Vote will close 44 middle schools

More than 40 middle schools face closure in Northumberland

Councillors in Northumberland have voted to close more than 40 middle schools and revert to a two-tier education system.

A meeting of Northumberland County Council on Tuesday ended with 36 members voting in favour and 21 against the controversial plans.

The authority says doing away with the 44 middle schools will reduce surplus places and boost standards.

Parents campaigning to save the schools are now considering their next move.

The Northumberland Education Action Group had highlighted a survey among county residents, carried out by independent researchers for the council, which showed disagreement over the proposed shake-up.

The Northumberland Association of High School Head Teachers said that it agreed that education standards would rise with the scrapping of middle schools.

However, some middle school heads were against the proposed two-tier system.

The reorganisation is expected to cost £600m and take up to 20 years to complete.