Understand
Parents express anger as North Tyneside Council launches second consultation to close Hazlewood Primary School
Overview
Parents have voiced frustration and anger after North Tyneside Council unanimously agreed to open a new consultation on closing Hazlewood Primary School in Wideopen. Council bosses stated there is no viable way to rebuild the site, which requires major repairs and currently uses modular classrooms due to structural concerns involving weak and brittle concrete. A previous plan to close and merge the school was blocked earlier in the year by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator, though it warned the school could not continue indefinitely without funding for replacement buildings. The council emphasised that no final decision has been made and the consultation will run until any potential closure in 2028.
Key points
- North Tyneside Council has agreed to start a second consultation on closing Hazlewood Primary School in Wideopen.
- The school building requires major repairs due to structural concerns related to weak and brittle concrete, with pupils currently learning in modular classrooms.
- An earlier plan to close and merge the school was blocked by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator earlier in the year.
- Parents expressed frustration at the meeting, criticising a lack of accountability and stating that children will remember their primary school years defined by consultations.
- The council stated that no final decision has been made yet, and if approved, the school would close in 2028.
