Community Impact Assessment

Context to the Education Review

The Authority is currently undertaking a Strategic Education Review across North Tyneside, seeking to ensure that a sustainable, sufficient and high-quality educational system is maintained which enables all children and young people to achieve positive outcomes, including those with additional needs. One key priority of the Review aims to establish financial sustainability of schools in particular Secondary Schools. 

The Authority has a commitment for all children and young people to have the right to attend a school which provides continued and improving high quality provision for all children, where the number of pupils on roll enables school leaders to provide a diverse curriculum and which is of an appropriate size for the Authority to fulfil its statutory responsibility regarding pupil places.

The Authority keeps under review the number of pupils attending each school and updates information each year about how many pupils are likely to be attending schools in the future. This is an important aspect of the Authority’s function in planning school places across the Borough to ensure there are schools of a suitable size to meet local requirements and to provide the best possible education for the pupils they serve. 

The Authority recognises that school reorganisation of this nature will be of concern for local communities, however, the current financial position is not sustainable. Taking this into account, the Authority must continue to have a system of education that will bring about the highest possible standards of education for all of the children of North Tyneside for the short, medium, and long term and in some cases 'keeping things as they are' may not achieve that in this rapidly changing educational landscape.

Context to the proposal to close Monkseaton High School

Monkseaton High School has a significant financial deficit, currently over £5m, which is not sustainable and is impacting on how the school operates. Financial rules state that schools cannot operate with sustained deficits, and forecasts show this deficit is set to increase.  

 As a result, North Tyneside Council is consulting on a proposal to close Monkseaton High School on 31 August 2026.  

Reasons for the proposed closure of Monkseaton High School

• Under section 15 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, the Authority considers that the closure of Monkseaton High School is necessary on the basis that it is no longer considered viable.  In addition, there are surplus places elsewhere in the local area which can accommodate displaced pupils and there is no predicted demand for the school in the medium to long term.
• Monkseaton High School has a significant financial deficit, currently over £5m, which is projected to increase to over £7 million by 2027. This is not sustainable and is impacting the stability of the school, and despite the best efforts of school leadership and staff it poses a risk to the quality of education that can be delivered to pupils. Financial rules state that schools cannot operate with sustained deficits, and forecasts show this deficit is set to increase. 
• Declining pupil numbers and lower birth rates mean that the school is operating at just over 50% of its capacity. The school has capacity for 964 pupils. In 2009 the number of pupils on roll was 783 and in January 2024 it was 527. Whilst pupil numbers have recovered from a low of 431 in 2016, it’s clear the school still has significant surplus spaces. The number of students on roll in the October 2024 census was 504. Housebuilding in the area is not likely to improve this.
• While parental choice plays a significant role in this decline, with only one in five current pupils coming from the local community, there has also been changes to the local demographics and an overall decrease in pupils in the catchment area. 
• The financial position is made more challenging by higher than average building running costs, maintenance and changes to government funding. 
• The Authority considers that it has explored every viable option available. This has been reinforced through discussions with the Department for Education which have not identified any further options. 
• The Authority is now clear that without long term changes beyond its control, it is not possible to make the school viable.  The operational and financial challenges faced by the school mean there is a risk it will not be able to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum.
• During the period of pre-publication consultation, no viable alternatives or options were presented (though all were carefully considered), enabling the Authority to make a new proposal that would satisfactorily resolve the pupil number trends and financial implications of keeping the school open. Those respondents opposed to the proposal did not provide evidence of how sustainable pupil numbers could be achieved at the school or other alternative viable options. 

1. Impact on pupils and families

Potential Impact

• Approximately 500 pupils currently at Monkseaton High School and potentially hundreds of prospective pupils in Middle and First schools will be impacted.
• The proposal may cause significant stress and anxiety for pupils and their parents / carers due to uncertainty. 
• Pupils, families and carers may experience anxiety about supporting their children and young people through such a significant change if the school were to close. 

The main changes for pupils in Year 9 would be: 

• A new school 
• A new route to school 
• A new uniform 
• New teachers and support staff 
• A new learning environment 
• Leaving current friendship groups and integrating into existing peer groups

The main concerns of pupils in Year 10-13 would be: 

• Quality of education
• Options for next phase of education
• Upcoming exams
• Support for pupils with SEND

• Responses to the pre-publication consultation indicated that parents and carers were concerned about the impact on the mental health and wellbeing of pupils. 
• It is anticipated that there could be a negative impact on mental health and emotional wellbeing, in particular any neurodivergent children and young people who may not respond positively to change of routine, loss of familiar staff, peers and attending an alternative school. 
• Pupils, families and carers are also likely to experience anxiety about supporting their children and young people through such a significant change if the school were to close. 
• There is likely to be a negative impact on low-income households. If the school were to close there would be additional financial costs, such as a need to purchase an alternative school uniform, and potentially incur additional travel costs if mode of transport to school had to change from walking to public transport or use of private vehicles.

Mitigating factors

• When determining these proposals to discontinue (close) provision, the Authority, as the decision maker, is satisfied that there is sufficient capacity elsewhere in the local area to accommodate displaced pupils, and the likely supply and future demand for places in the medium and long term. 
• The Authority has taken into account the overall quality of alternative places in the local area, balanced with the need to reduce excessive surplus capacity in the system. The Authority has had regard for the local context in which the proposals are being made.
• The Authority has a commitment for all children and young people to have the right to attend a school which provides continued and improving high quality provision, where the number of pupils on roll enables school leaders to provide a diverse curriculum and which is of an appropriate size for the Authority to fulfil its statutory responsibility regarding pupil places.
• There is enough capacity for all displaced Year 9 pupils across our North Tyneside secondary schools (maintained and academy settings). The Authority has a statutory role to ensure there is sufficient school places for pupils who are residents of North Tyneside and this responsibility is a key consideration. While schools have agreed Published Admission Numbers (PAN) for their admissions, the capacity for each school to take further pupils is at the discretion of their Governing Board and is linked to the physical capacity of the school.
• We have engaged, and continue to engage, with school leaders within North Tyneside to work on a system that will increase parental choice for the current Year 9 pupils who will be displaced and for the current Year 8 pupils who are in Middle Schools. The majority of the schools named below have already agreed to provide an increased number of places while the remaining schools are finalising their decision with their Governing Boards.
• Considering current and projected numbers from September 2025 all current Year 9 pupils in Monkseaton High School and all current Year 8 pupils in middle schools who are residents of North Tyneside can be accommodated in the following North Tyneside schools: 

• Burnside College
• Churchill Community College
• George Stephenson High School
• John Spence Community High School
• Longbenton High School
• Marden High School
• Norham High School
• North Gosforth Academy 
• St Thomas More Catholic High School
• Whitley Bay High School

• The decision is proposed to be taken at Cabinet on 19 December 2024. If Cabinet approve the proposal to close Monkseaton High School, the number of available places at each school will be published as part of the decision and in advance of the opening of the extraordinary admissions arrangements which is scheduled to open on 2 January 2025.

If the school closure proposal proceeds:

Admissions

• The Authority’s Admissions Team will implement an extraordinary in-year admissions arrangement for current Year 9 pupils at Monkseaton High School, ensuring that on 31 January 2025 they receive their allocated Year 10 school place for September 2025.  Please refer to appendix two attached to the Statutory Proposal for the timetable in place.
• Through the extraordinary in-year admissions arrangements in place, parents/carers of children at the school will be able to express a preference for a place at an alternative school. Parents and carers will be asked to complete an admissions application form and to name a first, second and third preference for their child/ren to attend. Parents and carers will be offered a school place either at one of their preferred schools named on the application form or, if this is not possible, at the nearest school to the child’s home where a place is available. The Authority would try to meet parents and carers preferences wherever possible but cannot guarantee to do so. The allocation of places would be made in line with the admissions policy.
• The Authority’s Admissions team will also implement an extraordinary admissions arrangement for current Year 8 pupils in a middle school in the North East Planning Area, which will enable them to receive their Year 9 school place offer on the 3 March 2025 (national offer day).  Please refer to appendix one attached to the Statutory Proposal for the timetable in place.
• The Authority will be responsible for overseeing the process of closing the school and will work closely with the school to implement closure, including supporting pupils during their final months at Monkseaton High School and in their transition to a new school. 

Transition

• The Authority will take all practicable steps to ease the transition for all pupils, including vulnerable groups and those with special educational needs and disabilities. It will work with the receiving schools to arrange transition days for pupils to meet their new teachers and to familiarise themselves with their new environments. 
• Admissions staff will work with parents/carers and all neighbouring schools to secure appropriate alternative school places. 
• The proposal will advance equality of opportunity with regard to access to a high-quality curriculum offer, a wider range of qualifications and wider social opportunities.
• An extraordinary admissions process would take place in January 2025, where parents/ carers for existing Year 9 pupils at the school will submit their preferences for a school space for their child for the start of Year 10 in September 2025. Once this has taken place, a full transition programme will be in place between schools so that pupils can choose their GCSE’s, meet their peers and integrate into the new school community.
• After consultation with school leaders and governors, it is proposed that current Year 9 pupils would benefit from moving schools in advance of their GCSE’s if closure is announced, as this would be more positive in terms of their educational outcomes and experience.
• Our aim as an Authority is to ensure the continuation of high-quality education for young people. We have carefully considered the impact of transition to another school for the current Year 9 students and propose that if closure is confirmed following consultation, they will transition to another school at the end of this academic year. 

Education Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs) and  Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs)

• The Authority proposes a timetable of admissions arrangements for all Year 8 pupils where a North Tyneside EHCNA is in process, or who are in any year attending Monkseaton High School. Please refer to appendix three to the Statutory Proposal for the timetable in place.
• The SEND Support Service is also working closely with Monkseaton High School to ensure that current Year 9 students with an EHCP have the school that they will attend in September 2025 named in their EHCP, should the decision be taken that the school closes. 
• Annual Reviews for these pupils will take place, in line with current practice, in December 2024. 
• Should a decision be taken to close the school, the SEND Support Service will consult with the pupils nearest secondary school and any other school in line with parental preference by 2 January 2025.  Schools consulted with will be required to respond to those statutory consultations no later than 16 January 2025.
• The Authority will issue, on 17 January 2025, pupils’ EHCPs naming the school they will attend for the remainder of Year 9 and the school that they will attend in Year 10.
• Current Year 10 and 12 pupils can remain at Monkseaton High School until they complete their GCSEs and A Levels, respectively.  
• In line with the SEND Code of Practice 2015, current Year 11 and 13 pupils will have an EHCP issued by 31 March 2025, identifying provision they will attend in September 2025, subject to exam results.  
• For pupils leaving Monkseaton High School at the end of this academic year, the SEND Support Service will work closely with children and young people, parents and carers, to support effective transitions.   
• Please refer to appendix four attached to the Statutory Proposal for the timetable in place.

Support for Pupils and Parents 

• Going into a new setting with new pupils and staff will need careful handling for all pupils, particularly those with protected characteristics. The young people will be supported by the school staff and partner organisations if needed.
• Children in our care and those with a Social Worker or Early Help Worker will also be afforded enhanced support through any transition.  
• The Authority understands the impact the consultation may have on those directly affected. Our Connect Mental Health Team works directly with Monkseaton High School and are providing additional support to pupils, colleagues and are available to parents. While the team regularly visit the school, referrals can be made by school staff or parents and carers can contact school staff to make a referral for them.
• Resources to support the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children, young people and their families are available here: 

https://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/1572/children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-emotional-wellbeing 

• The Connect Mental Health Support Team works with local schools to deliver low and moderate intensity interventions to support pupils with low mood, anxiety and poor self-esteem.  The team supports schools to develop their whole school approach to emotional wellbeing and signposts to other relevant services to ensure the needs of children and young people are met in a timely way.
• The below padlets for parents contain useful advice and information

https://hiveconnect.padlet.org/peterhiggins2/primary-school-parents-3chsijfapuyag72a 

https://hiveconnect.padlet.org/peterhiggins2/secondary-school-parents-i30gprjd5yspmkij 

• There is also advice and guidance available for parents on the North Tyneside Council Public Health page at the following link:

https://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/599/mental-health-and-wellbeing 

• This highlights the national ‘Every Mind Matters’ campaign , which focuses on the things that people can do to protect and improve their mental health and also highlights the importance of looking out for others.

Financial Assistance

• The Authority will explore grants for low-income households, particularly those in receipt of Free School Meals (FSM), to mitigate additional costs for socio-economically disadvantaged families regarding new uniform.
• The Authority will provide travel assistance to children and young people in line with the Home to School Transport Policy and Post 16 Policy Statement. Should Cabinet approve an amended Home to School Transport Policy and Post 16 Policy Statement on 25 November 2025, pupils who remain at Monkseaton High School will continue to receive travel assistance in place until they leave. Pupils who commence a new school or provision in September 2025 will receive travel assistance in line with the amended Home to School Transport Policy and Post 16 Policy Statement, which if agreed will be implemented in September 2025.

Curriculum

• All maintained schools must follow the National Curriculum unless they have secured an exemption for groups of pupils or the school community. The proposal to close Monkseaton High School has no impact on this requirement as all schools in North Tyneside follow the National Curriculum. 

Employment

• Maintaining a high-quality education for young people is our priority. We are working alongside school governors, who are the employers, on proposals to retain staff at the school if a move to closure is announced in January 2025.  

Timing

• The Authority knows that consultations for school closures present many challenges and recognise that there is no good time to launch a consultation of this nature. The Authority considered the impact on students taking exams and wanted to ensure the process was completed ahead of exams.
• If at the end of the consultation process the decision is to close the school, it is proposed that the closure is completed over a two-year period through to 31 August 2026 to support year 11 and 13 pupils to complete their studies/ examinations, and because it is not possible to sustain the school for longer while delivering high quality education due to the impact closure could have on staff retention and building capacity. The deficit would likely increase by around £1m in this additional year if the school was kept open for one more year (September 2026 to August 2027).

Equality Impact Assessment

• An equality impact assessment has been carried out on this proposal and remains under regular review.

Decision Making

• The Authority, as decision maker, has had regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which requires them to have due regard to the need to:
• eliminate discrimination; 
• advance equality of opportunity; and 
• foster good relations between people with a protected characteristic and those without that characteristic. 
• The Authority, as decision maker, has considered the impact of the proposals on the relevant protected characteristics and any issues that may arise from the proposals.

1. Impact of the proposal on the wider community, including financial and socio-economic factors

Potential Impact

During the pre-publication consultation a number of concerns were expressed over the potential impact on the wider community.

Concerns were expressed that, should the proposed closure be implemented, the school premises would be lost as a community venue and local residents would potentially lose access to a number of community activities. 

Current organisations using the school for community activities are:

• Whitley Bay Sporting Club (football)
• Monkseaton Volleyball Club
• Leagues 4 You (netball league)
• North East Archers (archery club)
• Cullercoats Football Club
• Wallsend Harriers (athletics)
• North Shields Polytechnic Cycling Club
• Miley & Johnson (holiday activity camp

The potential impact for these organisations is that they may need to move venue, they may struggle to find another suitable venue or they may have to close with a loss to the local community of these activities.

Concerns were also expressed about:

•  the impact on other local facilities which benefits from the passing trade brought by parents and pupils attending the school. 
• the impact on house prices, with some concerned that house prices would rise, while others expressed concern that house prices would fall.

In the event of a closure announcement, it is highly likely that the size of the deficit will grow, for example, due to falling pupil numbers, staff departures and potentially redundancy costs.

Discussions will continue with senior officials about further support and/or accounting flexibilities that may be made available to the Authority.

The deficit exists already and is recognised as a liability on the Authority’s balance sheet.  As of 31 March 2024, the school finished the financial year with a deficit of £5.963m, but our successful lobbying of Government meant that we secured £0.678m of funding for Monkseaton High School.  Even with that, the deficit stood at £5.285m.

Based on the school’s budget plan for the next 3 financial years, the deficit was forecast to grow by around £0.6m per year, to be over £7m by March 2027.

There will be additional costs of closing the school – the school will lose funding (due to reduced pupil numbers), and we recognise there will be a need to encourage teachers to stay, for example, through retention payments.  If the school closes, there will also be redundancy payments.  However, keeping the school open without any resolution in funding would see the deficit grow each year, which is not financially sustainable.

In the event of a closure, the default position from the Department for Education (DfE) is that the Authority would be responsible for the resulting deficit – to be borne by council tax/general fund resources.  Representations have been made on several occasions to the DfE and Ministry Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG).

Mitigating factors

Other schools, venues and organisations in the local area also provide events and clubs and facilities for organisations to hire. If the decision is to close, the Authority will work with the organisations to support them to either remain at the school or to move to another venue. 

The economic benefits that a school brings to a community should be seen as beneficial side effects to the main duty of a school which is to provide a quality education to its pupils. 

However, numbers on roll, budget deficits and academic standards must be the major considerations in any decision on the future of a school and, while a community may be impacted by a decision to close a school; this cannot be an overriding factor. 

Discussions will continue with senior Government officials at the DfE and MHCLG about further support and/or accounting flexibilities that may be made available to the Authority.

The closure of Monkseaton High School will enable pupils to be educated in a more viable establishment.  If the school closes, whilst there will be a residual deficit to be addressed, it will prevent the size of the deficit growing.  Based on the current budget plans of the school, this is in the region of £0.6m per annum.

The Authority must continue to discharge its statutory duty in terms of ensuring there are sufficient school places to meet demand and that all schools are well placed to deliver high quality education that meets the needs of their local community and makes best use of public funding.

The school land and building are owned by North Tyneside Learning Trust, not North Tyneside Council. There is a restrictive covenant in place that the land and buildings can only be used for educational purposes. In circumstances where a school is subject to closure, the Trust is required to apply to the Secretary of State for Education to determine what should be done with the land and buildings. 

The Trust is not at liberty to use or dispose of any of the land or buildings without the consent of the Secretary of State for Education. 

If a school closes and the land is to be used for something other than education in the 10 years after closure, the Secretary of State for Education must give their consent. Any applications for use of the land would be subject to Planning consultation to the Council in line with planning requirements.  At this stage, there are no proposals for alternative uses proposed for the building and land.

1. Impact on other schools in North Tyneside, including first and middle schools in the North East Planning area (Monkseaton and Whitley Bay)

Potential Impact

There will be an overall reduction in surplus school places which may bring greater financial stability to other schools across North Tyneside.

There will be an impact on other schools in the Borough, particularly those in the three-tier system. This has been made clear for several years through our work with the school leaders in the North East Planning Area 

as ideally, the capacity and number of pupils on roll in each year group should be the same from Reception through to Year 11. However, as this is not the case, and due to the falling birth rate, there is the potential for there to be a need for consideration of other school closures in years to come and/or the need for other amendments to PANs at other schools, and as a consequence, the three-tier system would become smaller and parental choice across the borough would be reduced.

Mitigating factors

If the proposal goes ahead and the school is closed, every pupil in Year 9 at Monkseaton High School would be offered a place at an alternative school, many of which are likely to be nearer to their home address. 

The Authority has a statutory role to ensure there is sufficient school places for pupils who are residents of North Tyneside and this responsibility is a key consideration. While schools have agreed Published Admission Numbers (PAN) for their admissions, the capacity for each school to take further pupils is at the discretion of their Governing Board and is linked to the physical capacity of the school.

There is enough capacity for all displaced Year 9 pupils across our North Tyneside secondary schools (maintained and academy settings). 

We have engaged, and continue to engage, with school leaders within North Tyneside to work on a system that will increase parental choice for the current Year 9 pupils who will be displaced and for the current Year 8 pupils who are in Middle Schools. The majority of the schools named below have already agreed to provide an increased number of places while the remaining schools are finalising their decision with their Governing Boards.

Each school has a net Capacity Assessment, from which the Published Admission Number is derived.  Physical capacity within each school is generally slightly higher than the PAN capacity, providing flexibility for bulge year groups at times of need.  

The Authority’s pupil forecasts take account of factors such as the local birth rate, demographic projections of future births and current housing plans in the area. Based on information currently available to the Authority on births, house building and future demographic growth in the area; it is confident there would be sufficient capacity in the area to meet future demand for places. 

Current GP registration information shows a decline in the birth rate across the borough. Births have generally fallen since 2011/12 (current Y9) with only 4 birth years in 13 showing an increase when compared to the previous year. Overall, the birth rate has fallen from a high in 2010/2011 of 2445 births to a most recent low of 1829 in 2023/2024.  The most rapid decline has been since 2019/2020, with a cumulative annual decrease of over 400 births.    

When comparing the birth rate for each year with their corresponding year group, we can see that there has, in most year groups, been an increase in the pupil population, believed to be net inward migration to the borough, however, the average increase over the birth period 2010/2011 (current Year 9) and 2019/2020 (current reception) is 2%.

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

In 2024, 96% of parents and carers received their first-choice primary school in North Tyneside and 87% of parents and carers received their first-choice secondary school in North Tyneside (Year 5, 7 & 9). 

Of the population of pupils in years 9 to 11 across the borough:

Monkseaton High

• Of the 448 pupils in attendance, 

21% live within the Monkseaton catchment. 

3% live within the Whitley Bay High catchment.

76% live beyond the North East Planning Area.

• Of the 603 pupils living in the Monkseaton Catchment area, 15% attend Monkseaton High.

Whitley Bay High

• Of the 1,120 pupils in attendance.

61% live within the Whitley Bay High catchment.

32% live within the Monkseaton High catchment. 

7% live beyond the North East Planning area 

• Of the 750 pupils living in the Whitley Bay High Catchment area, 91% attend Whitley Bay High. 

Middle and First School

As the birth rate continues to decline, we anticipate a reduction in admissions at schools across the borough. The below table shows the number of pupils by year group in North East Planning Area (NEPA) first and middle schools currently. It is anticipated that the future capacity of schools in the NEPA will be more than sufficient to accommodate those pupils living within the planning area

Other secondary schools in North Tyneside should benefit from the proposal to reduce surplus places in the area as this provides more certainty to the remaining schools about pupil numbers. The proposal should create a more sustainable network of schools in the local area thereby reducing the risk of more schools becoming unviable.

1. Impact of the proposal on travel

Potential Impact

Some families may be impacted by additional travel costs and travel time. Respondents to the consultation cited the impact on traffic and the environment of children having to travel by car to their nearest alternative school.

Mitigating factors

Currently, only 20% of pupils at Monkseaton High School live in the local catchment area and most pupils travel from other areas. From this information it is evident that the majority of pupils attending Monkseaton High School already face journeys to and from school each day. It is likely that journey times, and therefore the impact on traffic congestion and the environment, could be reduced for some, as a large number of displaced pupils would have the opportunity to attend schools nearer to their home address. 

The Authority is committed to ensuring that parents and pupils travel to school in a sustainable way, are encouraged to walk or cycle to school where possible and not use personal transport for short journeys.

The Authority will provide travel assistance to children and young people in line with the Home to School Transport Policy and Post 16 Policy Statement. Should Cabinet approve an amended Home to School Transport Policy and Post 16 Policy Statement on 25 November 2024, pupils who remain at Monkseaton High School will continue to receive travel assistance until they leave. Pupils who commence a new school or provision in September 2025 will receive travel assistance in line with the amended Home to School Transport Policy and Post 16 Policy Statement, which if agreed will be implemented in September 2025.