Talks over middle school closures

Campaigners have demonstrated against the closure plans

Parents and Northumberland County Council officials have met for the first time to discuss planned changes to the county's schools.

The council wants to close the middle schools in a move from a three-tier to two-tier primary and secondary system.

Parents have amassed a fighting fund for a legal challenge to the plan.

But director of education Brian Edwards has said that a revised three-tier system could be considered for some parts of the county.

The meeting on Wednesday night of the newly-created Northumberland Education Action Group (NEAG) and council officials follows months of uncertainty over the future of the schools.

Surplus places

The changes would mean the closure or merger of the county's 45 middle schools and the end of the three-tier system of first, middle and high schools.

The council has said it needs to act quickly to reduce more than 7,000 surplus places, and scrapping middle schools would raise standards of learning.

But campaigners claim there is little evidence to show that two-tier education can improve on the three-tier structure.

Set in stone

Both sides said they were pleased with the first round of talks between the NEAG and Northumberland LEA.

They said in a joint statement issued on Wednesday night: "The outcome of this meeting was an agreement to continue to talk and discuss the whole process of looking at schools and education for our children and our communities.

"It was explained that ideas are not set in stone, and that a revised three-tier system is being considered alongside the primary-secondary proposal.

"All interested parties will be consulted fully on these options before a final decision is made."