pupils over the two schools. Instead my daughter was removed from all her friends by being .2 of a mile out of catchment and will now have to find another education provider which will be detrimental to her learning and mental health. |
Around the area, there are lots of housing Developments being built. If this school was to close, it would put added pressure on schools around the area. Whitley Bay is already over subscribed. The only other option for children in this area is George Stevenson, Longbenton or Norham high which has a bad reputation. Monkseaton high school has a fantastic Ethos, it’s a nurturing environment and the teachers do an amazing job with the children.. I am concerned that by closing the school, children From the surrounding areas will have to Travel further, especially if they are not in the catchment areas for Whitley Bay. The school has the capacity to take on two extra year groups if it is running at 50% capacity. currently, there are three primary schools in the Area shiremoor, backworth and holy stone That all feed into George Stevenson high and Longbenton. Opening the school to year seven pupils would make an attractive option. This school achieves high-level GCSE and it is an asset that needs to be protected. |
Additionally, I believe it's essential to consider the long-term consequences of closing the high school. While it may seem like a cost-saving measure in the short term, the potential negative outcomes—such as increased dropout rates, declining property values, and diminished community appeal—could lead to far greater financial and social costs down the line. |
As a resident who will send their children to high school in the next 2-5 years. I've been actively trying to avoid sending my children to Monkseaton high. |
Closing Monkseaton is going to have a major impact on the current learners at the school. I could go as far as to say your decision will ruin their entire lives when they don’t fulfil their full potential as there will be no teachers left to get them through their GCSEs. What guarantee are you going to give that my child will get his GCSEs results? He is predicted grade 9s but when he has no one left to teach him who is say he even gets anything. He has aspirations to …. and if he does not get his GCSEs you will be putting him on the scrap heap for the rest of his life. You made him go to that school so it is your responsibility to give him an education which you will be failing to do. If you decide to close the school my child will spend a year at this with only his year of around 150 kids. I’m realistic that staff will be cut severely as why would a Spanish teacher stop and teach 6 lessons a week. I hope you’re also considering the mental health of the kids at Monkseaton high and the impact your decision is going to have on them. |
I’m unsure about our options as we are in the catchment for Monkseaton high. Can you add these to the FAQ please? |
Having to travel further for school means that students will have to get up earlier to use public transport- not every parent can drive. The students also get home later and having to do homework means getting to bed later - resulting in tired children who cannot concentrate which affects their grades |
Why wait until current year 9 students are in there second week at this school, very poorly managed, we had an offer of wbhs and would of took that had we known, now our child may not be at a local school absolutely shocking management |
As a parent of a child who has just started year 9 I am very upset that having put monkseaton high school down as our first choice we are now being penalized at the detriment of my daughter education . She is struggling as it is adjusting to a new school but to have to do it all again next year seems unfair - not just for her but will have a huge impact on the mental health of the children involved. Our elder daughter has thrived at monkseaton high - ….. why we chose it for our youngest daughter . We now have the uncertainty of which school she will be placed at and will it be as good as monkseaton, separation from her friends and having the added stress in GCSE years to fitting in to a new environment. If the school closes it will disrupt all the hard work that has gone into their education so far . |
There are no spaces at any other school, where do you propose on placing 150 students when the decent schools are at full capacity?!?! |
Ideally find use for building rather than demolish and build more housing. Not a sustainable solution. |
I am both angry and upset. |
I think it is the best idea if they continue to go on like this. |
It’s a landmark and kids for years have been going here |
Reassurance is needed on what school provision will be made for those in the catchment of monkseaton high. I have already heard people saying they will sell and move if needs be and this is going to cause a huge efflux of people from the local area |
The proposal is very lack and feels rushed and without care to the welfare, mental and emotional impact on the pupils, staff and local community. |
The amount of houses that have been built in the area and the lack of secondary school that should be built in backworth needs to be considered |
The question needs to be asked why are parents choosing not to send their children to the school? In my opinion the school is in an existenal crisis due to the fact it has no identity and has been plauged by rumours and bad reputation for years. As a former pupil of Monkseaton myself (2006-2010) everything seemed to go wrong about the time the new building was built. The school was ridiculed due to the state of the new building and the lego blocks on the roof made us a laughing stock. Combined with the fact that the school changed the uniforms to several colours of choice rather than one single dress code and the later school day which [NAME] introduced (I know this was later reverted), the school has simply lost its identity and is being swallowed up by the combined uprising of Whitley Bay High and John Spence. They have new buildings which actually resemble a traditional school building and good Ofsted reviews to go with it. |
Don’t do it! |
Instead of over populating your favourite school, send more kids to Monkseaton. |
The proposal is simply unacceptable. There are not enough alternatives to make this anything other than damaging to the wellbeing of our children, both from a learning/development, and mental health point of view. For children in a 3 tier system in our area, there are only 2 high schools to choose from. How can we possibly reduce that to only one! There are housing developments close to the school so the numbers of children needing school places will rise in coming years. How will they be accommodated? Are our children expected to move to 2 tier secondary schools out of area?! How will their emotional wellbeing be protected? Do we know that the other schools have space and resources to accommodate hundreds more children? I cannot begin to emphasise the detriment this will have on the education and wellbeing of hundreds of children. |
Closing the school would leave very few options for students that did not make it into a school such as Whitley Bay and would make it harder for those students to commute to and from school. |
Make the site a college only |
There’s a very large new housing estate being built in view of the school . Children on this estate will need to attend school and there’s not enough places anywhere locally for them to go. |
There is a shortage of high school spaces for children in 3 tier around whitley bay and monkseaton- if the school closes where will the children go? |
I went to the school and it served the residents of Whitley Bay. It felt an equal choice to Whitley High. Whereas now it is completely the poorer option which is completely unfair to children within its catchment. The curriculum isn’t comparable. The behaviour management, the attitude to learning is all sadly poorer at Monkseaton. I know people moving house to get out of the catchment. For some people they have no choice and this is incredibly unfair to the children who don’t have those finances behind them to go somewhere less able to help them have as good an outcome as it’s neighbouring school. It needs to go and start from scratch a completely different school and deliver a higher quality education. |
Our son was sent to MAEPS due to mental health issues partly as a result of his autism. The physical environment of both facilities he went to was especially poor. These vulnerable children deserve a better environment and this building could be excellent for that purpose. |
My children currently attend this school and are not highly concerned regarding the quality of their education over the next two years. With all of the houses being built on the Murton Gap, where are the children of the families that will buy these new houses go to school. |
It's a shame: we visited and it is a lovely school with dedicated and friendly staff. Unfortunately, there is the perception that Whitley Bay High is the only good option. This school is quirky. |
Monkseaton High School is in a prime location with a huge housing development not yet complete within walking distance. |
When the new housing estate is built where are any children who live there going to go as surely they should swell numbers. |
Without seeing where the areas of spend are it would be difficult to advise. One suggestion would be to look at more sustainable options in larger spend areas such as use of solar power |
I went to this high school and it was a really good school, a lovely learning facility. I think that it’s disappointing for the local area. |
I I am not in a position to argue with the financial position. However, for my daughter to not be able to finish the school she has started foe her education is truly horrifying. This will undoubtedly have an impact on her as she has been in three tier education. Further, you know propose an education system that cannot be completed for many pupils as Whitley Bay High will not take the additional 150 students. This will inevitably mean the erosion of the three tier system. How can it be argued that it is acceptable to have children in year 8 who will have to join already established year groups in two tier systems? This is a hugely detrimental impact on my children's education and wellbeing. If you close monkseaton then all must be changed to two tier so that children all have equal opportunities to the SAME standardised education. Further, year 9 and 10 are now full! |
The fields are used for football over the weekend and it’s good for young people to be encouraged in sport.. |
The school was clearly funded in the wrong places,the building is falling apart and no good.If costs had been put into the correct place this would never have happened,reducing the curriculum makes more parents choose other schools. |
It is absolutely the right thing to close a school in deficit that is not first choice for local families. The land is of higher value for new housing and growing the local economy. |
What about the provision for Whitley Bay Sporting Club? They have over 1000 playing members, one of the largest clubs in the north east, and it’s already a travesty that they have nowhere to call their home ground. Monkseaton High currently host large amounts of their how games every week. The club plays a vital role for our young people in Whitley Bay and contributes to their physical and mental wellbeing enormously. Without somewhere to play their games, there is a risk that the club becomes no longer viable. |
All other schools near to Monkseaton are at capacity. I would not be happy for my children to travel by school bus given the inability and lack of behaviour management on them. My child school must be within walking distance of Whitley bay town centre |
Expand the catchment area to cover NE27 |
I think it's unforgivable that year 9s were allowed to even start and new staff were employed. There has been dishonesty here and staff who have dedicated years to the school have been let down. |
This facility has excellent potential, it would be a shame to lose this for the borough although clearly many efforts have been made to date to find an alternative to closure. There's a committed cohort of children in years 4-7 who would put a lot of effort into keeping this open. |
I am strongly opposed to the closure of Monkseaton High School. As a former student and current member of their Sixth Form programme, the future closure of the school does not immediately concern me academically as I will have completed Sixth Form by the broadcasted closure on August 31st 2026. However, speaking as someone who has gone there for years, I think it is an invaluable school that offers a rich education and demonstrates tremendous care for its pupils. No student at Monkseaton High School is overlooked, they are all tended to and provided support should they need it in any way and the relationships I have personally built and have observed to be built with the staff members are cherished. If there is any possible solution on the topic of securing its future, I would utmost recommend they are pursued and explored further. |
I hope all the fantastic staff find appropriate solutions for employment |
I would like to further understand how NT council has allowed this to happen. |
Whitley Bay and Monkseaton is a densely populated area and Monkseaton High is needed to provide a good education to the area. The large amounts of houses being built will provide a lot more students to the school. I feel the opinion to close the school is extremely short sighted and not looking at the future of the school and local area. |
Huge disruption will be caused by closing the school - where will the middle school pupils who don’t get into Whitley Bay High School go as it cannot take the additional pupils |
Closing the school will limit the spaces for the children in the three teir systems. Having only one high school means all children in area/middle schools should be guaranteed a space at whitley high |
Monkseaton high school was my high school. Where other school options felt intimidating the atmosphere and student catchment of monkseaton high school made it a very inclusive and safe space for students with a range of vulnerabilities. I feel that the closure of this school would be a disservice to members of the community with additional needs be that financial, emotional or otherwise. I do believe that in closing the high school and therefore relocating its current/prospective students many young people may not be able to access an education which serves their needs as well. Large high schools are not preferable for many students with a range of complex needs and monkseaton high school creates a safe space for these students. I would however, advocate for the closure of monkseaton high schools sixth form, although I attended myself, the class sizes in many subjects I can see are not viable and there simply isn’t enough interest to sustain the sixth form due to this. Ultimately closing this school entirely would be an enormous shame and the impact that this would have on many students should not be underestimated. |
It needs to just be combined with Whitley high turn it into a sixth form for Whitley high and it will free more space up in Whitley highs building to take more pupils from the two middles school |
When other school are at capacity with high pupil to teacher ratios, impacting the quality of education, with children waiting for help for the majority of lesson times and parents paying for tutors to compensate, inflating school performance (Whitley Bay High School), a full review of schools should be considered to support / protect children’s education in this area of the borough. |
I feel very let down as a parent of a Year 9 pupil. To find out on day 10 back to school that my child may be leaving at the end of this academic year is disappointing. The end of Year 4 in first school and Year 5 in middle school was disruptive due to covid, now the start of high school and the year to make GCSE choices could be disruptive too. My child does not cope with large environments or change and this feels wrong that they have been settled in to a new school for potentially less than a year. I honestly believe the year group should be allowed to complete the three school years, they have had enough disruption and uncertainty and this is something you need to seriously consider. I fully understand the financial situation and the potential need for closure but please allow the pupils who are currently there to complete this school with the excellent teaching staff, care and compassion they have always shown which made me choose this school without any hesitation for my child. |
Why should children have to leave a school they feel safe in and the teachers are fantastic |
I’d like to ask why you are not extending closing for the application period for next school year until this consultation is complete. Not doing so is forcing parents to make applications now without knowing what the final decision will be for the school in the new year. It will impact both Y8 parents applying for places now and Y6 parents who need to consider moving to 2 tier. |
To make Monkseaton High into a 2 tier system. Extend the catchment area to include NE27 and Backworth Park Primary School. This will take the pressure off George Stephenson High School with an increasing population due to the influx of new houses. Monkseaton High would be the preferred high school for parents in this area. |
Why do you say all the new building at Rake Lane will not increase numbers? - why do you think that? I heard a requirement for the home building would be to build a new firstly / primary school - how are current high schools to cope with an increase in numbers - you need to publish numbers for all the schools - if parents decide to move children in year six into 2 tier system what checks are in place to support feeder middle schools such as monkseaton middle and Marden bridge middle? |
It’s clearly a self serving proposition from North Tyneside Council. To announce this 2 weeks after admitting a new cohort with no forewarning is borderline fraud. Young students who have already been impacted by covid need much more empathy and support at this time |
Where will the children from the 3000 new houses that will be built opposite Rake Lane go? |
I don't think its a good idea to close this school as there is no more room in the local schools so children will have to travel further to get to other schools. |
Where would the pupils go? Whitley Bay High School? Class sizes would need to be huge, therefore degrading the high school education of a whole generation. Disgraceful proposal. |
There’ll be too much intake at other schools in area |
The closure of Monkseaton High School would have significant consequences for our archery club and the wider community. As the only archery club using the school, we’ve found Monkseaton’s facilities to be ideal for both our indoor and outdoor activities. We only started using the venue a few months ago, but it has resolved long-standing issues we had with previous venues. If the school closes, we’ll be left without a suitable space, and it’s incredibly difficult to find an alternative that accommodates our needs. Unlike football clubs, which are well-supported and have plenty of facilities, smaller sports like archery don’t have the same financial backing or options. |
It's sad; but also concerning because my son's currently in year 11, and I'm concerned this will affect his schooling in a very important year. |
Please do not sell the land for housing. |
Will lead to students forced into other local schools that don’t offer the same quality of education, and will not be able to maintain standards as classes will be overflowing |
If it has to close , close in 2027. It is imperative that the current year 9 are allowed to complete their time at Monkseaton. It could be catastrophic for some students to be shipped off to another school against their will and likely without their friends. |
When the new monkseaton high school was built, the council knew how many births there had been and therefore could forecast how many children were likely to attend. Why build a school and close it down a few years later? Incompetence? If it is absolutely necessary to close a school (so we, when we're building houses nearby ?(which will house children needing to go to school)), why did we build a brand new school. Why not keep the old school going for a few more years. If its been in deficit since 2016, we only needed the old building to limp along for 7 years or so? |
Should be closed and turned into a sixth form college for the WBHS |
North Tyneside has the perfect opportunity to address the shortage of special school paces by turning Monkseaton High School into an all through SEND provision. |
Monkseaton high has excellent outdoor sports facilities, WBHS to share and set up an extended offer of sports qualifications. |
The only other high school in the area for those in the three tier system is Whitley High. This is surely going to put pressure on places there? Will there be spaces for all 4 middle schools to attend the local high school and remain 3 tier? |
There is far too many children in the area for the school to close. Money needs to be found or drop Whitley Bays PAN |
See previous comment |
Ensuring that three tier schools remain within the area and that the feeder schools to monkseaton high remain as they are and can feed into other schools without having larger than normal class sizes and cohorts. |
This school has been here for years surely there is a solution to saving the school and not letting that huge building be wasted. I’m sure there is other local schools that are in need of space like there is in that building |
The other high schools are at capacity so if Monkseaton closes there are families who will be forced to travel much further at a cost to get their children to school and in a cost of living crisis it will make things even harder for everyone |
There are new housing estates popping up all around - surely the need will only increase in the future. By focusing on the sixth form/further education route we could protect the educational offer for our community of the future. Specialisation would put the school back on the map and hopefully reach young people outside of the catchment who want to study for a levels or a vocational course/apprenticeship. |
The school must remain in dome form to support the 3 tier WB system if it is to remain as WBHS is already over subscribed |
The school cannot continue to run in the way it does. Everyone in the area wants their child to go to WBHS so why not just let the Outstanding School work to improve Monkseaton and then all the children in the area are able to access such high quality Teaching and Learning. |
I find it hard to see where the e siting and future pupils would go to school unless the whole boundaries are amended at the coast. |
I had to sit through an appeal process through the admissions process in June 2024 and fight to get my daughter into the school because they were oversubscribed which is not the narrative we’re being told about falling numbers. |
I think this is wrong. If you close this school, it will end up being more houses, with more people and not enough schools for the children to attend and then it would be where kids have to travel miles away just to get to their education which will then end up in kids being homeschooling or not going to school at all. This is the 3 tier school which I would like all my children to attend. If it is closed it means they have to travel further away for school as this one is much closer for me especially with having 4 children of different ages and different year groups. Please do not close this school. It would be the worst mistake ever |
A new housing estate is being built behind the school. Regardless of whether the potential numbers of pupils from this estate have been factored into calculations it is not a good look to be closing the school and presumably embedding even more rush hour car journeys to other schools in the area when hopefully most pupils who live in the estate would otherwise walk there. |
pushing more pupils into other schools and classes is detrimental to their learning. the 3 tier system develops keen minds so much better than 2 tier. support the children's development don't focus on the bank account and selling property |
My sister will be going into Year 11 next year and her education will be disrupted. I am in Year 11 currently, and I fear that due to this proposed closure the quality of my education will decrease as teachers and staff may leave early to find a new job. |
The school is needed for the community. There have been a lot of houses built next to the school which may add extra pupils. Whitley bay high school would also become over subscribed if monkseaton high school were to close |
Utterly disgusting decision, children that may not have means of transport will now be forced to travel to God knows where for a basic education- why built an abundance of housing with no where for the children of said housing to be educated?! Clearly wr will be seeing yet more unaffordable housing on the plot in the coming years!! |
Having applied for provision at Monkseaton High school twice for ... children in my care, and not had any reply regarding a space, I strongly believe the local authority have stealthily created the situation re lack of children as to sell the land in the long term. |
Closing this school is going to make a massive impact on the other local school which will make them over crowed and then all the children will suffer in their most important years at school |
This will have a detrimental affect on SEN students who struggle with anxiety disorders. Also a huge detrimental affect on all now yr 9 students going into gcses. There will not be enough spaces in other surrounding schools or non appropriate placements failing the kids. Everyone now will jump ship putting school into further damage before due date to end. People panic! Fir the 1st time my child likes school and is settled, this upheaval as a sen child will be so unbelievably damaging. |
I went to this school as a young lad and had some of my best years here which led me to the industry I currently work in now (SEND) and would seem like there is an opportunity to explore merging SEND/inclusion into the space available rather than closing. |
What are the plans for the existing pupils and all those currently in Middle Schools in the area? |
This decision is going to affect all the children in the area parents have made decisions on schools 1st and middle on the basis of them attending Monkseaton in later years parents are now thrown into a situation where children are going to end up attending schools all over the place away from home and friends |
I am concerned about capacity in the future for children due to the amount of new homes being built in the area. Closing the building also seems wasteful although I appreciate there are running costs. |
With a child due to transition next September this is a massive worry there are not enough places as is where may he be sent to?? |
The proposed impact on current Year 9 pupils to transfer to another school should be handled with great care. Accommodation should be made to move all Whitley Bay children from this group into Whitley Bay High School and all options, including temporary accommodation/staff at Whitley Bay High School, should be considered to enable Whitley Bay children to be schooled in Whitley Bay. |
How has this happened? You mention low birth rates, which I think is quite frankly rubbish. The real reason is because Whitley Bay High School is now massively over subscribed with students who should have gone to Monkseaton. Why didn't NTC (North Tyneside Council) put there foot down and stop this. |
School places are already at a premium. The council should not be removing school facilities further limiting choice and forcing people to use vehicles for school runs. The council is allegedly committed to reducing the boroughs carbon footprint, removing this school in the face of a major housing development will mean increased vehicular journey’s on school runs and increased pressure on surrounding schools to absorb students from monkseaton. |
The school is fairly new should the resources of the school kept open. |
With the growth of housing in the immediate vicinity of the school, this closure seems hard to justify from a longer-term planning perspective. |
If this school closes there will not be enough spaces to accommodate children as Whitley Bay High and John Spence are full. |
We live outside any school boundary and have limited options of schools. Monkseaton High wasn't a preferred choice for us it was what the authority offered following middle school. My child is now in year 10 and the school will close after his GCSEs, what guarantee do we have that his education will be unaffected, and, that the level of teaching will be sustained giving year 10 children the opportunity they all deserve to do their best in their exams without impacting their future careers? This is already a stressful time for many of the students. |
This would be so damaging to children in the middle school system who cannot get a place at Whitley High. We will see a huge impact on children with mental health problems, school attendance etc on those who have to enter year 9 within the 2 tier system. Those children in the 3 tier system should follow a feeder school programme where there are stricter rules as to which schools they progress on to. For example south Wellfield 1st, Wellfield Middle then Monkseaton high. Take away catchment area criteria for middle schools in particular and have these feed into specific high school. |
How does the council propose to safeguard the education of current MHS students now that staff know their jobs are at risk? How will a mass exodus of teaching staff be prevented? |
It would be a huge waste to have built in inthe 1st place, and the pupils already have been disrupted, there studies will hugely be impacted teachers will not be able to cope with larger classes of disruptive children, education will suffer massively. And then what about these parents that have just spent a fortune on uniforms? It's not cheap having to spend it all again. |
What is not clear from the faqs is how the school has ended up in the deficit position. There are clearly questions around the Financial accounts of the school, the debts incurred and the cost of financing capital projects like the current building that need clarifying, and public discussion. |
The proposed date of closure is my daughter's GCSE year so I find it disgusting that all these kids will have to move school during the hardest year of their academic life |
This is affecting my education and an alternative to closing should be found as this is unfair to the students |
This is going to effect 3 levels of student education in the school and the staff here deserve to be given a chance |
All of the new houses being built right next to the school will result in more kids needing school places, which will result in more kids coming to the school. |
How can closing a good school be a good iea, staff and students are happy and there is a scramble for school places. Work out a way to keep the school open and innovative in the approach. |
Is there a PTA helping with fundraising for provisions of materials and sports equipment? |
I would be interested to know where current students would be placed and where future students from the large housing estate being built would go. If only 1 in 5 students are from the catchment area, why are students out of catchment being placed here? Is this the issue with numbers? If students out of catchment were placed in their own catchment areas, would this encourage Monkseaton catchment parents to apply to their local school - has the council's allocation of places caused this issue? Has Kings School added to the issue? Could the council do more to keep local places for local children? |
As a mother of 3 children, one in year 11 at Monkseaton high, one in year 9 at Monkseaton and one in year 5. I am very concerned for the future and stability of my children's education. |
If closure is inevitable, extend the closure window for another year to allow the current Year 9 students to complete their education without disruption. This is really important for all learners, but particularly those with additional learning needs who have just made a very stressful transition from middle school and whose mental health and GCSE prospects will be detrimentally affected by yet more disruptive transition. |
MHS is the only other high school in north tyneside. If students from local middle schools can't get into WBHS, there is nowhere else for them to go |
The negative effect to the local community about closing the school will be significant for years to come. |
I have been so pleased with the school since my son started there. The teaching staff are fantastic and it has a lovely inclusive feeling. It would be a tragedy for future kids not to have the sense of belonging that Monkseaton high provides. |
This is a really short sighted approach. |
The high school needs will fail to be met within the local area and the alternatives are impractically far away for many families and likely also over subscribed |
I simply do not believe that there are no proposals for alternative uses proposed for the building or land. |
What a waste of a new school and with new houses being built surely the need for school places will go up |
My daughter has just gone in to year 9 at Monkseaton - without some swift organisation she is facing teachers leaving and not being bothered about progress and results in year 10, no continuity and gaps in her GCSae education if she has to go elsewhere, and no automatic right to a place in sixth form (providing she passes GCSEs) if the given school doesn't have its own! Her education will be ruined. This needs deciding now - do not give or make kids in next years cohort accept places in a school that won't exist, it is morally wrong. My daughter is on the lost for Whitley High anyway, she is in 10th position - I would ask that her place is not pushed further down the list with the inevitable influx of worried parents now trying to move their children before they are pushed. |
How will the closure affect Whitley high school and the capacity there? |
It's a disgrace. I currently attend the school sixth form and by brother is in year 9. Luckily for me I get to continue a levels but he has to relocate to somewhere where he will not cope. We have had to buy all the uniform and 10 days in its announced he has to leave. |
Please don’t close it until the students who are already there have completed school and rent the building out privately as space becomes available. |
I do wonder what will happen to the money allocated by North Tyneside council to funding the deficit - will this money be lost? |
Change the internal design. |
it is a great school and doesn’t deserve to be shut |
Very short sighted by the council. If you need money then cut staff. To my knowledge the council is over staffed by at leads 30% |
The closure of the school has caused many issues for myself and others with sixth form and travel options. It is also a brilliant school that over the last three years I have seen how amazing it can be and it would be an incredible shame if future students cannot experience the joys of this school. The close band of teachers here are also brilliant and closing this school would cause issues for them aswell as students. Thank you and I hope you can keep this school open. |
Extremely short sighted, frustrating and upsetting situation. For the current year 9 children who have had just 2 weeks at a school, this is incredibly upsetting, particularly as there seems to be absolutely no plan for what will happen to them at the end of this academic year. |
I feel the children are being let down by North Tyneside Council. One size does not fit all, there should be a choice of schools for everyone, not just larger schools where they will be just a number and will get lost in the system. The school should stay open. It's unfair that money can be spent on a new build at Whitley High and John Spence are to get a sixth form department, then Monkseaton is to be closed. This is not money well spent. |
Considering numbers of kids in Monkseaton now and free places in all.other high schools there is no space to accommodate thos kids, so what is Council proposal ? Where to move them? |
Closing the school will leave hundreds of children without ANY place at a local high school meanining moving from their freindsnd difficultuesfor families with travel costs adn travel times. |
Why has the PAN been dropping? Surely the schools allocation has caused that by offering other schools to those that should have got to MonkSeaton? |
I just dont want it to happen. Monkseaton High School is known to be a good school with many awards. Every other known high school in the area does not have a good reputation, and alot of kids know this. Year 9s in specific will not be able to do their gcses in this school if it does end up closing in 2026. Being in a different school that they dont like could affect mental health, which really isnt a good time considering that gcses are coming up. Being in a terrible mental state whilst doing GCSES could severely affect the performance of how kids do in GCSES. |
A few years ago my older sibling went to monkseaton high school and strongly believed it was an amazing school to go to. I am only 3 weeks into this school and I love it, but I am extremely devastated and dissapointed that such a sudden occurrence had happened I really wish to continue at this school and believe it should not be closed. |
I also believe that pupils should have there say and the council she be more smart with their money instead of spending on irrelevant things such as new (metro stations and other council gyms and centers). I also believe if the school has stayed open all this time there is no need to shut it down in 2026 and they should let all current attendees finish their studies and then shut down |
If parents are offered the choice of their child moving to Whitley Bay, Marden or King's Tynemouth this may be a suitable alternative. There are no other schools suitable in north tyneside. To not even meet face to face with parents of year 9 children is disgusting and not acceptable! Being informed via email is merely disrespectful and shows complete lack of care from council for either the children or the parents! Surely closing after the current pupils complete would be a fairer proposal. |
Absolutely do not want to close |
See previous answer |
I just genuinely dont get how the government and education system have let monkseaton high school get to a point of debt where it has affected to the school to the point its in talk of having to shut down the school all because the education syten cant find the funds to give the school but my question is why build the school in the first place if they had a idea that we would not be able to be funded as a school to run the school as what whitley bay school are able to and i use whitley bay as an example because they have just a had a whole new school build so why cant we have that why do they grt that how are funded that much and arent having to use the teachers own money to make ends meet so that students can have the best education possible? |
With the amount of people moving to the area more schools are needed. Pulling down a fairly new school seems counterintuitive. |
Closing this school is not a good idea. |
RIDICULOUS!! BIG MISTAKE |
The MHS building remains of very high quality. Some of the other local schools (first and middle, especially) are in advanced states of disrepair, with similarly declining rolls - closing a very good building, while maintaining crumbling buildings seems like a poor distribution of resources. |
Where are all the children going to go?what is proposed for the land?..... |
I think I've said what needs to be said. This country is in shambles. It's not just the closure of the school. It's everything. |
Will pupils parents and carers get any discount from the housing developer when the school is pulled down and houses are built? |
This is one of the most modern schools in the Borough and on the edge of large scale proposed developments. |
Whitley Bay High provides a better standard of education. |
Monkseaton High wasn't our first choice as parents assume WBHS is better . However we have come to be grateful for the school as our child is happy there. We don't want to see it close or for staff to loose jobs. We want to see a solution to keep the school open and more than that we want to see it thrive. I'd like to see other local High schools supporting MHS and working together for the good of the children which is at the heart of this. They should never have been allowed to get into so much debt and now North Tyneside we need to help them to start again. I am concerned decisions have already been made with money rather than children at the forefront. Where would these children go? All coastal High schools full. There IS a need for MHS. |
I do not believe you should close monkseaton high school, as it is a school with many students who may be unsettled moving to another school . Also this will affect middle schools in the area as they will only have one high school to go to. |
Monkseaton High is cooked. |
Clear plans and information must be in place and circulated by all schools affected to parents and students well in advance |
This school has a reasonable size catchment area and if it closes, where do the children go. We all want the very best for our children but closing a local school for them to instead travel long distances instantly puts these children at a disadvantage. |
I think this whole idea is absolute stupid. Only about a decade ago the council spent millions of pounds on a new building for it just to get knocked down only a decade later? And you have clearly failed to think about how the teachers and students feel, as for the teachers this must be an absolute kick in the teeth as they have put their blood sweat and tears into this school just for the council to say that it is not good enough? when in reality they have been working harder than anyone. As for the students, all I hear in the corridors is the younger years debating which school they are going to when they have only got settled in ours. Do you not realize how distressing that is? Yes, the school is in millions of debt, but it is not the 7 million which the council have projected, not yet anyway. And as for the major finding issue, clearly the council are not giving the school enough funding. So they are not giving the school the funding required, then blaming the teachers for something which is completed out of there control? To me it does not sound very fair. This is not the most viable option as there are many other methods which include helping the school get more funding, giving them more funding to get us out of this hole, or opening the school to year 7s and 8s. Even closing the building would not resolve all of the issues as they would have wasted over £20 million which is far more substantial than the 7 million in debt. In conclusion, this change would be so sad, upsetting and unsettling for everyone involved. |
Has the council thought about the impact on the surrounding schools as where do the current Monkseaton school pupils go. I do not think over populating other schools in the area is a reasonable consideration. |
Given the rise in local housing closing down Monkseaton high would lead to other local schools becoming overcrowded. My daughter is in year 11 studying for GCSE's this news has greatly upset her and is causing massive distress. She was planning on staying on through 6th form and now has no idea what to do. |
Surely the 3000 new homes being built adjacent to the school will provide extra pupils. Many of the homes are 4, 5 bedroom houses. Family homes like this are bought by families WITH TEENAGERS! There is only a shortfall of 400 pupils currently..surely 3000 homes will provide these numbers |
The teaching staff at this school have played a massive part in my daughter’s life and have made her the young person she is today. She has just started the 6th form their and they are so caring. My daughter is know by her name, no another student walking along the corridor. |
I don’t think that the debt should’ve been let to get to that level and maybe some extra help is important |
This doesn't feel like a proposal, it feels like a decision is made and the consultation is only a box ticking process. The impact on the students (and staff) is immeasurable and devastating. |
My son attends monkseaton middle school and has been considering the high school for year 9. The proposed closure of a great school would be a huge loss to the area, especially given Whitley bay high school is oversubscribed. If greater collaboration between WBHS and MHS was possible, particularly through a shared sixth form, perhaps it might be more attractive to children/parents who want to benefit from the success of Whitley bay high school. |
It is worrying, with the growing number of new houses, that there will be no space at secondary / high schools if Monkseaton closes. |
Where are the children in the area supposed to go?? Crazy decision to close an entire school! Unless there is spaces at other local schools (Whitley bay school) |
Surely the with the building of new housing estate near to school there will be an influx of pupil's |
I am concerned as a parent of a child in Year 7, in middle school and living in WBHS catchment that they won't be able to access their first choice place because of massive additional pressure on places. |
We are appalled and saddened. We had to appeal for our daughter to attended Monkseaton High and that was only in June, less than three months ago. This must have been known by council leaders. The thought for the children, families and staff has been pushed aside. After 2 weeks to be told they must find alternative education within North Tyneside is a disgrace. We have sold our house and have bought a property in Monkseaton to be close to the school - to then be told this? The reasons our daughter moved to Monkseaton was because of her recent dyslexia diagnosis, support for her as I was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year and the lack of support and bullying from a previous North Tyneside school. (Which has now been suggested as a possible alternative education??) As a teacher myself I understand the funding issues in education but I cannot understand how these children were able to start an education in a new environment, settle in and make new friends and then two weeks in it all be removed. There has to be a way to phase out the school rather than do this to the children, families and staff. It is utterly heartbreaking. Our daughter was so incredibly sad at her previous school and one of my wishes after my diagnosis was to make sure she was happy again. Which she absolutely was until this uncertainty hit yesterday. I will not stand by and watch it happen again. Whilst I am still able I will do all I can. |
As previous comment |
Monkseaton High provides a desperately needed opportunity for a quality education, in a comfortable environment, for pupils who need a more personal approach. |
Where is the answer of where the children would go? What are the options? Home schooling when no one has the opportunity to have time or unlimited money to be able to do that. Sometimes smaller schools are so much more beneficial to certain students, especially those who have gone through three tier system. What capacity are other schools going to be running at at that time in 2026? So where is the other viable options? Going two tier would aboulutely traumatic for some. Have they adked the kids how they would feel? Age appropriately? I'm annoyed. How do u think an 11 year old in a small school would feel suddenly being in a huge school with 18 year old. Bullying isn't picked up as quickly in bigger schools, three tier is more personable and I feel identifies children as the individuals they are. |
I say before you today to advocate for the preservation of Monkseaton High School. This school is not just a place of learning; it's a community that nurtures and empowers its students. From its innovative programs to its dedicated teachers, Monkseaton High School is a beacon of excellence in Whitley Bay. I urge you to consider the profound impact this school has on our community and the bright futures it helps shape. Let's work together to ensure that Monkseaton High School continues to thrive for generations to come. Thank you. |
Before making a decision will you look at numbers in years to come? My son-in-law is currently in yr 3 and we planned his school around the three tier system and planned for him to attend Monkseaton High. How do you know that numbers will continue to be low when you can’t apply for high school till yr8. |
This consultation has arrived before the end of September, therefore it would appear to be on the cards before the new term. The council should not have allowed applications for year 9 this year as this will massively affect the students |
It must close due to the budget dept and the fact the building is not fit for purpose and is environmentally meet the standards required at this time.. |
It is extremely disappointing and worrying that so many children will be left without a school place knowing that all the other schools in the local area are filled to capacity. What will happen to these children and their disrupted education? I have been really impressed with how Monkseaton has organised and dealt with my child's transition from middle school knowing their anxieties around change. This was the school my child chose and wanted to go to and which they are comfortable and happy with. Without Monkseaton High there will be just one high school left, and therefore one choice of school, which doesn't have the capacity for everyone, I don't understand how this closure is a feasible option!? |
I suspect that the land would just be sold to development companies, for more houses making the strain worse on the schools and congestion, it’s not acceptable. |
Yous shouldn't have let us join Monkseaton high as the new Y9s if you knew that we would be in debt!!! |
Don’t close it I beg |
Monkseaton High School is one of the best schools within the area. Despite the recent difficulties in regards to student capacity and finances, there is no school that tailors and meets children’s needs as much as this one. Staff at monkseaton go above and beyond not only in terms of education but also overall child well-being and Mental health support. The drive and encouragement this school provides to pupils is exceptional. There is no other school in the area that meets the same level of excellence. I am aware there are other schools within the area that have larger capacity and are filled with pupils but Monkseaton High really caters to each and every child on an individual basis which is something extremely difficult to come across these days. |
Impact on traffic From school runs and other schools will |
Personally, I believe the three-tier system should be removed. And if it is insisted on being kept, reduce the number of middle schools in the area. If Monkseaton High is shut down, the majority of children currently at middle schools will only be able to go to Whitley Bay High School. Which would force them to take on a lot more children than what may be possible. |
Many children from my area (NE27) are in First and Middle Schools outside of their catchment area. As a result, at the end of Year 8, parents typically apply for High School in a similar/familiar location. Whitley Bay High School is currently oversubscribed, so the only alternative to High Schools within catchment - that are further away or Secondary Schools - is Monkseaton High School. |
The school is telling pupils there is a 95% chance of closure so, clearly, that's the agenda that is being pushed here. I also don't believe that the council has any end objective other than to sell the land to developers for housing. This is an absolute disgrace. |
There are going to be a lot of children who need school places. I understand the deficit problem, but there has to be a solution for these children and their families. |
I would be very much against replacing the school with more housing. The current infrastructure is barely sufficient to cope with traffic at peak times and there are additional houses being built nearby already. |
This will affect hundreds of local children and cause upset to many many families. There needs to be a solution that avoids school closure! |
I feel that the council has not explored a lot of options before arriving at this decision to close the school. I understand the school is in deficit, but what measures were taken in the last few years to increase pupil headcount in the school? Although the FAQs give some details of what's been done by council before coming to this decision, but I feel, this is just done for the sake of it rather than to actually do something. the council has failed our children. It is not clear how they will be placed in what schools, how far are they? there are lot of unanswered questions and i strongly believe the council has not done enough to save Monkseaton high. This is very pathetic that the country has reached to a stage where it has funds for funding a war, but no funding to keep a school open. |
My child is at marden bridge- as part of the application for a Y9 place, as there is now no other Tier 3 high school other than whitley bay (and im guessing this is at capacity versus having the necessary free spaces) we should be allowed to also include 2 tier schools in the application for a Y9 place versus having to also complete the 'school transfer' forms |
Living in Holystone our options for Secondary school are either George Stephenson or Longbenton, neither of which have particularly good reputations. |
Due to the number of family properties being built, I would imagine that there will be a lot of pupils needing places. Could you consider widening the catchment area? |
The timing is terrible, any closure should not impact those pupils already at the school. |
A generational opportunity to restructure and reorganize schooling in NT. A three-tier structure is too costly. The saved costs could be better spent resourcing schools affected by the restructuring. |
Catchment areas for other schools are too large, people who live within sight of MHS send their kids to WBHS, this then means that that school is overwhelmed |
It seems crazy to close when yes the school may not be at full capacity but you've then got a lot of children that will need a school and upping class numbers in other schools isn't good enough. Small schools in my opinion give so much more. |
It seems strange to consider closure over expanding catchment areas especially considering Whitley Bay High is always oversubscribed. More needs to be done to improve the reputation of the school which I feel has been its downfall when pitted against other schools in the area. |
Have potential changes in demography been factored into cash flow model? |
This is a very established school that has like every school faced challenges. Placing more emphasis on community available spaces, pupil allocation and retention has to paramount as the community surround areas are not going to deplete only increase in numbers and needs. If the addition of a primary school is required for the new housing developments surrounding areas where are they expected to attend ? |
The roads in that area are a huge bottleneck at many times of the day and this will only get worse once the new estates are populated. If it is certain that the school is no longer required then presumably some of the land could be set aside to remodel the two-roundabout area. |
I can work out where all the children currently at/projected to go to Monkseaton are meant to go! |
This is a purpose build school and should remain as a school or maybe a replacement for Tyne met college which is in desperate need of replacement. |
It would be financially beneficial for the council to lose the school and build another load of houses, but this would not be in the best interests of the rising numbers of children and young people in the are, and the rising numbers among them of those encountering social, emotional, mental health and educational needs which are a barrier to success at school. |
If the other high schools in the area have intakes from year 7 then this will impact many more children than those moving to year 9 in the next 2/3 years |
If you choose to close the school, you are forcing hundreds of young children to move in times of exams and you are causing them to commute to school that is no where near where they live. This will then mean the middle schools are going to suffer and they won’t get enough funding which is then going to cause you closing more schools. This will then develop onto an influx in parents moving their children which will cause stress and anxiety which will cause children using mental health services which is an increase in stress on the NHS costing you more money. If the school a child is being moved to is far away which it will be as more schools in this area are over subscribed than not, they will need to use a car which causes an increase in environmental pollution which will then cause you more issues because the carbon footprint will be double if not triple all due to your choices having repercussions. |
School should not be closed, pupils will come with the building on mutton gap |
Will all children currently in feeder first and middle schools have confirmed places in Whitley bay high or what will be expected to happen to them? |
I understand why you are proposing it but i want to understand your solution for children currently attending the school or moving to another school. It is already ridiculous that some children who live in Whitley Bay cannot attend their local high school (WBHS). Where are you proposing these children, who are in catchment for Monkseaton High school, going to go if the school closes? Wallsend or North Shields is not a viable option. The catchment boundaries need to be fully reviewed as part of this process. |
I am a school that feeds into Monkseaton. Currently, I lose a lot of children at the end of Year 4, who move to the middle school system so selfishly, this may help my own school however, I am very sad that it has come to this. I can see the same happening to my own school in the future as, unfortunately, parent choice often trumps admissions and parent choice is not always based on fact. I hope that you don't now lose a fantastic leader from the middle school as a result because if the High school shuts, it will affect the feeder schools who may then be in the same position. |
Would be a shame to lose a school with such history, but additionally a school in a locality which in the coming years will see a surplus of people needing schools due to the new housing developments. |
If you Co-locate you will save running costs and generate a capital receipt |
This is going to have a detrimental and immediate effect on those year 6 children applying for secondary school places as parents with children in year 6 middle school are likely to now apply to enter into the two tier system where spaces are already at a premium at popular coastal schools. |
I'm angry that this seems to be the only option that you are leading with!!!! |
At a time when major investment into house building nearby it seems a strange time to close a school when the provision of childcare considered in the planning process for the housing would have included places available at this school. Retrospectively this may have had some bearing on planning decisions |
My main concern is as I have a child in Appletree Gardens First School is that may not now get a high school place in his local area. We as parents can happily accept him going to Whitley High however it’s unrealistic for every single child going to a first school in Whitley Bay/Monkseaton to go to Whitley High. The councils current proposed course of action is to utilise other schools within the borough, this is unacceptable students and parents should be entitled to a school within their catchment area or at least very close by. |
I’m concerned the closure will mean than other local high schools will be impacted. |
This is a terrible decision to close a school, leaving only one 3 tier high school left in the area. It take forever to get new schools built. Can the council not take over the school, bearing in mind they have the right to close it, they should have the right to take positive action as well |
Local children would potentially be travelling miles to schools with places available. |
Facilities are probably being rented out for use by other organisations, already, but would suggest this be further explored. |
Feels short-sighted in an era where we need more options and choice for children to find out what they’re interested in and good at, encourage risk taking and creativity and build the workforce of the future. Also - there are thousands of new homes being built on lane adjacent which would, I assume, increase demand over time - has this been modelled out? |
I'm aware that this is a long-thought out decision, but it's awful for the students and teachers alike. The concept of having to defer so many students into already full buildings is insane- Whitley High has an ongoing overflow, John Spence would need a renovation to fit the new students. It also raises the concern of whether or not all of the students would even manage to be deferred, and in the following years if the schools would manage to have new students every year. As said in the last response, this is simply going to reduce the quality of education overall. As for the teachers, it is unclear whether or not all of these people would go unemployed or if they'd manage to find a new job, and as someone who knows the teachers, it would be awful to see them lose the ability to teach and show their passions. |
Closing Monkseaton High School would be disruptive to the pupils already receiving their education in this school. |
See how the new 3000 houses change the local economy. |
The council’s decision to suggest closure is an insult to the hundreds of families who rely on the school for care aswell as to the hard working staff and teachers |
It should be possible to save this school by taking it to a high school with a year 7 to 23 or even joining with another school. |
many would lose jobs, pupils would lose friends and mental health could possibly decline, this doesnt have to be the first option |
I hope that the mental wellbeing of current staff and students is being looked after during this process. |
I think there needs to be reflection on how such an unsustainable building was ever allowed to be built. The council must have had significant input into this and questions need to be asked |
This school is of better educational quality than most schools in the area, extending the catchment area may also be an option as some people may rather the choice of Monkseaton High School than George Stephenson, John Spence or Norham. |
More housing is being built in the area and there is very few high schools available for the influx of families. |
I do not believe the birth rate in the area is falling. A huge housing estate is being built with 4/5 bed family homes, people expecting their child to attend this High School. Where are these children supposed to go? |
it should close |
This is a wonderful school. My daughter is in year 10 and she has SEN. The staff have been amazing with her. Without their support, she would be a school refused and I dread to think what will happen to her if the school closes. I hope the council haven’t thought with their wallets and plan to sell to the housing estate next door. That will be an absolute disgrace. Save this wonderful school please! |
Last resort tynemet college could relocate here as the building is very old and tired and could do with a revamp. The building would definitely reach max capacity in this case. |
I believe it is a grave mistake for which our future generation will pay dearly you appear to be expecting children to travel many miles a day to get to school as there are no places nearby This school is a modern one and should be used to its full potential for many years It stands on a ideal site What are you planning to do with that site if school is closed More housing meaning more children to be educated |
I would not have had the confidence or the grades to go to uni if I hadn't attended monkseaton sixth form. I was supported and belived in by all my teachers |
This will be a bad move considering the number of houses that are going up in the area.. and plans to build a lot more just 5 minutes down the road from the school (near Boundary Mills). The school is sire to be filled up very quickly! The closure of the school will only mean nearby schools will be even more oversubscribed and our children will have to travel further out the area to get into a high school |
It would be great as a SEN school |
With the amount of new home, closing another school will mean it will be harder to get in to a school in your area and increase pressure on surrounding schools |
Give the school to Star of the sea to have a transition secondary school to go to from age 11 and then have the high school part of it for the pupils coming from the local middle schools and also outside the area |
This situation is ludicrous. This school has been systematically failed by the system. My children have attended and continue to attend this school. The teaching staff are excellent and it deserves to be saved. |
How can you guarentee that students will have the same opportunities in quality education & class sizes by cloaing a school down? |
If the school does need to close then closure should be extended to August 2027 to allow the current year 9 to complete their GCSE's |
The building was opened in 2009. Surely the “shelf life” of a school should be more than 15 years. How on earth could North Tyneside Council justify the cost of updating the original school at that time? How on earth did the school get planning permission when it didn’t fit in with the surrounding area and how on earth can the council justify the massive deficit they find themselves in? Surely mismanagement and deficits should have been flagged in the last fifteen years? We’re just hearing that only 500 pupils are in the school.; why weren’t parents informed that numbers were declining when they were asked to make choices for their children? Where are these children supposed to go if the school closes? This seems to indicate that there are schools within the North Tyneside area that might be undersubscribed, so why not tell parents which other schools in North Tyneside have capacity to absorb these children - and any other who move into the new-build accommodation. It’s a travesty. What an absolute waste of money. |
I feel kings school should never been allowed to be a public school as it has taken children. That would have normally went to local schools, meaning there is now a significant shortage of children going to monkseaton. The pressure of sending these 9 year students to surrounding schools will put further strain on the other schools where class sizes are already stretched |
My daughter has just started yr 9 at Monkseaton and looking at the numbers from all the surrounding first and middle schools the numbers to not add up. How on earth can there be so many kids from 6 first schools and not enough heading to Monkseaton high school. I think the answer is to only have one high school using two sites. |
From a non-educational background (not understanding 3 tier system and local catchment boundaries) it feels like a massive opportunity wasted to close a school with massive capacity in a borough that continues to grow and has high demand for housing and families to live. |
Closing the school would be a huge mistake. There is not enough capacity at other local schools, meaning that pupils will have to travel long distances (especially those who have just started year 9 and have no hope of getting an alternative place locally now). |
See above |
There aren’t enough high schools in the immediate area, it is still needed as a school. The staff still need their jobs, the kids need a good secondary school. |
We need this high school to remain open as Whitley High can’t accommodate the number of pupils from all the middle schools in the area as it’s often over subscribed. |
We only know about monkseaton as it is our feeder school. Monkseaton need to advertise better if they want more students and be engaging with the community around them |
This is a perfect example of short-termalism. Although the school is currently running at deficit due to low demand and low birth rate, the long term expectation is that there will be a significant increase in demand for large family homes. These homes are being built directly behind Monkseaton High School. |
It seems like a lot of wasted money, to build a purpose built school and close it down such a short time later. |
If you have made your minds up already to close the school why not let parents and children know their options. |
For on a resident in the earsdon view estate we have two school approx 1.6 miles from our home (Whitley bay and monkseaton) with a child who has just gone into year 7 at wellfield middle. What are our option because George Stephenson certainly isint it! Nearly 3 miles is totally unacceptable and moving from a three tier to a 2 tier would cause so much disruption. |
It’s not a good option monkseaton provides amazingly for students especially who have disabilities |
The sharing of the site will help to reduce the costs and while not wiping the debt will help to reduce right down. As a PFI school will the council still have to pay the costs of the PFI even if the school closes? By bringing in other schools to the site you will vacate potential valuable sites that if the DFE agrees could be sold for considerable sums |
i think it's absolutely scandalous that the council is going to close this school especially with all other schools in the area pretty much being at capacity. The disruption this will cause to the children who attend the school will be massive at such a crucial stage in their education which can only have a negative impact, surely the council could look again at other options! |
I have a son in Year 9 at Whitley Bay High and do not wish his education to be disrupted in any way. Extra pupils arriving from Monkseaton High would increase class sizes and be detrimental. |
I think a thorough review on the impact of all other schools in the three tier system in the area needs to be conducted before any decision to close is made. |
There is lots of new houses being built behind the school. There is already a problem with schools in the catchment area and this will make the 2026 intake onward a lot harder |
I think it's ridiculous and an extremely short sighted proposal due to the massive housing estate currently being built right next door. I also think it's ridiculous that the council reduces the maximum amount of students allowed into the school; if we were in so much debt why on earth would you reduce the pupil numbers and therefore the funding. Many schools around this area dont offer education as good as monkseaton and it seems that you have no regard for how the children and their futures will be determined by this decision. |
My children went to this school and I also went when it was the old school. You just can't close it. Think of the children and how this will effect them. |
I defo think it should be kept as a school but get turned to a SEN school, especially be giving to Woodlawn school. There isnt many SEN provisions for the increase of number of students needing the support. Woodlawn school is a excellent place but just on the small side. They would all benefit so much from a bigger outdoor space to a bigger environment to provide the children with much more. They could even have follow on education support for 18-25 with a EHCP as let's face it, it's nowt for these children once afterwards. Just has so much potential. |
This was bound to happen when Kings Priory was allowed to become non private and the council should be seeking help from the government who bailed that school out |
With a Daughter having just started sixth form, we as parents are incredibly worried as to the level/quality of teaching she will get in the near future. With closure currently the only projected option, staff will have no choice but to consider alternative employment. What impact will that then have on the education for our daughter’s final years at school? Had this information been released before she made her decision to stay at Monkseaton High I know now,she and ourselves would have looked to applying to another college/school. She is deeply worried on her future on top of anxiety still affecting her from Covid school lockdowns. |
This debt should have been seen to a lot sooner it is ridiculous that it was just left to get this big monkseaton high school isn’t just a school it’s a family and as a student u are destroying my family because you couldn’t be bothered to look into some debt. Also there is a new estate just behind the school and the only way they were actually allowed to build that estate was because the school was open and if the school closes that estate won’t be in any of the catchment areas for any of the schools which is absolutely ridiculous |
I would worry about the impact on other schools in the area if this were to close, where would the children go to. The 3 tier system in Whitley bay is a very nurturing environment and children thrive in it |
It's crazy that closing the school is the solution. Job losses, right to education violated, and academic and sports excellence that disappears. It's very shortsighted |
I feel having 3 children at 3 different schools in the area I don’t see how increasing the numbers in their schools is going to work. They are at full capacity and struggling to support SEND children. |
I belive parents of many pupils going to George Stephenson from shiremoor and Backworth were not aware Monkseaton were undersubscribed and would have jumped at the chance to send their children there. |
Children who will have to move to other schools should be given mental health support and given their first choice of school they wish to move to. |
Overall I think the proposal will be damaging for the local area and this has been an issue that the Council has known about for some time with a delayed response which is unacceptable. |
This doesn’t make any sense. A school is not a profit organisation and if it is struggling should be prioritised by the council for financial support. A school is a necessity and needed for our kids future. These kids suffer enough, there are few community services available out of school to help our kids thrive and they get the majority of this via school. People look to move to this area for the schools. If the school is closed I don’t think the area will have such an appeal and will only put further pressure on Whitley Bay High School. If they close this school within years of its closure a new school will be being built. The Murti gap is already a joke as it is and was not wanted my local residents. This now seems like another plan to add more houses in an area which is already to full. I’m disappointed in our council that it is even being proposed. Come election time this will impact massively as it is not what local people want and our councillors are once again not looking at what the local people want |
This is an absolutely terrible proposal. My son and daughter are currently at Monkseaton Middle School. We live in North Shields but chose this school as it was a middle school and met their needs. They couldn't cope in a larger secondary school provision. My son is now in year 8 and looking at high school. His hope had been to go to Monkseaton High school with friends to help his transition. This is now being placed in doubt. The next choice would be Whitley Bay High where friends will go but we are out of cachement and the school is oversubscribed. This would leave my son with no where to go. Our nearest school is John Spence. I have spoken to them but there are no spaces for year 9 intake 2025. It is wait list only. Where exactly will my son go? It needs to be somewhere he chooses with friends to help transition. The other secondary schools are oversubscribed. Please don't close schools. |
Keep it open for the future of the children |
Keep open at all costs |
I just don’t understand what will happen with all the children in current year 9, you say they would be assisted to move to other schools in the area, but surely the other schools don’t have the capacity for everyone, and with more houses being built in and around the area surely the situation can only get worse?? |
By closing Monkseaton High School, it will put pressure on the three-tier system and could put other schools under pressure, like Monkseaton Middle School. Whitley Bay High School is already bursting at the seams, and we can't expect children to travel to Killingworth. |
When will the council be making impact statements available that shows the background work that has gone on before this and shows how other schools may also loose pupils, but also the schools that may gain pupils from this event taking place. |
I understand this proposal has not been taken lightly. However as an education professional working into the school I'm very disappointed - of all the secondary settings I have worked into there are many positives about this one. They have a nurturing and inclusive approach, and their relaxed approach to uniform is refreshing when compared to other secondary settings where many pupils struggle with this. I have heard many stories of pupils who have struggled / failed in other settings doing well at this school, from the pupils themselves, staff and parents. I have worked alongside some high quality, dedicated and caring staff, who work incredibly hard to promote positive outcomes for pupils in their care. I think it would be an incredible shame to lose such a provision. |
There has to be some alternative to closing this “new “ school. It doesn’t make sense when another school in the area is one of the best state schools in the country. Also, how can a modern school be closed when there are others in North Tyneside that are in desperate need of repair. |
My son is currently year 9 at Marden High. It worries me that they will have to operate beyond capacity by providing places for children. |
Nothing should be done until satisfactory provision of places for current and future pupils is secured. This should not be left to parents to scramble for places. |
The school has been failing for years why has it taken till now. My children have achieved fabulous grades through excellent teachers, but they've massively missed out on additional teaching trips and visits and equipment as no funds. I would hate to see it sold off for housing. |
I think closure of the school will apply due pressure on other local schools. Very soon those schools will not be able to accommodate the increase in pupil numbers. |
Absolutely disgrace the way this had been managed by the council |
It seems that the writing has been on the wall ever since Monkseaton was built in 1974: It wasn't the old grammar school and had a quirky design with some shoddy construction (e.g. softboard walls that were easily damaged). Replacing the collection of separate blocks (a notorious drain on heating and cleaning) with a scaled-down Bird's Nest stadium was not the best way to attract new pupils and their parents. Contrast with Whitley Bay High School, which now has a new building of a more conventional design - without a sports hall in the centre of the classrooms. |
As previous. |
Closing this high school will have a detrimental effect on the wider area, first and middle schools affected, middle schools teach up to year 8 and not all pupils will be able to attend Whitley Bay High so they will be forced to join a 2-tier Secondary School that started in year 7. Parents may start to take children out of middle school early ready to start the secondary school therefore leaving the middle schools at half its PAN, putting the middle schools into deficit, this is not the answer to solve Monkseaton's deficit. The answer is in reducing Whitley Bay High PAN and extending Monkseaton's catchment. |
The big attractor for families moving to the coast is the choice of good schools. To take this choice away will mean less families with children will move to the area, making a much less vibrant community in the town. Closing Monkseaton high will take away a key asset from the town and runs counter to the work and investment that has been put into Whitley bay in recent years to make it a better place to live. |
There are possibly schemes and projects that could make this school sustainable and provide a safe and effective extracurricular program. |
If this school closes many local children will have travel further than is viable and a crucial community asset is lost, which will have repercussions throughout the area, not only for the children and families directly involved. |
The closure will clearly impact children and staff negatively in the short term. In my view this is still a medium term gain. However, additional efforts must be made to maintain provision for children. I understand that the 3 school/2school system will be maintained and is not subject to consultation. However, there will be huge pressure on WBHS for places. A longer term aim to move to 2 school across North Tyneside would relieve that pressure and open up choices for families. |
It is not acceptable to send pupils to any other school in north tyneside that has a space. This is going to put a lot of pressure on marden high and Kings as families will tey to switch across to the 2 tier system if fhey thi k their child may not get a place at whitley high. |
I think it’s important the school remains open. Many children need this school as it’a the only close by options. Expecting children already in the 3 tier system to suddenly be plucked and put into random schools in the district is beyond damaging to them. We are still living in the age where our kids are effected by the impact of covid. The school closing would another major set back for them. |
It will have a negative effect on many families/ children's lives - distance to new school, distance from family homes. |
The 3 tier system is making it impossible for this school that used to have many pupils from wallsend and shiremoor to exist. This system is outdated and needs to change across the borough. |
*This is not a consultation - you've only given one option - to close. Not good enough. |
With the new housing in the Rake Lane area (the majority of which are family homes), changing the school to a secondary school would make sense. It would mean many more children from the area could walk or cycle to school. |
Within the FAQ section it outlines proposals already considered and the outcome. More transparency is required, who did these discussions take place with, when did they happen, why was the proposal rejected etc |
You’ve just built a massive estate behind the school, all the schools are already oversubscribed - where do you expect children to go? |
Closing the school will have a huge knock-on effect to all other schools in the area and a massive impact on the children who have already been through so much during the pandemic. We chose Monkseaton High School for our [child] who has SEN and are extremely happy with our choice. The school and it's teachers are fantastic and I think it is extremely short-sighted to look to close it. This 'consultation' smacks of lip-service and you should be ashamed of yourselves! If you are honestly interested in consulting with the public, then please provide the missing detail on the options listed that we are being told have been explored and give people longer than the statutory consultation period to consider the information and respond fully. It would be interesting to hear which schools the current year 9 students at MHS (and the current year 8 students elsewhere) will be expected to go to considering most schools are already full ort oversubscribed. |
The social sciences team at this High School are outstanding. Its a shame the focus was constantly on sports |
Having recently moved into the area and trying to find schooling for my too daughters with some difficulty and on apparent waiting lists. I find it confusing that Monkseaton can be running at only 50% occupancy. |
The 3 tired system should be left in place I don't agree with children from this area having to travel miles for high school well out of the area with thousands of houses being built in the Murton gap and money spent on this school building it should not be closed |
After all the lockdowns our chikdren have had to go through now your going to disrupt their education again and put them in a 2 tier system where theyll enter half way through the school all local schools are oversubscribed and not happy about my child going to any random school that will have them this is enough to cause mental health in alot of kids |
Please do not allow this potential closure to abolish the 3 tier system in North Tyneside which is something that is really special about the area, and will be terrible for the middle schools which are currently excellent schools. |
My concern regarding the closure for Monkseaton High School is that there is currently not enough capacity at Whitley Bay High to accommodate all students into year 9 as they finish Middle School. This means that potentially some students finishing middle school would have to transition out of a 3 tier education system into a 2 tier system, with potentially no peer support. This would risk detrimentally impacting students education at a key stage and their well being. I strongly believe that local authorities should aim to ensure continuity for students transitioning through the education stages within the same system. |
Whitley Bay has a three tier system with two high schools currently. Closing MHS leaves only one school at the end of the tier with not enough spaces to accommodate the children of Whitley Bay. How can such a family based community be left in this position!! |
It is absolutely unconscionable to close a good school (as rated by Ofsted). It is unclear where students will be placed as surrounding schools are either over subscribed, are substantially further away or do not offer the same quality of education |
In 2022 we applied for our son's secondary school place as part of the 3 tier education system, admittedly our first choice after visiting several schools was Whitley Bay High School followed by Monkseaton High, our decision was based on the facilities and curriculum that both schools offered. How could Monkseaton High not offer French or German as a language? Considering these are the languages taught by the feeder schools (did they not explore this with the feeder schools to establish what these students had previously learned) it appeared to ourselves that teaching Spanish for potentially only 1 year in Year 9 made no logical or economic sense at all, is that not a waste of teaching time and money? Now we know about the deficit that makes even less sense, why cut your curriculum budget but still insist on teaching a language no students have been taught before!! There seems to have been a lack of or mis direction of guidance surrounding the curriculum. We had to go through a very stressful appeal panel to have our voices heard, unfortunately, we were unsuccessful and were more or less told to 'put up and shut up' with the place at Monkseaton. Our son was devastated and was adamant he would not attend Monkseaton High, however, his first year at Monkseaton could not have been better and this is due to the dedication and commitment of the teaching staff. He has settled really well and now he is being told that whilst he will sit his GCSEs what level of teaching support and education will he receive. He was forced to go to Monkseaton but now someone is telling him his school could close and so could his education. How do you think that impacts a 14 year old who suffered with home schooling during Covid lockdown, an horrendous time knowing all his friends were going to a different school to now this current situation? What about all the students' mental wellbeing? How could the School's Governing Body in particular the Staffing & Finance committee allow such mis-handling of the school's budgets, surely they should have been scrutinising all spending costs since the deficit increased back in 2016? Why no OFSTED inspection since 2019, did the school take the decision to defer, why was this allowed considering the deficit the school was in and the cutting back of the curriculum, how was the quality of education assessed in the absence of OFSTED? |
Keep open |
We understand money needs to be saved, however please consider the wider ramifications to the community in Whitley Bay and Monkseaton. Removing Monkseaton High and just saying that kids within that catchment area will be accommodated at any secondary school within North Tyneside will have a hugely divisive impact on what people perceive to be "good" and "bad" areas of the town to live in. The schools in Whitley Bay are a massive driver for people living there - removing the certainty that their kids will be accommodated in that 3 tier system throughout their education journey will only penalise people in lower socio-economic groups or who are already facing challenges that cannot afford to move to the most prestigious parts of the town. |
Monkseaton HS was once one of the highest performing schools in the area, so seems a shame it has gone this way. It is in a good location so would be beneficial to remain open. |
Building not fit for purpose. Expansion into other qualifications |
To be used to improve SEN education in area, increasing numbers of pupils would benefit from improved access |
The impact this would have on the whole area would be catastrophic not only will the pupils from Monkseaton high be affected but the whole of Whitley bay and monkseaton primary and first school pupils it is not viable for all these primary kids to go to Whitley high and the other high school options are too far away to make it viable for people from monkseaton to travel to, it would have massive impact on traffic with all pupils from this area now having to drive instead of being able to walk and , it would also send the house prices crazy as everyone will fight to get the kids into Whitley high instead of them travelling to further afield schools or move out of the area completely it is just not viable to close this school. The council need to do more to seriously generate funding or actively seek it to become part of a MAT asap, |
The loss of the school would have a terrible impact on the community. It worries me gravely. |
Due to the high amount of deficit from the school it wouldn't be financially feasible to keep the school open |
what is unique in north tyneside is the options for our community. This is going to significantly impact all students now and in the future and put all 3 tier schools at risk |
What will happen to the thriving successful middle schools in the area? |
I feel the Local Authority have not been transparent or honest in the issues with Monkseaton High School. They surely have a duty of candour to uphold. Parents and Monkseaton residents in particular should have been made aware sooner. To have held discussions behind closed doors for over a year is appalling and does not win the trust of a community. It is unreasonable to consider a consultation without involving parents and families sooner. The council took away the right for parents to choose by withholding information from in particular the parents of the current year 9 children. |
This will have a huge effect on housing, businesses, children and families. From larger classes to transport issues for alternative schools. Families not wanting to move to the area if there are not sufficient high school places. |
How will you ensure quality first education for the current y10s when staff leave there Will be no specialist subject teacher supply teachers just will not cut it to get these children through their GCSEs. They’ve already been through Covid. How are you gonna ensure they get through the GCSE with the deserve? |
It says in the information that there are places in other schools. Where are they? |
The proposal is ill-advised, for the reasons I have outlined in the previous section. |
Are the children sitting exams year 11 and 13 being given dispensation in 2025 for exam results ? |
Why did you get as far as new intake for 2024? This is devastating for new parents - and existing parents and pupils. |
It is not clear whether this is a consultation on the future of Monkseaton High School, or a proposal to close it. If the latter, there isn't sufficient information available to allow residents to respond to the consultation. |
My primary concern is the retention of the 3 tier system in North Tyneside. As a former student of Monkseaton Middle and Whitley Bay High, I appreciated the gentle transition between school sizes (as opposed to the typical 2 tier situation with a small primary and very large secondary) and the earlier introduction of teaching by specialist subject teachers. I am certain this significantly helped me throughout my education, both academically and socially. |
What will be the impact on the climate action plan on asking students to travel further afield for their education? I am concerned that this has not been considered |
I think it doesn't work as a state school. It would work as an alternative provision school because of the land around it. |
The case for a more wholesale reorganisation of the three tier system was weak. Personally, this feels as though it needs a more in depth consideration rather than just focusing on one school. |
How can Whitley Bay/Monkseaton Area cope with one high school? Maybe extend Whitley Bay High to accommodate. |
What other suitable amends could be done to the building to make it more sustainable and efficient |
The closure of Monkseaton High would have an impact on all schools in the Whitley Bay area. Whitley High cannot offer sufficient places for all children in the areas middle schools. What will happen to the 3 tier children not in catchment? Education is The 3 tier system is outstanding and should be preserved. Furthermore we have already lost one 6th form in the area . We cannot lose another. |
No further comments |
I think it is grossly unfair to those currently in middle schools, these kids have suffered through the pandemic and to be split from their friends and shoved all over the place is going to have a detrimental effect on their future. |
There is insufficient detail in the available documentation to support a solid, feasible proposal. |
My concern is how would the remaining schools in the area cope with the extra pupils resulting from any closure |
The impact on the surrounding community will be felt. Parent and communities are against it. There is an opportunity here to create a supportive and forward looking education system in North Tyneside. |
Bad idea, there are new houses going up with a new Primary school to fill demand but your closing a secondary school. |
Sad and very uncertain for all the children and families involved. |
Why is the building not used to maintain the high school in some part of the building and to home other primary or secondary schools in the the area that don't have a building |
I think it is short-sighted. With some 2800 homes being built next to the school, surely this will lead to sufficient demand in the future. |
Monkseaton High is a valuable education provider, especially for those students who benefit from a smaller school community. Its staff works very hard to provide a nurturing and safe space for its students. With WBHS being oversubscribed, rather than allowing that school to be full to its limits- which often leads to problems in itself- perhaps intake boundaries could be re-assessed so that both schools end up being of equal value and equally respected in the local community. Many extremely talented, professional and caring members of staff may be left unemployed if the school closes. BUT most importantly, the students will be the ones that suffer and this closure would be catastrophic for many of them. |
The council is responsible for allowing the situation to drag on, the council should admit this and take suitable action now? |
It is stipid to close it. |
I feel the council and school have blindsided the community and kept quiet about the struggles! My daughter is currently in year 8 and already I can see the impact amongst her and her peers with the uncertainty of where they will go in September hanging over them. The open evening at Whitley high was very well attended which only further fuelled our concerns that it’s going to be a challenge to get a place there. |
Worried about where all these children are supposed to go to school. |
Concerned about the education of our gran children |
No room in surrounding schools - who takes the children. |
Yous need to leave this school and let our children learn close churchill it's fallen to bits with rat |
I feel as though with the number of housing being built in the area it is only right to keep the school open. I also believe that a three tier school system is benificial for pupils |
It could serve as a middle and high school site for woodlawn school. |
Come up with a longer term sustainable solution rather than short term gain. Young people will need schools to move me on to. We are still attracting young families to the area because of the quality of life, schools and community. This works against this and our future. |
The wider implications for all the local schools has not been thought through. Common sense would surely be to, as a minimum, allow all pupils currently there to stay in order to complete GCSE’s. |
My son has just started at the school in year 9 and is devastated at the potential closure. I feel these children were not considered at all in the decision to close in 2016. They need to be laying the foundation for their gcse choices before next summer, how will they have a chance to do this if they do not know what their choices will be? |
none |
Closing Monkseaton High School directly contradicts your stated aims in the Ambition for Education report as follow |
I have the following major question that needs to be addressed, how can this be considered a consultation when there is no visibility or clarity to where the current year 9 pupils will go, where next year's year 9 pupils will go, and how the teaching of current year 10 and 11 pupils will not be impacted if the school closes and teachers start leaving on mass. |
Closure is correct with the deficit but changing the catchment areas is grossly unfair to people who have bought houses especially to be in the catchment of WBHS. I do not want to bus my child off to the various secondaries around North Tyneside. We made an informed choice to move to the house we are in to be in the WBHS catchment. Council need to change this & WBHS need to increase their PAN-simple! |
My twin sons, having achieved solid GCSE results, planned to attend Whitley Bay High School, where their older brother currently studies. However, due to their English language results, which are currently under appeal, we were informed by Whitley Bay that they would not be accepted—even though they had consistently performed well in this subject. It was only after a conversation with a Connexions advisor that we turned to Monkseaton High School. |
As previously mentioned. This school cannot close and more information needs to be shared widely advising of the state of affairs rather than keeping parents and pupils in the dark to then land us with bad news. Perhaps if we were told about this sooner the situation may not have got this far. |
I think it would be a huge shame for the local area and a step back in education. Staff and pupils have worked very hard to turn the school around it has a good reputation. The building is iconic to the area and the facilities are amazing for staff and students. Utilise these resources to create a large sixth form centre, you will likely get children outside of the area travelling to study there. |
Concerned about how this leaves a lack of choice for pupils in 3 tier system |
I think the three tier system should be removed throughout Whitley Bay |
This will have a huge impact on the community. I hire the hall 2 nights per week to coach volleyball to the local community |
It's an absolute disgrace to even consider closure, this is one of the high schools that is very central with easy access from public transport or walking. |
The closure of MHS on the students is going to have a detrimental impact on their mental health. They feel safe at MHS and know that the staff go above and beyond to help them. |
I don’t understand where you will place the children who need a new school. The other local high schools are all full? This needs to be made clear and more people may agree with the closure. Without a viable alternative you cannot close. |
Boundaries need to be reinstated to include all of Whitley Bay |
The council needs to take some responsibility for preserving a vital school. Fund it as needed. The numbers will recover as the new housing estates are built. |
I attended this school and thrived. In recent years I have heard it has gone down hill in terms of pupils behaviour and general standard of teaching. There needs to be an overhaul of staff and stronger more experienced head teacher brought in. I have 2 children currently in x first school and would be devastated if we ended up moving away from the 2 tier system. Monkseaton High school is just along the road from us and would have been one of our options for a high school if it improved. |
This would devastate so many lives. The current year 9s have already had so much disruption to their education. Covid hit as they were in their final year in first school and then again another lockdown and homeschooling when they started middle school. This cannot happen. The fault of this lies with you as a council so why should our children suffer for mistakes of adults. I have 4 children, 1 is in first school, 2 in middle and on in year 9 at monkseaton. My son is year 8 so I also now need to find a high school for him to start next September. This stress is not good for kids or parents. |
If closed catchment area for ne26 2 should be in within whitley bay high |
If this school closes it will over fill other schools |
This closure will have such an impact on North Tyneside. WBHS already has 16 classes per year so has a huge intake. To take anymore could reduce the high level of education that they currently provide. This would force children from Whitley Bay to travel miles to an appropriate school outside the area. Would it be a possibility to look at renting out some of the school to other education providers, such as apprenticeship courses or local colleges? |
The proposed closure will disproportionately affect SEND, and children having free school meals, what plans are in place to protect these groups over the next few years? |
It appears to be a money making exercise by the council to profit from builders wishing to use the field this is short sighted as thousands of houses are being built with no high schools so what family in their right mind would choose to purchase there with no clarity on which schools within short distance available |
It’s the most inclusive school in north Tyneside and will be a massive miss. You could look to include more alternative education or specialist provision to bring in more funding. |
Almost everyone in the Whitley Bay and Monkseaton areas tries to gain a place at Whitley Bay High School. By closing Monkseaton High School the house prices in the area will become ridiculously high as parents battle to buy a house within the catchment area. Use the excellent reputation and management at WBHS and create a larger school over 2 campuses - with a larger catchment area. |
Coastal schools should all be changed to 2 tier system |
Can we see a proposed updated catchment area map if school does close. Parents of year are in the dark. Whitley bay residents should be able to guarantee a place in wbhs or Marden high. Should not be expected to travel wider than this. |
If this school closes Whitley bay high will be over run and anybody that doesn’t get in there from the west monkseaton area will have to travel by car or bus to the next available school not a very green alternative |
Research other towns as Darlington my birth town changes in education. Rent the sports halls out I assume they have them , have a gym make profit from the locals (harton at South Shields ) . |
Worry that other local schools will have no capacity to accommodate additional children and them having to travel particularly with lots of new houses being built. |
You have plans to build 10s of 1000s of new homes in north Tyne side where do you propose the children of these families go to school |
Sad to hear about the proposals to close Monkseaton High school |
I find it difficult to believe that this high school would struggle to reach capacity especially with the new estate and I'm left wondering whether this is just a ploy to sell the land for further housing development |
You should update faq with more info about options for year 8. We are being asked to nominate schools with so many questions still unanswered. How can we apply for Marden high school when their y8 is at capacity. Really need to sort it out where coastal kids can move to wb high school or Marden high. |
There is not enough space in other high schools in the area and poor transport links to other schools such as John Spence, George Stephenson and Longbenton. Also it is very disruptive moving children from a three tier to two tier midway through during important developmental stages of their school life. There will shortly be many more children requiring high school due to new housing developments and they won’t have access to a high school |
There are house being built left right and centre in our region. Where is the forward planning from the council regarding that on public services such as schools etc? LHS is at full capacity as it St Marys. Closing this school is a ridiculous idea and an embarrassment tot he region. The children are our future. Cramming them in to fewer schools is an outrage. If this closure goes ahead, the mayor and the SLT at the council should hang their heads in shame |
If the school does close will the catchment boundaries be redrawn across North Tyneside? |
I feel it would be detrimental to the surrounding area as it grows in size and the need for more school places grows due to the housing developments taking place near by. I feel by closing Monkseaton High there will then be a need in the future for another school which North Tyneside Council will then payout more millions of taxpayers money to build when there is a school suitable already waiting. |
I live in catchment for monkseaton high and have two first school aged children. I do not want my children to attend monkseaton high due to the low grades and poor reputation of the school, and the fact it is known to be the school where all expelled pupils end up. I had previously looked at moving house to move out of catchment of monkseaton high. Out of all the parents I have spoken to at my children’s school, their feeling is the same about monkseaton high school and I don’t know of anyone who wished to apply to monkseaton high. However, we need to see a plan for adequate high school education for those in south Whitley bay. The catchment for Whitley bay high school needs to be extended to cover south Whitley bay, and thereby restrict how many out of catchment pupils attend Whitley bay high. I feel strongly about keeping the 3 tier system throughout all of Whitley bay as it is a fantastic system, which works well, and a lot of people in the area with kids consciously chose to live here because of our belief in the 3 tier system. However I know a lot of children from shiremoor, backworth, Northumberland etc. get in to the 3 tier system at an early age and thereby get places at Whitley bay high, reducing capacity for pupils in south Whitley bay who will soon not have the backup plan of monkseaton high. |
the debt would have to be absorbed by the council to allow the merger of the two schools to provide service across both sites. |
My child is currently in Year x at a 3-tier first school, I specifically chose 3-tier as I prefer this to 2-tier. I live in Shiremoor which catchment area schools are 2-tier, this has now put my 3-tier option in jeopardy. I don't believe you have looked at the bigger picture concerning this matter. You cannot have only 1 3-tier high school when it is not big enough to cover the whole 3-tier system. Middle Schools will be affected now as pupils will have to consider there options in year 6 as to whether to carry on in middle school to year 8 or transfer in year 7 to secondary. I do not want my child to move from the 3-tier system, this is my parental choice and my right. |
This has been known about for a number of years. More radical plans should have been put in place before this crisis point was reached. |
Please don’t do this. There has to be another way in which the community can use the facility and support future students. Please consider a new college or 6-form facility with apprenticeship options and use the space in current 6-form school to expand their offering and tackle to over subscription issue. |
I think we need to make sure it gets into no more debt if this means closure then so be it |
Huge housing estate on doorstep being built, where will those children go to school, be strict with catchment areas |
The other high school can't accommodate the children in their already packed classrooms. Shut the 6th form as tyne met is struggling . It has a massive foyer which surely be good for wheelchairs |
MHS is an important part of the community in north shields. In addition to being a fantastic school with fantastic committed teachers it hosts local community clubs outside of school hours, such as volleyball and football. My daughters have attended the junior sessions by monkseaton volleyball club for over s year now and the holiday club miles and Johnson. I have been a member of ladies monkseaton volleyball club for 8 years. No consideration for the wider impact of closure on the community has been given |
Closing the school reduces choice for the local community, Other coastal high schools are at capacity and bussing children to other parts of the borough reduces their ability to achieve their potential. educationally, socially and emotionally. |
I hope the Council ensure funds are available to retain it and as a 3 tier school system. |
I appreciate that the student numbers are currently low, however given the extensive building and redevelopment adjacent to the school it is obvious that numbers will increase. Closing the school will be a backward step and would put pressure on neighbouring schools which I gather are already at capacity. |
Closing the school will be a loss to the community and make our other high schools over subscribed. How will this help |
I really don't see how the council can be allowed to consult, or pre-consult on the closure of a high school in isolation without setting out an over arching strategy for both where the current yr 9 pupils will go, where the current yr8 pupils will go in 2025, where those houses that are currently in Monkseaton High school catchment will be served by a high school going forward. Surely Whitley bay as an area needs enough 3 tier high school places to serve the existing 3 tier middle and first schools, unless these numbers are to be reduced, but again this needs included in the over arching strategy/model, rather than just saying close Monkseaton High, wipe the deficit and we'll worry about everything else afterwards. That is not a true consultation. |
I feel I have drawn attention to the most pertinent points but I will also be directing this feedback to the Mayor. |
Impact on children at other schools who now might not get a place due to redistribution of the children at this school and those moving forward. |
It will be a real shame if the school closes. It has done wonders for my daughter after joining |
I think it’s ridiculous there are too many children who won’t cope with all the children from the Whitley Bay Area being placed into one school! |
The pressure on other high school in the area will be immense in the long term surely? |
Good location, lots of space dont give in to property and houses. Mend and make do. |
It's shocking and questions the selection offered by residents for their children being mishandled. By allowing large numbers to attend the other schools in the neighbourhood. This problem has been going on for years. I'll reiterate the fact that 100 new properties have come on the market behind the school currently with residents and a further 200 to be habitable in the next 2 years. This will then be followed by thousands of other new homes to be made available in the next 10 years. Children from these homes will have MHS in their doorstep. To close this school would be a disgrace for the local population and should be given a lifeline to prove its value. |
Outrageous…other high schools are already over subscribed. Not fair on children at any of the schools |
I wish to celebrate the hard work and dedication of MHS, who I respect and admire. You have my 100% backing! |
It is a disgrace that in the sixth richest country in the world that authorities and agencies can't collaborate properly to help a local school on which closure will affect over 500 children and their teachers/support staff. It's also a shambles to wheel out the line "everyone will get a school place" where? Norham, Longbenton - or some other school that is also struggling and well outside of the local area and community where the students live. |
Such a new facility should not be forced to when other school building in the borough are in such a state porta cabins or cafeterias and libraries are being used as classrooms |
I believe childrens education will suffer. Not just the children in Monkseaton High School but all children in the North East who’s classrooms are already at maximum capacity! |
As a resident who moved to Whitley Bay from Cramlington 6 years ago (to get our children into the Southridge -> Valley Gardens -> Whitley High system), I do recognise the need for the council to balance the books and look at options. I am concerned however that the closure of Monkseaton High would have a detrimental effect on Whitley High (already noted as a large high school in the most recent OFSTED inspection), so would be looking for assurances that that would not be an issue. |
This will have a detrimental effect on already full schools like Marden and John Spence if they are forced to take more students. Childrens progress and well being will be effected |
Rediculous you have not considered the impact of the local area |
My children will be at marden at the time.of closure over populating the classes Will not help with out child's education |
It will put a burden on other school's in the area. |
To close Monkseaton High School would, unfortunately show more about the local authority and the political ideals of those controlling it. To say that they believe in the future of all young people and to close a school that has a fantastic reputation for inclusivity and not find a way to keep this approach to education, would show that the LA do not care about the well-being of those that most need help and support. Instead it would demonstrate a lack of political will and appetite to support families and young people whether this is SEND or disadvantaged young people. |
Year 9 children have been desperately let down by north Tyneside council |
My son came out the catchment area he is settled and loves it |
My daughter is in year 10. I am very concerned about how the quality of teaching may be impacted over the next 2 years as some/ many teachers may leave as they need to find alternative employment eventually so may understandably ‘jump ship’. I am also very concerned about where my daughter will then go on now after this school. Ideally we would choose a sixth form but I don’t now know what her options will be on leaving school |
The students that are at Monkseaton will need to move to Marden High and Whitley High where numbers are already high |
Are ye high in the clouds? this seems rsther dum when you intend to also build housing close by |
It's absurd |
I think this is yet another ploy to remove the 3 tier system and I strongly disagree. |
Please can you provide more information about when the NTLT took over owning the school field? who had it before the NTLT? Was any money paid? is there a contract? |
I understand cost is the driving factor, and lack of heads means the cost of MHS is challenging. But more people living here drives the economy, and people move to this area because of things like the 3 tier system, choices of school, no overcrowding. |
I am concerned what will happen to the building will it be mothballed and who pays for that? |
This highlights poor financial management by NTC from consider options, financial appraisal risk & sensitivity analysis and net present value NPV Calculations |
Whilst the building is somewhat intrusive physically, it does have potential to offer a greater range of courses and more diverse curriculum offer and should link with local vocational providers to offer a more extensive and exciting all age provision. |
If it is decided to close monkseaton high school surely you should stay open until August 2027 to see all of the current students out. Having tried to find a new school for my daughter currently in year9 at monkseaton high school I'm unable to find her a space in another school. So what are you going to do with the year 9 pupils |
Can land not be sold, making the grounds smaller but allowing funds to be added |
I think the lack of thought to the new yr 9 pupils is shocking - you’ve accepted students knowing this was happening. |
I would like to know if the running costs of the building are more or less than WBHS (a bigger school!) ? |
Ensure survey not impacted by those living in new houses who want school grounds retained and not more houses close by |
NE27 needs a high school and you looking to close a school 3 miles away. Sounds like you have already made your mind up as every single answer on the appraisal was every option not financially viable. If this was a real consultation you it would show which options were more or less viable than others. |
Please share the full feasibility study (impact assessment) that sets out what criteria was looked at for each option and as importantly maybe what was missed so we can perhaps highlight any omissions that may change the viability of these options. |
The decision to close the school seems to have been already made, the main issues are where the kids will go, kids will be split up and kids mental health, the easiest solution is to move all the kids together to the building that's sitting empty at Whitley bay |
Please share when discussions regarding changes to the 3 tier system were last put to the community as I believe that this was probably in 2015 and during different times. New times lead to different responses. Discussions nearly 10 years ago shouldn't be included in a current feasibility study. |
The council have repeatedly said that they cannot dictate PAN numbers and cannot stop Whitley high bidding for money to build new buildings etc, so the council needs to use what powers it does have fully, and these are to manipulate catchments to manipulate distance criteria in the coat schools in particular and incentivise either Whitley high or Monkseaton middle to merge with Monkseaton High, debt free. |
Poorly managed, no clear plan to support children impacted. Some suggestions not really dealt with in depth. Just shambolic and cold hearted. Children re not pots of money. They are our future and we are letting them down |
2 tier system over a bigger area would solve a lot of problems |
Please provide details of who conducted the Impact Assessment days late August, and over what period, and precisely what instruction, (please provide scope system issued to instruct the survey and report peripheral, ) the assessment was conducted. |
Where do the students of Whitley Bay go when there is no alternative 13+ school in the area. The council seem to have the authority to close the school but not to influence the education system |
Please add the feasibility/impact assessment info on the option of closing monkseaton high school to the documents that you've uploaded.. as a parent I need to see that you have considered all of the knock on impacts to the community and all other schools. And that these other schools that have rejected a merger have been notified that upon closure they will be impacted like it or not |
High number of new homes being built in north Tyneside this school WILL be needed in the future |
Closing it is very narrow minded with the local population about to sky rocket. |
It is detrimental on the community. The children from monkseaton middle school often feed into this school. There are also many children from wellfield middle school fed into Monkseaton high school. This means that children from these two middle schools are now completely at sea. They have been to first school and middle school with their friends yet high school comes along and they can no longer go somewhere with friends they will be sent much much further afield. The closure of monkseaton high will put strain on neighbouring schools. Yes, the number of pupils is low but there are still pupils! These children need to go to school. Other schools are at full capacity. So how on earth are other high schools meant to absorb this many children. It really narrows down the options for children. The impact will be huge on all of our schools. It’s a terrible decision. The council/government need to keep this school open in some shape or form. What a tragedy to lose this school. |
I moved back to the area for my son starting school and bought the house I’m in for him to go to Appletree then middle school and finally to monkseaton high |
As previously mentioned closing the school might solve issues in the short term, but the long term impacts will be extremely damaging to the children and the local area. |
Needed for Children's education. Closure of this school will have a heavy impact of schools close by and to children in the local area. Don't sell it for more housing or where are all the kids off the new houses going to go? |
If the school must close as a high school, and can't be merged with Whitley bay as an enlarged two site high school and larger 6th form, then the current yr8 9 should be allowed to continue and the proposed school closure delayed 13 months, giving plenty of time for Whitley bay high to grow to take the larger catchment long term. |
What costs have the council allowed for if the closure goes ahead, if the Monkseaton building is to be re-purposed this will entail costs, if the building is to be demolished this entails costs, if land is to have a changed usage this entails up front costs, if Whitley high needs to grow to fill the catchment void after Monkseaton closure this entails costs. Have these costs been factored into the councils only viable option which is to close the school.. and by the way, when year 6 pupils leave Marden bridge and Monkseaton middle to join the two tier system, for security and certainty, these middle schools will need propped up financially, have these costs been considered. |
We live in Whitley high catchment. I'm worried about my children's future ability to get into wbhs if this school will have to take in children from outside of the catchment (those who live in the former monkseaton high catchment). |
Concerns around places for future generations |
There is a lack of middle ground SEN provision for children who may struggle with sensory issues but are able to easily achieve to meet a national curriculum. My child is just this and he’s refusing school because he can’t cope with the sensory aspect. We need a middle ground to enable children to stay in main stream and not have to access an alternative provision |
DO NOT CLOSE IT BUT COMBINE 2 OTHER SCHOOLS TO FILL IT UP |
If the school was to close I would want clarity on how catchment areas would change and confirmation that if catchment areas moved to oversubscribed schools such as Whitley BayHigh School and Marden High School that more places would be on offer at these schools, rather than just increased catchment area for the same amount of places. |
I worry about the impact on the local feeder first and middle schools |
Huge impact on other schools in the area which are all ready full to capacity. More children will be in the catchment area due to the new estate being built |
Well the land is currently owned by NTLT and Churchill community high school. At the moment the land is worth £100,000 but I am assuming once your planning department give permission for houses it will be worth a lot more. I am assuming the land is worth more than the land at Norham or Churchill or even John Spence. We are all aware that this is a money grab ..... |
Limiting choice of high school is counterproductive |
Need to tell the children from other areas and local authorities sooner rather than later that there will not be room for them in North Tyneside schools |
It’s a bad reflection of the Council that you’ve let it get to this stage, you should have acted sooner. Typical. Now we’ll pay the cost of your incompetence. |
I do think the LA needs to secure funding from the government urgently to keep this school open . Funding is available for other means in the area but education is vital and we are struggling for suitable school places in the area as it is . |
Whitley Bay High School is already a huge school, with a very academic focus. Realistically, closing Monkseaton High would take away any choice of learning environment for young people in the area, particularly in the north of the area. We also have poor provision for post 16 education in the area. |
Its need not only for the local area but alot of children travel from middle school to there |
It is a newer built school & would be detrimental to lose as Whitley Bay High School can't accept all children from the Middle Schools within Whitley Bay area. I know for sure being out of catchment for Whitley Bay that Monkseaton would be my next choice for my son as he hasn't managed either first choice first school or middle school due to the high birth rates of his school year (2014-2015) I'm therefore worried & concerned of what will happen as he doesn't bode well with change & transitions away from his friends (both September's of new schools have been awful to see what he's going through) but he doesn't warrant an EHCP to allow choosing of school so this could have a serious impact due to having to go to a High School that other students have attended from year 7, where the children would already have their friendship groups built from the previous 2yrs & how nerve wracking this could be to my son whos not confident in friendship building, nstead of the possibility of going to Whitley Bay or Monkseaton with his friends |
Disgraceful that this building is considering being closed when Longbenton is oversubscribed, Whitley Bay is huge and George Stephenson is not fit for purpose. |
I do not understand what the relevance of questions number 5, 6,7 ,8 have to the proposed closure. In particular numbers 7&8. I feel they are intrusive and completely unnecessary in this context. |
Closing it will be a mistake especially with all new builds around. |
The impact on the y9 options forngcses has not been adequately considered as affect on mental health choices and teaching standards differ for each school. This will actively disadvantage our children and is discriminatory |
You are going to destroy many children by closing this school. There mental health is going to be affected. |
This appears to be a removal of the three tier system by stealth |
Schools are a public service, not a money making business. Their future should not be dictated by profit/loss spreadsheets. Announcing the possibility of closure will have a detrimental effect on the school and education of current pupils as staff will look to find new jobs elsewhere, parents will move their children to other schools (maybe further away with associated environmental effects) which are not at risk of closure |
My concerns would be around increasing the pressure on other secondary mainstream settings in the area. We live in Whitley Bay and have a young child, and I do worry that there now may not be space for them in Whitley Bay high. We moved to the area largely in hope that he would be able to go to WB High when the time comes and at great expense, and it would be very disappointing if as a result of this closure our chances of this were reduced. |
Monkseaton high has been a fantastic school for my children, removing the choice of a smaller school for children will be a huge loss to the community. |
As previous page. Keep current year 9s till 2027. That relieves the urgency and the issues you are currently having regarding where to put these kids. They deserve to stay together and stay settled and get ready for their gcse's these are the most important years of their school lives. |
We have a son at primary school we are in the catchment for monkseaton high the only other school in walking distance to us is whitley high but this school is over subscribed so therefore people in the same situation as us won’t have a high school within safe walking distance to go to |
How will the other schools fit students in who would have gone to Monkseaton? Makes a joke of the catchment syndrome?? |
[Name] AND [Name] ARE STUPID. |
[Name] AND [Name] ARE STUPID.
|
[Name] AND [Name] ARE IDIOTS |
This must be done in a way that puts the education and wellbeing of children first. |
It is such an iconic building with great indoor facilities. I would worry about the extra pressure closing would put on other schools, especially Whitley Bay High School. Teachers are already at breaking point. Whitley Bay recently got an Excellent Ofsted rating, let's try and keep it that way. |
It's only being done so you can sell off the land to private developers. Why not keep the site if the school must close and build council properties and assisted living homes. |
Amazing that the school was allowed by the authority to accrue such a debt. Also amazing that a building like that was allowed to be built with no objection by the authority as it was unlikely to be financially sustainable from the outset, because of its design. What about the school in North Shields that is running at a huge deficit too? |
I feel that closing the MHS would cause other schools to become over populated. There are new homes being built within the direct proximity of the school, closing the school will put future possible pupils at a disadvantage to go to a school within the catchment area. I feel that closing MHS would carry with it catastrophic effects and put the future of pupils education at risk due to other schools becoming over populated. |
While there might be enough secondary school places it will mean many pupils having large distances to travel. |
Reducing all places in the area may be the correct thing to do, and protecting the public purse is undoubtedly a primary objective..... but doing it at the expense of a group of children's education is wholly against what you ask say you stand for..... you must see this. |
I disagree with the proposal and would like to see the LA play a role in distributing school placements more equally. Whitley Bay High is not the only school that provides a good standard of education to children in North Tyneside! |
I wpild.like to know the cose of closing the school, maintaining it over the next 10 years, the cost of having to pay for transport for the children affected by the school closure and future transport costs, the predicted cost of redundancy packages, how the scho was ever likely to pay back the deficit, how a scho.can have a deficit but not a profit they are not businesses they cannot make profit so cannot surely have a deficit if the deficit is Purley lack of pupils then the council should be able to make up.the shortfall bybtaking money from the schools that are making a.profit by having more children than their PAN allows of they cannot do.that then they cannot decide a scho should close. Are the council going g to.comoensate parents fornthe mental.anguish caused to the chdren and their mental.health and the devastating affect it could have on their gcse results. Have the council in any way thought about how.much closing the school will not just affect the local area but the transport/local businesses and other schos.in the area ie.first and middle.schools the impact on housing etc. Is the infrastructure in pace at the alternate schools.to cope with more.puipils every year? How.many ofnthe councils staff have children k.pacted by this and what is their part in the decision making process ? Do any of the cabinet member have interests in any of the alternative schools making them biased if yes what is being done to ensure a n equal and fair decision Is made? Can the council guarantee that the year9 children affected by this decision will.be allowed to take the gcses they choose irrespective of.the school.they attend? What is being done to ensure that the yr 9.chuldren are not disadvantaged by joining a school in yr10 in terms of grades/gcse choices etc. Do the cpincil.promise that the affected children will not be moved again. With SEN children whatnis being done to ensure the schools available will have the same accommodations as msh in terms of an lsc not arp, access to mobile phones during school day, relaxed uniform I.e.no tie/formal shirt/ accessible and fair disciplinary outcomes. |
It’s short sighted due to the number of new family homes being built in the area. Whitley bay high school is already over subscribed |
If the decision is to close the high school then the building should be utilised as SEND provision instead of wasting a modern building. Particularly when the likes of Southlands has to utilise portacabins as classrooms and Moorbridge & Silverdale are having to take over any old build that has space! |
Is there any point in me filling in this form as I fully believe you plan to close this excellent, caring school |
Monkseaton High School is a very unique school which is inclusive and provides vital services for the students and their families. It would be a huge loss to the area if it closes. |
Would be an unbeleivable waste of public money and amenity. |
I think the proposal is madness when other schools have got to be evacuated because of unsafe structures and concrete. This school was heralded as part of the building schools for the future and is less than 20 years old. What does this say about the state of the education system in this country . |
Not enough is being done to look at alternatives. You are all talking about 'looking at it' but I have not seen one plan, one business case, or any reasonable alternatives other than the obvious "let's just close it" - very lazy, very poor, very disappointed. Show us options... It's very obvious this is corrupt and you have already made your mind to close this location without exploring actual detailed options. There are children who will not go to school if you close this location, and parents who will not be able to get their children to other locations - not every household has that privilege and it is disappointing to see that they have not been considered at all. |
I want my boys to go there , my kids are in 3 tier and it's the only high school we can go to because of catchment, it's a good school and needs to stay open for not only the current 3 tier children but future ones living or soon to be living in area once new builds are built |
The council have conducted themselves appallingly. The community have no faith that there is a plan for our children's high school education beyond 'somewhere in |
My daughter is devastated that there is a consultation to potentially close her school. |
I do not think enough consideration has been given to changing catchment areas. |
I do not want my school to close as it has a nice environment. I finally enjoy attending school now as I feel comfortable at MHS. The staff are all very friendly, approachable and supportive. Some of my friends do not want to go to Whitley Bay High School and prefer MHS as the alternative. I have made a lot of new friends already. We just settled into this school in year 9 and then we are faced with having to move again at an important time in our education. If we have to change school I will no longer be with my friends and I will not know where all the classrooms are. Everyone else will already know where they are going and I will feel alone. |
Rebuilding the outdated and dangerous Churchill School is going to cost potentially around 25 million pound, this school has also just failed its Ofsted grading needs improvement, Monkseaton High already supported this school allowing its classrooms to be used by Churchill. Why cant we close a failing school when you have a more than suitable school with a good Ofsted report and enough space to support the children permanently here. I am aware this is a 2 tier high school, children from year 7-8 can be placed into neighbouring schools and also used to support the middle schools under subscribed in this area, such as Monkseaton Middle and Marden Bridge Middle. It is a complete waste of money to close a complete functioning safe built school which has a great Ofsted report and plough money into a failing school. |
Norham High School and Longbenton High School have the other highest deficit in the area. Why cant you move these two high schools into Monkseaton High or even just move Norham into Monkseaton High. You spent over 20 million pound building a brand new building which is fully functioning and even advised by the teachers this schools building runs perfectly fine, move Norham High School into Monkseaton to remove the deficit from both schools. Parents will not allow there children from Monkseaton to be spread out between Norham High and Longbenton just so you can remove there deficit and close Monkseaton. You have wasted money building Monkseaton you should be looking at the buildings that need improvement and move them into Monkseaton not the other way round. |
I request that year 9s are kept in Monkseaton High School to finish their GCSEs without disturbance, removing them before starting year 10 will still have a distribution on their GCSEs as majority of year 10 will be a settling in period, teachers would not have formed a bond with the pupils and the children will have to deal with an uncomfortable setting of not having peer support. Subjects may not be available to the children when moving. It was said in the parents meeting that the council held that incentives could and will be given to encourage teachers to stay and continue to provide a high education. The amount of money it will cost to transfer these year 9s to another school could be put towards an incentive to keep teachers until years 9s have finished their GCSEs, an incentive could be an extra years salary which is nothing compared to what you will pay transferring them. It was also suggested in the meeting that you didn't think this would be a nice experience for Year 9 being the only year group left in the school however you will be doing this to Year 10s anyway as they could potentially be the only year group left in the school as there are only a handful of current year 12s. |
Monkseaton High School is a perfect small school for children with special needs who progress best in small environments |
I'm so angry at the council refusing to release information until mid way through this 'consultation' only engaging after several weeks with current students and not at all with those who will be left with no high school in years to come. Is this seriously the best you can do after ten years of knowing there's a problem? Your calculations are flawed because they depend on no children moving into the NEPA and the abnormally low birth year for children 8 years away from high school becoming a pattern. You might not have full control but you have a responsibility to do better than this. Shame on you. |
The prospect of leaving up to 100 children aged 13 with the prospect of having to find a space in a two tier secondary school with no friends and a distance from their home is absolutely disgusting and cruel. A solution needs to consider the long term damage this will cause to mental health of young people. The 3 tier system exists with children as part of it and you are responsible for maintaining it. |
I am vert upset that my child has been allowed to start year 9 in September to then be told the school might be closing. These children have already been through covid - they have been let down. |
In one side of Whitley bay is one of the best schools in the country, and in the other side there will be no school for our kids to go to. So many kids are already struggling, and this is going to add to their difficulties. |
I don't know if what I'm seeing is pure incompetence or pure disregard. Either way not a good look, shocked at how weak this consultation is. |
Where is the accountability? This whole situation and the conduct of the LA is disgraceful. |
Closing MHS leaves no choice for children at high school level. Are there even enough places for all children currently in the 3 tier system if MHS is to close? How will this affect the feeder schools. |
Damaging to the community for years to come. People are moving to the coast for the schools and regeneration. It would mean less accessibility for pupils to get to senior school with peer group split. |
Very disappointed by how this has been handled by the council. |
1 - I am a parent of a year 9 child. Children in this year group have already had their schooling massively disrupted due to Covid. This is the year group, who in 2020 didnt get to finish their First school education and had to move up to middle school without any transition. It seems wholly unfair that they are now being disrupted again, at such a significant time in their educational lives. |
Where are all the children going to go and are we now stopping the three tier system in this case ? |
Change the catchment areas so more people attend. Change the catchment of WBH to cover the coast line of Whitley bay so it covers the whole of Whitley bay. Then have catchment for MHS cover all of monkseaton, Marden estate, earsdon and the new housing estates. |
You cannot look at the closure of MHS in isolation. This has to be a system wide change. The three tier system is not fit for purpose if there is not enough high school places for all in the first and middle schools. Please realise we know the birth rate is dropping but that will not reach the magical number of 370 pupils in the lower schools until 2033. Babies don't go to High School, teenagers do and they've already been born. Cracking line though we'll done NTC Comms, it's really skewed the narrative and created a mess for our kids. The debt is the problem, falling birth rates and parental choice is just a PR message, we know. |
It has been clear to the general public that the current building for Monkseaton High School was a vanity project for [NAME] and I firmly believe that an investigation needs to occur into how this situation was ever able to come to fruition. Why have North Tyneside Council been approving deficit budgets for so long that the deficit has become so large? Why are people involved in this process of consultation not independent and have previously been involved with discussions relating to the school? Where are all of documents showing the processes which have been followed in relation to the 'alternatives' that have been explored (for example, when was the discussion held with regards to the creation of a multi academy trust? Were each of the parties who were involved in the discussion given adequate time for decision to be made (no, they were not), were those involved across the board actually decision makers? (no, they were not - heads and chairs of governors cannot approve such)). |
Close this and the 3 tier will fail by default |
It’s a disgrace. After spending all that money on a new school. Keep,it open or make better alternatives for. Hildren who live in that catchment area. Not send them miles away. What about whitley high school,or Marden high school for them instead of norham or killingworth |
If you do close you must provide spaces in whitley bay/monkseaton for children - increase whitley catchment to include what was MHS and stop people from 2 tier catchments who do have a catchment school coming in |
No such consultation is going to be easy, and there is no ideal time to do it, but it seems to me that announcing it 3 weeks into the new school year, with no clarity about the future of the children education pathway of the children who will be most affected by a potential closure, is sub-optimal. As the processes unfold I would hope to see a more conscious emphasis on the wellbeing of children and their educational outcomes in the way it is all handled. It seems to have placed a great burden on teachers (who are dealing with their own anxieties and uncertainty) and families. I would hope that, whatever the outcome, lessons can be learned from this for any future such discussions (particularly if, should MHS close, there need to be conversations about the futures of other schools within the Whitley Bay Pyramid). |
The declining birth rates quoted in the FAQ since 2018 will not affect the school for another 8 years plus. It is not a legitimate explanation of the current issues with declining school population and funding deficit. Instead this coincides with increased favourable reputation of other local schools (Whitley Bay High, Marden High, Thomas Moore) and the increased parental pressure to get their children into these other High schools. Monkseaton requires investment to make it more competitive against other local High schools, not cuts, curriculum restrictions and then closure. |
It would be a disaster for the community and would have a major impact on students and families |
There doesn't seem to be a joined up approach here, WBHS has just had a new build. That could have been the perfect opportunity to increase the size there to ensure a place for all NEPA kids. Wellfield Middle is due a rebuild- why when it is full of kids from Shiremoor with no High School to now go to? MBMS is due a rebuild too- why when all of the South WB families will ge diverting their kids to two tier at the earliest opportunity as there isn't the room for them at WBHS. This is a very uncoordinated approach to local education- in one small area not even the whole borough. |
I think this idea would be wrong bearing in mind that more housing is being built and Robinson Fields should be put into the catchment of Monkseaton High |
The 6th form closing will force Monkseaton high students to compete for the 50 places at Whitley bay high school as the 6th form their is prioritised for Whitley bay high students, with only 50 places kept for external applicants, will there be enough 6th form places locally for these students? |
My daughter is in year 9 |
Look INTO A mass walk out over so called there are places in the borough, however other than assigning blame, |
It would be devastating to many children as most alternative schools are a massive commute away taking valuable time from their educational and social lives. This closure can't be considered without expanding the capacity of more local schools e.g. whitely high |
Can not work out whether the lack of joined up thinking here is due to incompetence or lack of interest in other human beings. Either way its not [NAME] or [NAME] finest hour. Also 'somewhere in North Tyneside.....' is not an answer to the question 'where will our children go to school?' So please do stop insulting our intelligence. |
We are responding as a first school in the Whitley Bay Collaborative. |
The financial aspects must dictate the future of the school. At present this huge deficit must be addressed as soon as possible by closing the school. |
Although in the FAQs it states that there are enough space in surrounding schools I don't think this is true. Classes are already at capacity of 30-35 in schools. Where are the places coming from Whitley Bay High does not have the capacity for all these pupils |
The land should not be used for more housing if the school closes bearing in mind the house building that has been passed in recent years. This land should be preserved as a municipal space for sport and leisure, acting as a small green belt and maintaining a sense of space in the area. |
It is unfair for the students to impact their education after covid and on the staff who work so hard to support the students daily |
Closure of MHS will have a catastrophic effect on the whole education system within Whitley Bay. Schools should be encouraged to work together to support MHS and the 3 Tier System. |
My child lives outside the catchment of 3 tiers schools and currently attends year 8 in a middle school, where will she go to school ? there are no places in a high school and the nearest two tier is already full in her year group? |
Closing this school will have a much wider impact on the community and education of the children for many years to come. Low birth rates mean first schools will be the 1st to suffer. Don’t start reducing numbers from the top |
Extend closure til 2027 if it can’t be saved. |
Loss of Monkseaton High would have impact on the whole community not just the children left to travel to other schools that presumably are also struggling to maintain numbers otherwise they would not have capacity. |
Why not ask children/families from the schools where there are places and require significant investment in buildings if they would like to come to MHS and make up the numbers - then close that school and save on future build costs |
In effect if the school closes the council is saying sod this generation of children and casting them into the unknown. A recipe for social anxiety and trouble. |
It should involve a consultation about the whole system of schools in the area |
IMMEDIATE SITUATION |
Has the option of using the site as a specialist provision for SEN children and SEMH children given the rising number of children in the area struggling to access mainstream provisions? |
Again as I said in my previous message, the council needs to create a plan before closing anything with regard to the relocation of displaced children. Again we don't want to see the classes of other schools increase in number. |
This needs to be addressed as a broader issue, planning for the future of education in North Tyneside. What impact will this have on middle school provision and would this impact make schools reconsider restructuring or merging? Our other local 3 tier high school is oversubscribed, as are some of our middle schools. How could restructuring ensure middle and high school places nearby so travelling out of the immediate locality to get to a school can be avoided. |
This is very disruptive to current Yr9. Schools in the locality have published a calendar and several are saying they have options meetings in January. If year9 from mhs are just applying for schools then, how will this affect their option choices? When will they find out which school they are transferring to? Can they not transfer as groups/classes to another school with a teacher from their current school to ease transition, who knows them so any educational issues are addressed immediately rather than new staff having to get to know them. |
Current year 9 should be able to stay on until they finish the school and current yr11 offered sixth form provision. |
As previously, children living in the Shiremoor, West Allotment, Northumberland Park area currently have limited options for secondary schools. if the school is under capacity now, by changing to a secondary school, years 7&8 could join which would increase the number of pupils |
IMMEDIATE SITUATION |
Making it a dedicated sixth form college would benefit local children who would no longer need to travel to Newcastle Rye Hill campus. There is nothing in North Tyneside to rival the Eexcellence of Rye Hill. |
Perhaps the building design does not lend itself to conducive learning environment |
The closure of Monkseaton High School would have significant and long-lasting negative impacts, which must be carefully considered before making any final decision. Here are the key reasons why the closure should not happen: |
There is insufficient sixth form provision in North Tyneside. My daughter attends a school in North Shields where there is no sixth form. Since the closure of TyneMet at the Hawkeys Lane site, there are very limited places in schools and this is really not acceptable. North Tyneside students should not be expected to fight for places at Whitley Bay High or travel to Newcastle College. |
There is a high percentage of SEN students currently here, including EHCPs. It is unfair for these students to have to move to another school after settling in so well. Students in current year 10 are also at risk of their current teachers leaving. |
Impacts across all children across the locality. |
Why not use this an opportunity to move Football, Ruby and Cricket onto one site and use existing sites for new housing near Marden bridge middle school |
Does the school need to reach capacity of pupils in order to set a balanced budget? If not, how many additional pupils would be needed to maintain the existing level of staffing? |
It should not be closed under any circumstances. |
The school, together with the Council, should be more pro-active in attracting pupils. The building is an inspiration in design. More emphasis should be placed on creativity and inspiration for the generations to come. |
Not enough children's voices being heard. Has [NAME] , Children's Commissioner been made aware. |
The area and community need this school, especially with new houses being built behind it, other schools that have available space are way to far away and too dangerous for the kids to travel too at the time of the morning |
Uncertainty on which school they will be at for GCSEs: no clear plan & schools are full. Disruption to children in the year |
Year 9 concerns |
My daughter has SEN. She was only able to attend WB High school open evening for 2 minutes before becoming overwhelmed. (It is too big, noisy and crowded) We were relying on MHS as a smaller school to fit her needs. |
Think of how much disruption this will be to our kids |
Redraw Catchment Boundaries |
With the closure all of south Whitley bay will have no catchment area. The first schools, ie Rockcliffe who feed into MBMS will not have a high school to feed into. Taking children out of the 3 tier to put them into 2 tier will have a knock on effect to MBMS unless we can have WBHS as our catchment area and not be left without one |
I feel excluded and uninformed due to the absence of formal communication or invitations to meetings regarding the potential closure of Monkseaton High School, especially in contrast to Year 9 parents who have been engaged in discussions. |
The numbers may be falling but there will still be approximately 500 children looking for a high school. If the current building became a sixth form that might free up capacity in other local schools so pupils currently in monkseaton high schools catchment aren't required to travel as far away. Currently North Gosforth Academy has been mentioned but that's 2 buses and an hours travel away. All the coast schools are currently full so we need local capacity to meet the needs of our children |
The area cannot afford to close this school, as there is an urgent need for the teaching infrastructure. Whitley bay high school is running at full capacity so there needs to be places for students, especially those moving into new developments, like the new estate on Rake Lane. |
Pupils with SEND but don't have an EHCP are going to be disadvantaged if this school closes. My child has struggled throughout education and was becoming a school refuser. The SENDCo within 4 weeks has identified their needs and has requested the necessary assessments. I'm concerned these aren't done in time for applying for school places if Monkseaton High School closes. We spent 6 months carefully choosing this school and had a term of extra transition. My child is extremely anxious about starting this process again and signs of stress are becoming apparent. Not sleeping, crying, hair pulling all linked to anxiety. As a parent I was hoping for GCSE guidance from the school but I don't know how this will work if we have to move. How will the application process work? Will be be able to go and look at schools and liaise with SENDCo? Some schools have GCSE meetings with students in January but we will just be applying then. Will our children be disadvantaged in GCSE choices as a result of this? |
If it is not cost effective it can’t stay open |
Year 9 concerns: |
fantastic school and a huge asset to the local community it would be devastating to see it go |
It's been handled appallingly. No options appraisal on CLOSURE the document called an options appraisal is just a list of rejected ideas, there is no impact assessment, there is no Equalities Impact Assessment, I can't work out whether it's incompetence or you just don't care that you are using our kids to balance your books. Falling birthrate is a handy excuse, you don't close high schools for falling birth rates you start with first schools. I have no respect for or trust in the decision makers. |
My daughter in year 5 is currently worried about what High school she can go to. She wants to go to a local school, where she can walk to, be with her friends to support her in her GCSEs |
This is an excellent school with outstanding SEND provision which is not equalled by Whitley Bay High School. WBHS have demonstrated they can’t meet student needs and the school is big faceless and not an appropriate choice for all children. |
As a parent of a pupil with special needs, my child found looking around large schools including middle schools, daunting and will not cope in a school with a large site as following a timetable is difficult. They need to build relationships with staff who really get to know them or they won't be able to ask for help. A lack of a smaller school in our area is a huge concern as my child cannot travel independently and will become lost in the system |
Please consider the impact this will have on on children not given the chance to get support in a smaller 6th form, and for the path for children currently in year 9 with no clear pathway for their education. Very disappointed in the council for not taking a more proactive approach to address the national problem of falling pupil numbers in a more structured way. |
Absolutely blown away by the news. I live in Monkseaton and if my children can't get into Whitley Bay High School, where will they have to travel to? |
MHS is clearly highly valued by parents of pupils with SEN. Children thrive there who may have been school phobic, may need a reduced timetable, specialist teaching as well as pupils who are academically able but overwhelmed by large schools. Neuro diverse pupils can't cope with noise, large crowds, smells etc, a dinner hall of 1000 pupils causes huge difficulties. Here could be an opportunity to excel in provision and allow home schooled children to access some curriculum areas too to gain recognised qualifications. |
This concern did not happen overnight, why was there no actions put in place before now to address the falling numbers of students when there is a growing catchment area? |
Please don't make me leave and have to make new friends. |
If the school were to close it will have a negative impact on whitley bay. Which is a great place to live, high house prices etc. All due to its schools. To close the school is not sending a positive message about the area. |
The local authority has allowed this situation to manifest, inappropriate decision making initial with the new build of the school with no immediate plan to recoup costs. |
School closure, if it is the only option, should be delayed to allow current year 9 students to complete their GCSE courses without any further disturbances to their academic journey. This cohort has already suffered significant upheaval relating to Covid19 school closures when starting middle school. They should not have to deal with changing schools, subjects, friendship groups, travel arrangements or routines yet again as this puts them at a severe and un-mitigatable disadvantage. |
Don't close it. Join into two tier system as a feeder for shiremoor, holystone, new York and Backworth primary schools |
The Council’s consultation on its proposal to close Monkseaton High School is fundamentally flawed in a number of ways: |
I have children ..... within the 3-tier system in Whitley Bay. We live in South Whitley Bay and have always chosen our catchment schools as our first choice (Rockcliffe First School and Marden Bridge Middle School). When we made the decision to opt to send our children to our catchment schools and therefore work with the 3-tier system we always expected our children to go to Monkseaton High School as their final school within the 3-tier, in our catchment area. Whitley Bay High School is a huge school and wouldn’t suit our children’s personalities and needs and we are not within the Whitley Bay High School catchment area anyway. With the proposal to close Monkseaton High School high on our agenda we are now facing a situation where we potentially need to look at entirely different schools for our children as we are now in a ghost catchment as Whitley Bay High School is over subscribed and isn’t an option for us. We feel hugely aggrieved by the proposal being made and think that the Local Authority has gone about this extremely badly. The closure is going to have a massive impact on several first and middle schools within the NEPA and will affect not only the lives of the current Year 8s and 9s who live in South Whitley Bay, who are penalised by being the closest to the coastline and furthest away from the only other high school in the NEPA, but also the lives of all Reception to Year 7s living in this area. You must take into consideration how you are going to deal with these children and families as they have nowhere to go beyond Year 8. |
If the school were to close I would hope that a delay until year 9 students have completed their GCSE's as their education has been subject to unprecedented disruption due to Covid 19. |
If, as is stated in the FAQ, the school would be viable if full, it seems wise to further explore options for increasing pupil numbers, either through redrawing catchment areas or innovative partnerships with other schools, before proceeding with closure. It seems that utilising the existing building and staff would be better than closing the school. |
It is an absolute disgrace. The Council/Cabinet have handled this badly. It is disappointing to note that two council officers and two elected representatives will make the 'delegated decision' which will then be passed to the Cabinet who will approve it. The decision should be taken by all of the Council's elected representatives not just the small group chosen by the Mayor. This is a knee-jerk reaction with no long term planning which will have a devastating impact on the future of the 3-tier system. After reading the Cabinet report of 9 SEP I was very concerned to read that the initial plan was to keep the current Y9s into Y10 and then move them half way through their GCSEs! Further evidence that the public do not have faith in the key decision makers. |
Make it into a two tier system school instead of sixth form because sixth form is lacking students. |
Use of the old Whitley Bay High school to add enough capacity to take current students from Monkseaton High. This would allow future capacity for all students within the three tier system. Teachers from Monkseaton High could move with the students therefore retaining jobs and meaning that students would continue to have teachers that they already had relationships with (particularly important for GCSE students). |
Ensure the council allocate children to monkseaton properly instead of oversubscribed whitley bay high, you could also offer an incentive for groups of kids to attend which in turn will increase funding |
Keep it open, spend time and money promoting it, its successes, the passion of the pupils and staff and how the community needs it |
School admissions need to be increased. I still don’t understand how the school can be running at 50% capacity. If this is just down to parental choice surely this would be happening all over the place. |
In conjunction with other high schools in the area, more equal distribution of students so that while capacity diminishes in all areas it’s more equitable and allows all schools to continue. |
Bringing the school together with another local school under one governing body |
I live in South Whitley Bay, next to Rockcliffe school. The only fair thing to do would be to change catchment of whitley bay to include us. Ie the only way to keep the 3 tier system. |
Changing 3 to2 tier system to enable pupils, parents, staff and community be reassured and able to plan for their futures. This will ensure that Monkseaton can continue to support its high proportion of SEN pupils,14.3%. |
Reduce capacity at other schools to rebalanced intakes |
Public funding initiatives to get support from local families and businesses fpr sustainable growth |
If the building is too expensive to maintain in its present form either a) a new building is required longer term or b) a change to the catchment areas with expansion of existing schools within the current 3 tier system at other levels. It’s impossible for the closure of this school not to be seen via it’s impacts on the wider context of the three tier system here at the coast. |
Make the school into a top 6th form destination for all secondary and high schools. This would free up space at the other |
As a concerned parent, I firmly believe that the responsibility for addressing the challenges facing MHS lies with the council, not with us as parents or community members. The complexities of school funding, administrative decisions, and educational planning require expertise and resources that we simply do not possess. Solving financial deficits or |
Proposals to ensure a consistantly high education for our young people in light of student numbers not reducing until current reception year - meaning 8 years time. |
There is currently a strong need for some sort of SEN provision across the whole borough and indeed further afield. It is proving more and more difficult to find appropriate school places for children with SEN who don’t fulfil the very narrow criteria for specialised provision. Therefore it seems like a huge opportunity here to address this gap. Failing that, if MHS does close there will be even fewer sixth form places in the area. Again, it seems like a perfect opportunity to address this gap. |
As a concerned parent, I strongly believe that the responsibility for addressing the challenges facing Monkseaton High School lies with the council, rather than the parents or community members. I feel that I lack access to the necessary information to build a convincing case. However, I do see the following as potential solutions: |
A borough wide discussion about the future of schools in the area. Monkseaton High School could be used for the schools due a rebuild so pupils are completely off those sites while Monkseaton High School can still operate as a smaller high school to see what the numbers would be like in a few years time |
1) Revisit the options to allow a year 7 intake into Monkseaton High School, alongside a year 9 entry (dual entry works at other schools in the area, including in Gosforth and Tynemouth). The data showing which areas current Monkseaton High School students live shows that there is clearly demand for Monkseaton High School in areas such as Shiremoor and Preston Grange - families live much closer to Monkseaton High than their catchment schools, but as the local primaries are in the 2 tier system it is difficult to find a route into Monkseaton High. Creating a year 7 entry for pupils in these areas would allow families to send their children to a much more local secondary school than their current catchment schools (Shiremoor residents are in the catchement for George Stephenson for example, which is a bus ride away, but MHS is within walking distance). It could be modelled like part of a middle school, much in the same way that Cramlington Learning Village operates (years 7 and 8 are taught on a separate part of the school site, and don't mix at all with the older year groups). |
The school should be allowed to continue teaching all students that are currently there until they complete their education. The area needs an additional 6th form (currently John Spence are looking to have a sixth form which would need to be built. I would make more sense to use Monkseaton High to accommodate this. The building could also be used as a college. There are very few courses on offer at North Tyneside College, most children from the area have to travel to Newcastle for further education. The current building has capacity to run as a high school aswell as a 6th form and/or a college. Using the current building would be better use of money rather than build a 6th form at John Spence. |
You're the experts but I would suggest widening the school catchment area to ensure that all places are fulfilled. Shut down the bean counters and fully fund both school and teachers. |
Temporarily close and open again when you've thought about it properly |
Can some of the £1.4bn funding for crumbling schools be used to invest in MHS to address the energy issues and make the school viable ? It is a fantastic school and a potentially excellent location. Has any surveying or design work been done to understand what would make it more efficient to run ? |
Monkseaton High school has a fantastic reputation for providing safe education for SEND pupils. Could it become a specialist school in this regard ? SEND students also receive additional funding. The impact on these children of disruption and re-integration with new schools has not been well considered. |
It strikes me that there is a poor offering of sixth form / 16 + education across North Tyneside. Whitley Bay High School is the only real option currently but is mostly only open to WBHS students and a select few others with high grades. |
Unreasonably asking parents to sort this out |
Improving the 6th form to provide a good range of subjects and attract the needed number of students. This makes more sense to utilise an existing building rather than build a new one at John Spence. As there is a proposal to have a 6th form at JS then there is clear need in the local area. |
Due to MHS having a higher than average number of SEN pupils and there being a shortage of provision across NT could this school not become a specialised provision? It has an excellent reputation for supporting in a much better way than any other high school in NT and this could be capitilised upon. |
Make monkseston middle and high a secondary school - |
Catchments are redrawn so that Whitley Bay South (Rockcliffe first school catchment) becomes part of WBHS catchment. |
Hire the school facilities out |
Close the sixth form or change to a secondary school |
Make it a hub for SEN pupils in North Tyneside along with offering smaller class sizes to those who are less academically fortunate. |
Change the high school into a 2 tier school. Lose the 6th form |
Keep Monkseaton open. Offer school to local football clubs etc to increase revenue |
Merging it with the middle school, |
Whitley bay high |
Allow Monkseaton to take more students and lower numbers of other schools allowed students like whitely bay who are too full |
Making sure that all residents in Monkseaton for that catchment school are placed in Whitley Bay High School. At the moment some people in Monkseaton no longer have a pathway for their education at high school level. |
I suggest you come up with a better plan and consult on that. This is not a meaningful consultation. |
Close one of the other failing schools - those with deficits, poor Ofsted ratings or crumbling buildings. Use MHS to accommodate displaced students and teachers. |
As a concerned parent, I believe the responsibility for addressing Monkseaton High School’s challenges should rest with the council, not with us as parents or community members. School funding, administrative decisions, and educational planning require specific expertise and resources that we do not possess. Solving financial deficits or restructuring a school demands specialized knowledge in education policy and budget management. |
Use the current building to continue educating pupils to GCSE. Carry on with the 6th form and there'd be no need for John Spence to build one in their site. Due to a lack of provision for further education in the area, there's not many courses at Tyne Met, the building could also be |
Changing catchment areas for Whitley Bay high. Creating a 6th form college. Specialist SEN school. |
Changing the remit of the school. |
Anything which is better-thought-out than closing a school which is pivotal to a tiered framework. Closure will cause the whole 3-tier system to become dysfunctional. Instead, the Council and all local schools should work together to either preserve the 3-tier system or to phase it out in a planned and measured fashion. This current proposal smacks of very bad planning and lack of forethought. |
Leave our children to learn in a school that they have settled into these year 9s have been through enough through COVID.. |
I don’t think any of the suggested proposals have been explored properly and a decision has already been decided and sold, long before this consultation began. |
Close the school sixth form. |
Phase Rockcliffe First School from 2 tier to 3 tier over next couple years with those kids moving on to Marden high school. |
The school to stay as a 3 tier school and the current yr 9 be allowed to stay and finish their education with no disruption |
Remain open - change catchment areas to attract more pupils into school |
I would suggest PAN numbers for WBHS are reduced and those for Monkseaton increased to a level where both schools can financially break even. |
I would urge the Governing Body of Whitley Bay High School to expand the school’s catchment area to include the current catchment area for Monkseaton High School. If this action requires the Governing Body of Whitley Bay High School to submit an application to the Schools Adjudicator to vary its admission arrangements for September 2025, we would strongly encourage an early application so that the School Adjudicator can approve it in good time before national offer day on 3 March 2025. |
Change to two tier, I know that this was consulted previously, but circumstances change, and there may be more support now. More years in the school will increase overall pupil numbers therefore increasing funding. |
Either a merge with a first school as a two tier option, or merge a more extensive sixth form college for NT with existing MHS |
Redraw catchments and turn it into 2-tier system school |
SEN provision |
Students should be allocated schools in a tighter catchment so monkseaton high would have more pupils and have strict feeder schools. |
There is a huge requirement in our area for additional provision for SEN education. There is a significant gap between places needed and available. Use this as an opportunity to bridge that gap. In the short term it will meet a need. Longer term it prevents the closure of a school which will be sorely needed in a couple of years when the three thousand homes are occupied in the Murton gap. |
Go two tier and have a quality sixth form provision which is both enriching and aspirational. |
I don't believe the consultation should have reached this stage. Proper attempts have not been made to find alternative solutions such as academy sponsors. Insufficient consultation has been done with other Borough schools. |
Close the failing school whose building is going to cost the same if not more than Monkseatons debt to repair, ie Churchill, move the Churchill pupils to Monkseaton high, year 7s already worked there last year and make Monkseaton high a secondary 11-16 high school. There are plans in place already to close a middle school and 2 first schools so move to a 2 tier system now rather than in the future. |
The Council should pass a by-law that in the Council’s area pupils can only attend a school within their catchment area. We live in Whitley Lodge / Valley Gardens and WB High catchment and lots of pupils from the Monkseaton area use our schools but should be going to their closest schools. Catchment areas are there for a reason. This would force pupils back into Monkseaton schools. |
Re draw catchment areas and move to a 2 tier system. There needs to be a clear educational pathway for all children in Whitley Bay and it’s not acceptable to have an area of Whitley Bay without a school/pathway |
Move Whitley Bay High School 6th form to be based at Monkseaton and expand it to become a 6th form centre for North Tyneside. This would mean there are more spaces for students in Years 9-11 in the 3 tiered system to |
If NTC are to take on the debt of MHS (that is historic debt and absolutely no beating on the running of the school,)) then all options should be clearly, without agenda, transparently looked at again. |
Not sure but the fact that the intake was full the last two years suggests that the school will be viable in the future especially with the new housing estate near by. You could also redraw the school boundaries to try and bring in more pupils. |
Making MHS possibly a high school with a Send unit. |
A 2 tier system or a sixth form college should be explored more fully. |
I am answering this on behalf of Archery GB. I would suggest working with the wider community, health partners, leisure providers to open the space up outside of school hours and become a health and well-being hub in the area |
A six form college is badly is badly needed . Do not close this building think of our kilds think of their future : forward thinking to maybe a two tier system . So many options think of our kids future . |
Keep my school open so I can finish my GCSE's. |
To keep catchments strict so that children go to the school they’re allocated to and only to |
Extend the 6th Form in Monkseaton High. We do not have enough 6th Form opportunities in our area, other than Whitley Bay High you have to travel to Newcastle College since Queen Alexandra closed its doors. |
The MHS problem could have been solved had an innovative solution been brought forward by the LA/or governors in as early as e.g. 2016, or had it been actively brought to the attention of parents/the community at this time. However, assuming that at this point, there is no solution to the structural deficit due to i) 75% of MHS catchment resident children accepting offers from WBHS under the distance criteria and ii) the non-modular architecture of the school not allowing the building to flex to a smaller population, I raise the following points |
The published intake figures for the last few years indicates full capacity of those year groups (as per the revised PAN of 150). Given the building of the large housing estate next to the school, it seems likely this trend would continue and it would therefore not take long for the full school to be operating at full capacity as currently defined. |
Expand and invest in the 6th Form to make it more advantageous to current pupils and residents in North Tyneside. The current 6th form does not offer enough courses which is forcing pupils into other areas, the cuts were made to help reduce the debt but this has had a knock on effect. The surrounding high schools do not have 6th form provisions therefore have to travel out of there area to Newcastle College, which is far away and costly. If we invest in the 6th form at Monkseaton High it can support pupils from Marden, John Spence etc. Extra government funding is needed since Queen Alexandra College was closed. Extending the 6th Form at Monkseaton would then support the lower pupil numbers in the lower year groups. |
The school needs to collaborate with Norham high school another school which below numbers and part of the north Tyneside education alliance. and jointly take become a sen school with buddy system with able bodied pupils and a sixth form college which is sadly lacking in the North Shields area. |
As a parent of a Year 8 child, I am surprised how little information we have been given about the situation and previously considered alternative proposals. |
I have 2 thoughts: a workable plan whereby all the schools in 3 tier system work together - it means priority is given to those children to get into mhs and WBHS . There needs to be assistance given to mhs to provide a wider curriculum and promote the school - instead of competing, WBHS and mhs need to work together and be seen as ‘complimentary schools’ - the new buildings near mhs should have been directed into three tier potentially - or we go two tier in the county but with a plan - I can’t believe the space at mhs isn’t needed for the foreseeable - it’ll be at least 10 years before our lower reception birthrate year comes through - as part of the next stage of development maybe mhs can have a SEND arp or facility to bring together the various units in n Tyneside. |
There are 3 other high schools in the area, John Spence, Marden High and Norham who do not have a 6th form unit. |
I am appalled by the shambolic handling of the Monkseaton High School governance by the Learning Trust and North Tyneside Council. Their failure has allowed this unacceptable situation to arise and develop into the scandal that we are now faced with. |