Temporarily bigger classes for North Tyneside school after closure of Monkseaton High, warns headteacher
A North Tyneside headmaster is explaining to parents that the closure of Monkseaton High School will likely lead to bigger class sizes for a while.
A North Tyneside headmaster is explaining to parents that the closure of Monkseaton High School will likely lead to bigger class sizes for a while.
A letter from the head of Whitley Bay High School to parents there says there will be an expanded intake of pupils for 2 years - by 20 students.
Steve Wilson, headmaster of Whitley Bay High School, has written to parents to say that the closure of neighbouring Monkseaton High will mean a temporarily expanded intake for Years 9 and 10. According to a letter published on Whitley Bay High’s website, the school will increase its intake for those two years to 390 from September 2025, up from 370.
Current Year 10 and 12 pupils at Monkseaton High will complete their education there.
Last Thursday, North Tyneside Council bosses formally announced the closure of Monkseaton High School, following months of consultations, protests and public outcry. Council reports have reiterated that the school has been plagued by low birth rates, operating at a 50% student capacity, and parental preference.
Monkseaton High is also laden with a predicted £7m deficit, which rendered the school unviable. Parents, speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, said the process and decision had left them “exhausted” and troubled about their children’s education future.
Mr Wilson’s statement on the closure of Monkseaton High School reads: “It is important to say this will not be a permanent increase in our Planned Admission Number (this is our published admission number – the number of
students in each year group that can be admitted) but a temporary increase in our intake to help support students in the North East Planning Area secure places at a local school. Our Planned Admission Number is, and will remain at, 370.
“This planned increase will only be possible with the support of the Local Authority in terms of providing additional resources to accommodate extra students. This includes two temporary additional classrooms positioned within our school site.”
In previous statements, Mr Wilson stated that he along with other head teachers and school staff had been in talks for over a year by September of this year. However a long term solution could not be found.
North Tyneside Council had also considered several options to try and keep Monkseaton High School open, including academisation, merging the school under one governing body, and closing its sixth form, however none were found to be viable.
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