Northumberland County Council could formally consult on a potential switch to two-tier education in the Berwick Partnership of schools.
The issue of a sustainable future for education in the northern part of the county is one that has plagued successive administrations at County Hall for two decades.
Children have been leaving the partnership for neighbouring schools in the Alnwick area as well as Scotland, leading to declining pupil numbers and a high proportion of surplus places.
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The consultation on a potential switch to two-tier will be the third phase in the process, with schools and stakeholders having already been consulted on the best way forward over a 15-week period beginning in October. A report presented to members of the council's family and children's services overview and scrutiny committee explained that a majority of schools backed the move to two-tier.
The proposed reorganisation comes ahead of a £40m investment by the county council to build a new high school in Berwick. Speaking at Thursday's meeting, cabinet member for children's services Coun Guy Renner Thompson said the proposals had "cross party support" from both county councillors and the area's MP, Anne Marie Trevelyan.
Under the proposed model, the partnership’s first schools would expand their age range up to 11 to become primary schools from September 2025, and Berwick Academy would become an age 11 to 18 secondary academy from September 2026.
Berwick Middle School, Glendale Middle School and Tweedmouth Community Middle School would close on August 31 2026.
The recommendations include that Belford Primary School moves from the Berwick Partnership catchment to the greater Alnwick Partnership from September 2024.
Specialist provision would also be expanded with 70 new places created across the partnership for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) specifically for those with primary needs in Social, Emotional and Mental Health and Autism where there is a growing need.
Coun Renner Thompson added: "One of our key priorities is Special Educational Needs. We want to stop seeing children being sent across the county.
"We want to see them educated in their own areas, which is why we have increased provision in Berwick. We don't want to see children having to drive down from Berwick to Blyth or even Morpeth.
"It's not good for them or the school partnership."
According to the report, there are 2,290 pupils on the roll in all phases of the partnership, which has capacity for 3,442 places; this means there are 33% surplus places.
The council's preferred model would have 2,710 places - removing 732 places and reducing surplus places.
Members of the committee were broadly supportive of the plans. Coun Richard Dodd said action had to be taken to halt rising levels of surplus places.
He said: "What is stark here is we have to do something and it is right that we put everything in the pot. There's always going to be someone that is not happy but I think we would be doing a dereliction of duty if we did not tackle this problem that we have here.
"Thirty-odd percent empty desks - halving that is a great thing and if we get this right, it will go down further. We have got to do this."
Coun Renner Thompson commented: "I would like to see us reverse the trend and start pinching children from over the border, because GCSEs and A-Levels are a more recognised qualification than Scottish Highers."
The plans will now go before cabinet on May 9, with the committee recommending that ruling councillors move to a formal consultation on changing the education system within the Berwick area. If the cabinet do so, a four-week consultation will run, with a further report to cabinet with the findings of the consultation and a final recommendation expected in July.
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