The campaign to protect a Wideopen school from closure will continue, with the passion “stronger than before”, following a council decision to push ahead with plans to merge the institution.

Last week, North Tyneside Council announced the results of a six-week consultation on the future of education throughout the area. The plans included the closure of Hazlewood Primary and its merger with neighbouring Greenfields Primary.

At the conclusion of the consultation, while Monkseaton Middle and Langley Primary schools have been saved from immediate closure to explore “viable alternatives”, the original proposals on Hazelwood are set to enter the second stage. The school has also been troubled by “weak and brittle” concrete, following a series of inspections across a number of schools in February 2024.

When asked if the decision has strengthened the resolve of activists, Hazlewood parent Laura Stokoe, 39, said: “Completely, the passion is probably stronger now than it has been before.”

The Save Hazlewood School activists continued: “These children have been through enough from Covid-19 and the concrete we are going above and beyond to protect them.” The mother of two went on to describe the school as a “home from home” for the pupils.

On the teaching staff, Laura added: “They are coming in, bless them, with a brave face, looking after our children and giving them a better service than they ever had.”

A gofundme page for the school remains open, having amassed over £2,100. In addition, teacher Jamie Gilbert will be leading an eight-mile shuffle dance from Monkseaton Middle School to Hazlewood Primary School, starting at 9am, on December 6. So far the shuffle has generated £380.

The local authority has maintained since the launch of this consultation that pupils at Hazlewood Primary are being educated on a site “which is not sustainable for the longer term due to structural problems with a large part of the main building.” In Spring 2024, the council spent £2.3m on a two storey modular unit to accommodate pupils, which was then installed in the summer of 2024.

This is amongst the backdrop of falling birth rates across North Tyneside, equivalent to 300 fewer children every year since 2018/19.

Following the publication of the council’s decision, the council’s director of children’s services Julie Firth said: “We have seen an incredible level of passion and commitment from these communities, and I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to share their views and explore alternatives. Your input has been invaluable in shaping this process and we have listened.

“This has been a genuine consultation, and after carefully considering all responses, decisions were made on Wednesday 26 November regarding each proposal.

“We are encouraged that through this engagement; potential viable options have emerged for Monkseaton Middle School and Langley First School. To ensure these options are fully explored, we have paused the proposals for these schools.

“For the proposed mergers of Hazlewood Primary and Greenfields Primary, and Ivy Road Primary and Forest Hall Primary, no viable alternative options were identified. Therefore, the decision has been taken to move to statutory consultation. The decision is now subject to a five-day call-in period.

“It is planned for the statutory consultation to begin on Thursday 4 December and it will run for four weeks.”