North Tyneside schools twist as some offered lifeline against closure or mergers

Hundreds of pupils, former pupils, parents and teachers from Langley First School gather take part in the Whitley Bay Junior Park Run

Some North Tyneside schools under threat of closure and mergers could be offered a lifeline. North Tyneside Council has today confirmed that its proposals to close Monkseaton Middle School and merge Langley and Appletree first schools have been paused, after the conclusion of an initial public consultation.

However, controversial plans to merge other schools are set to move forward. The mergers of Hazlewood with Greenfields primary school and Ivy Road with Forest Hall Primary will now be subject to a new statutory consultation, which is the next stage of the formal process required for the reorganisation.

The council announced the outcome of its origi