Options and background data for the proposed merger of Hazlewood Primary School and Greenfields Primary School

Background

The Council is proposing to merge Greenfields Primary School and Hazlewood Primary School. This would mean the closure of Hazlewood Primary School and an increase to admissions at Greenfields Primary School to accommodate the combined pupils. It is hoped the new merged school would have a new name and ethos to reflect both school communities.

It would be based on the Greenfields Primary School site.

The Council divides the borough into four separate planning areas for schools. The North West Planning area consists of the collective catchment areas of the three secondary schools in this part of North Tyneside, including George Stephenson High, Longbenton High and North Gosforth Academy. This proposal relates to two primary schools within the catchment area of North Gosforth Academy.

Greenfields Primary School is located on Taylor Avenue in Wideopen. The school occupies the site of a former Middle School, built in 1955. The building is two storeys, with an Early Years annexe. Externally, there is a large playing field, separate wildlife area, and two large yards. There is additionally a swimming pool on site, which is leased to a third-party provider. The school joined the North Tyneside Learning Trust in September 2010. It has a physical building capacity of 525 pupils.

Hazlewood Primary School is located on Canterbury Way in Wideopen. The school occupies a site comprising a main building, built in 1964. A Nursery building was added at a later date. Externally, there are two yards and a playing field. The school joined the North Tyneside Learning Trust in September 2010. It has a building capacity of 308 pupils.

Hazlewood Primary School has suffered significant structural failings, attributed to the Block and Beam construction method. The school is currently not occupying most of the main teaching block. An eight class, two story modular unit was installed in the summer of 2024 to accommodate the displaced pupils – this was placed on one of the two school yards. Reinforcement was added to the school hall and kitchen, which were brought back in to use in the Spring of 2025. This fix is expected to last approximately five years. Replacement of the affected areas has not been undertaken and has been the main point of discussion with the Department of Education in relation to funding and a long-term solution.

The expected number on roll (NOR) in each school in September 2025 is 195 at Greenfields Primary School and 265 at Hazlewood Primary School. Based upon their Published Admissions Numbers (PAN) - which is often less than the capacity of the building - the surplus places in each school will be:

Greenfields Primary 7% surplus places, and
Hazlewood Primary 13% surplus places.
Hazlewood Primary 13% surplus places.

Reasons

Pupils at Hazlewood Primary School are being educated on a site which is not sustainable for the longer term due to structural problems with a large part of the main building.

In spring 2024 the Council spent £2.3m on a two-storey modern modular unit to accommodate pupils, which was installed in summer 2024. In Spring 2025 the Council added reinforcement to the school hall and kitchen to return these areas to use. This fix has a lifespan of approximately five years. Neither of these of these remedial solutions are viable, long-term solutions.

The Council estimates it could cost at least £7m to build a new school at Hazlewood. The cost of a new school is typically high, and usually paid for by the government, not local authorities. The Council does not have sufficient funds to pay for any new school in North Tyneside. The Council has lobbied the Department for Education for funding on a regular basis from February 2024 to summer 2025. No long-term funding has been secured.

The Council must act to stabilise education in the area for all pupils now and in the future. It needs a plan to stop the on-going uncertainty for the Hazlewood community, which is creating instability for pupils and staff, despite the continued efforts of school leaders and the Council.

Despite the Council’s continued efforts to secure support from the Government to address the significant structural issues with the school building, no viable solution has been found. This continued uncertainty creates instability for pupils and staff alike. This is not something that the Council can allow to continue.

There is a reduced and declining pupil population in the community, and there will be increasing surplus places based on pupil projections.

The school sites are within approximately 800m of each other.

Greenfields Primary School building can accommodate 525 pupils. There are approximately 200 pupils at the school in 2025/2026, and the number of surplus places (places not being filled by pupils) is increasing.

Greenfields Primary School building has the space to comfortably accommodate all pupils from Hazlewood Primary School, which for 2025/2026 is projected to be 256 pupils and decreasing each subsequent year as births in the area fall.

Greenfields Primary School accommodates an extensive site with large formal and informal play areas. The building and grounds are sufficient in size to accommodate the anticipated pupil population – 2.5 forms of entry initially.

Greenfields Primary School is operating on a site too big for the number of pupils it admits each year. This imbalance places increasing pressure on the school’s financial stability.

Even with investment, Hazlewood Primary School site is not sufficient in size to provide accommodation for the combined number of pupils from both schools, which would exceed 1.5 form entry.

Hazlewood Primary School’s has a surplus of £0.033m as at 31/3/25 but is forecast to move to a deficit of £0.235m by 31/3/28. Greenfields is currently in a surplus financial position, which is forecast to continue, to a level of £0.263m by 31/3/28. The financial information is from the school’s budget forecasts.

The below map shows the two Primary schools – they are within 800m of each other.

Which options have been considered?

This part of the North West planning area is large with distinct and separate community settlements (Burradon, Annitsford, Dudley and Wideopen/ Seaton Burn). There are only 4 Primary Schools in this part of the Planning Area – Burradon Primary, Fordley Primary, Greenfields Primary and Hazlewood Primary. Due to the fact that the other two schools are so far away from Hazlewood and Greenfields, no other schools were considered appropriate for merger.

Option

Reasons the option was discounted

Do nothing

The majority of Hazlewood Primary School’s main building remains closed due to weak concrete and no long-term solution has been identified by the DfE.

The Council estimates it could cost at least £7m to build a new school at Hazlewood. The cost of a new school is typically high, and usually paid for by the government, not local authorities. The Council does not have sufficient funds to pay for any new school in North Tyneside.

The Council has lobbied the Department for Education for funding on a regular basis from February 2024 to summer 2025. No long-term funding has been secured.

The Council must act to stabilise education in the area for all pupils now and in the future. It needs a plan to stop the on-going uncertainty for the Hazlewood community, which is creating instability for pupils and staff, despite the continued efforts of school leaders and the Council.

Pupil numbers - there is a reduced and declining pupil population in the community, and there will be increasing surplus places based on pupil projections. This in turn will lead to an issue for financial viability for both Hazlewood and Greenfields.

Close Greenfields site and use Hazlewood site

Even with investment to rebuild the school, Hazlewood Primary School site is not sufficient in size to provide accommodation for a combined cohort from both schools, which would exceed 1.5 form entry.

Here is the data used to inform the proposals

Pupil and population data is taken from January 2025 Census.

Birth rate data is taken from the last full year of data (September 2023 to August 2024, published Oct 2024).

Projections are calculated using our pupil projection methodology. This table shows the number of GP birth registrations in North Tyneside with a breakdown for each planning area in the Borough (the planning area is the geographic region of North Tyneside)

This is how it looks for North Tyneside as a whole on a graph

This table shows as of 2024/2025:

The admissions capacity (Published Admissions Capacity)
The capacity of the school buildings (which is often higher than the admissions capacity),
The number of children at the school (as of January 2025)
Unfilled places as a percentage of the available admissions places (also known as ‘surplus places’
The number of all pupils living in the catchment area
The number and percentage of chidlren living in the catchement area who choose to attend the school

These tables show how many pupils attended both schools in the last nine years:

These tables show pupil projections for the next nine years and what the surplus would be compared to the admissions capacity of the schools (based on local birth rate data)

This table and graph show pupil projections for the next nine years and what the surplus would be compared to the physical capacity of Greenfields Primary school building (based on Borough Wide pupil births and projection methodology)

These tables show the number and percentage of current pupils living in the catchment area who are choosing to go to either Hazlewood Primary School/Greenfields Primary School, another school in the North West Planning Area or another school in North Tyneside.

This table shows how many pupils attend the schools and where they live.

Options and background data for the proposed merger of Hazlewood Primary School and Greenfields Primary School

Background

It would be based on the Greenfields Primary School site.

The expected number on roll (NOR) in each school in September 2025 is 195 at Greenfields Primary School and 265 at Hazlewood Primary School. Based upon their Published Admissions Numbers (PAN) - which is often less than the capacity of the building - the surplus places in each school will be:

Greenfields Primary 7% surplus places, and

Hazlewood Primary 13% surplus places.

Hazlewood Primary 13% surplus places.

Reasons

Pupils at Hazlewood Primary School are being educated on a site which is not sustainable for the longer term due to structural problems with a large part of the main building.

The Council must act to stabilise education in the area for all pupils now and in the future. It needs a plan to stop the on-going uncertainty for the Hazlewood community, which is creating instability for pupils and staff, despite the continued efforts of school leaders and the Council.

There is a reduced and declining pupil population in the community, and there will be increasing surplus places based on pupil projections.

The school sites are within approximately 800m of each other.

Greenfields Primary School building can accommodate 525 pupils. There are approximately 200 pupils at the school in 2025/2026, and the number of surplus places (places not being filled by pupils) is increasing.

Greenfields Primary School building has the space to comfortably accommodate all pupils from Hazlewood Primary School, which for 2025/2026 is projected to be 256 pupils and decreasing each subsequent year as births in the area fall.

Greenfields Primary School accommodates an extensive site with large formal and informal play areas. The building and grounds are sufficient in size to accommodate the anticipated pupil population – 2.5 forms of entry initially.

Greenfields Primary School is operating on a site too big for the number of pupils it admits each year. This imbalance places increasing pressure on the school’s financial stability.

Even with investment, Hazlewood Primary School site is not sufficient in size to provide accommodation for the combined number of pupils from both schools, which would exceed 1.5 form entry.

The below map shows the two Primary schools – they are within 800m of each other.

Which options have been considered?

Here is the data used to inform the proposals

Pupil and population data is taken from January 2025 Census.

Birth rate data is taken from the last full year of data (September 2023 to August 2024, published Oct 2024).

Projections are calculated using our pupil projection methodology. This table shows the number of GP birth registrations in North Tyneside with a breakdown for each planning area in the Borough (the planning area is the geographic region of North Tyneside)

This table shows as of 2024/2025:

The admissions capacity (Published Admissions Capacity)

The capacity of the school buildings (which is often higher than the admissions capacity),

The number of children at the school (as of January 2025)

Unfilled places as a percentage of the available admissions places (also known as ‘surplus places’

The number of all pupils living in the catchment area

The number and percentage of chidlren living in the catchement area who choose to attend the school

These tables show pupil projections for the next nine years and what the surplus would be compared to the admissions capacity of the schools (based on local birth rate data)

This table and graph show pupil projections for the next nine years and what the surplus would be compared to the physical capacity of Greenfields Primary school building (based on Borough Wide pupil births and projection methodology)

These tables show the number and percentage of current pupils living in the catchment area who are choosing to go to either Hazlewood Primary School/Greenfields Primary School, another school in the North West Planning Area or another school in North Tyneside.