Community protests against school merger plan

Parents and children gathered on Saturday to protest against the potential closure of Langley First School

Parents and children gathered outside a councillor's surgery to protest against a school's potential closure.

Langley First School in Monkseaton would merge with Appletree Gardens First School on the latter's site under plans proposed by North Tyneside Council.

Mike Driver, who has a child at Langley, said "hundreds of people" turned out on Saturday because they "really want to fight" to save their school.

The council's director of resources Jon Ritchie said that while change was necessary, a public consultation would allow parents to suggest alternative ideas.

The local authority said it needed to merge six primary and first schools into three.

It said falling birth rates meant there were too many empty seats in classrooms.

Predictions suggest the number of children will continue to fall.

Parents have described Langley as a "thriving school"

Members of the Campaign for Langley First School went into the surgery to tell councillors why their school should stay open.

"This is a thriving school and it's taken everyone by surprise," said Mr Driver.

"There's hundreds of people here supporting what is a really, really valuable part of our community.

"The thing that I really believe more than anything about Langley is it supports the whole child.

"It's not just about that child and getting a good grade, it's about their whole wellbeing and I think that's the saddest thing about them potentially closing the school."

Amy Mitchell has a child in Year 2 and another that has just started nursery.

"We have a thriving school," she said. "We have a vibrant community, we have an active community and our school is worth saving."

Ms Mitchell said her son's year was full and that the choice in her children's schooling would be taken away under the council's proposals.

"That's unfair," she said. "There is no proof here why this school needs to be closed."

North Tyneside Council said it needed to merge six primary and first schools into three

Former pupils are also getting behind the campaign.

Sophia, who left the school in July, said: "They really need to keep the school open.

"The teachers are just amazing, they really make the school such a lovely place."

The majority of children affected would stay "within a half-mile radius" of school, said Mr Ritchie.

"Something will have to change in terms of the financial position but, if these alternative proposals are put forward, of course we would look at that because we want to have the smoothest process possible."

The first phase of the public consultation runs until 13 November.