A half-empty school is one step closer to closure.

North Tyneside Council plans to close Monkseaton High School, in Whitley Bay, in August 2026 after finding there were “no viable options” to keep it open.

The school had 511 pupils, despite having capacity for 964 and a projected deficit of £7m, the council said.

TO petition launched in September and signed by more than 2,600 people, it said the school “played a critical role in educating our new generation, shaping their future and ultimately defining the pillars of our society.”

In addition to the decrease in the number of students, the local authority informed the Local Democracy Reporting Service Alternative options, such as converting the school into an academy, had been ruled out.

A council report added: “The closure of the school is considered necessary because it is no longer viable.

“There are spare places in other places in the area that can accommodate displaced students and an increase in demand for the school is not expected in the medium and long term.”

A supporter of the school remaining open wrote in the petition: “This warm, friendly and supportive school should remain open for children who prefer to learn and thrive in a smaller school environment.”

A six-week consultation on the planned closure attracted more than 900 responses.

The council said it would hold a four-week statutory consultation from November 15 during which non-executive directors could ask for the decision to be reviewed.

Director of children’s services Julie Firth said the community had shown a “real passion” for the school and thanked everyone for expressing their views.