CAMPAIGNERS against the closure of Boldon C of E Primary School have warned education chiefs they have a fight on their hands.
The recommendation to close the Don Gardens school in West Boldon is still being suggested by the Tops team.
But those contesting the closure have said the fight doesn't stop here, and hope ward councillor Joanne Bell will fight their corner at the special cabinet next week.
Sean Hudson, whose eight-year-old daughter Gemma attends the school, said: "As far as I'm concerned the school will not close.
"We have always seen the consultation period as stage one of our fight. If the proposal is accepted by the Cabinet, our next stage is to lobby the diocese.
"I was also told by Coun Joanne Bell, she would stand up and fight for us – so we hope it won't get that far."
The proposals are:
- Establish a new 120-place primary special school on the current Bamburgh School site by 2012 at the earliest.
- Establish a new generic 135-place secondary special school co-located on the Hebburn Comprehensive School site by 2012 at the earliest.
- Close Bamburgh and Margaret Sutton schools, in South Shields, Epinay Business and Enterprise School in Jarrow, Oakleigh Gardens School in Cleadon and Greenfields School in Hebburn.
- Expand provision in the Tops proposal for Lukes Lane Community and Bedewell Primary schools, in Hebburn, to include a Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 behaviour provision and pupil referral unit as part of a behaviour support service.
- Close the Temple Park educational support unit in South Shields.
- Close the Biddick Hall in South Shields Key Stage 2 behaviour support unit.
- Create a new pupil referral unit as part of a behaviour support service and co-locate with The Galsworthy Centre on the Margaret Sutton site in South Shields.
- Keep both a dedicated primary speech and language provision and autism provision attached to a mainstream school, linked to the Tops proposal for Fellgate and Hedworthfield Primary Schools, in Jarrow.
- Keep the primary hearing-impaired provision attached to Simonside Primary School in Jarrow.
- Keep an Early Years Diagnostic Assessment Centre attached to Ashley Primary School, in South Shields.
- Explore the development of a secondary base for students with communication and interaction difficulties attached to a mainstream school.
The full article contains 386 words and appears in Shields Gazette newspaper.
