North Tyneside is consulting until midnight on 25 October on moving Silverdale School's primary pupils from the Langdale Centre to Delaval Road, Forest Hall.

North Tyneside Council is consulting on moving the primary phase of Silverdale School, the borough’s specialist SEND school, from the Langdale Centre in Wallsend to the former Forest Hall Primary School building on Delaval Road. The consultation runs until midnight on Sunday 25 October 2026 (North Tyneside Council).

The move would affect Silverdale’s primary-aged pupils, aged 4 to 11, who are currently taught at the Langdale Centre. No decision has been made, and the school carries on as normal while the consultation runs (consultation page).

Why the council wants to move

The Langdale Centre was never meant to be permanent. The council’s consultation says the primary phase moved there in an emergency, after structural problems were identified at Grasmere Academy, where Silverdale’s satellite provision was based. The Langdale building is a former middle school dating from the 1950s, and the council says it was not designed for specialist primary SEND provision, needs significant investment, and cannot offer families long-term certainty.

The Delaval Road site offers, in the council’s words:

  • accommodation designed for primary-aged children
  • dedicated outdoor play and learning areas
  • a stable long-term location for pupils and staff
  • use for a vacant, purpose-built school building

The council acknowledges the building would need some alterations before Silverdale could move in, to be agreed with the school if the proposal proceeds.

Why the building is empty

The Delaval Road building has only been vacant since the start of this term. Under the council’s Strategic Education Review, the merger of Forest Hall Primary School and Ivy Road Primary School was approved in January 2026. Ivy Road closed on 31 August 2026 and Forest Hall Primary relocated to the Ivy Road site, which had more space for the combined roll. That left Delaval Road empty (consultation FAQs).

The same review led to the closure of Monkseaton High School, which we covered in August.

One detail in the FAQs explains why the council is not simply selling the site: the land carries a covenant restricting it to educational use. Using it for anything else would need consent from the Secretary of State.

How Delaval Road came to be Silverdale's option Jan 2026 Forest Hall and Ivy Road primary merger approved 31 Aug 2026 Ivy Road closes; Forest Hall Primary moves to Ivy Road site, leaving Delaval Road empty 14 Sep 2026 Consultation opens on moving Silverdale's primary phase there 25 Oct 2026 Consultation closes at midnight; a council decision follows Source: North Tyneside Council consultation, Our North Tyneside Voice, September 2026. Graphic by Whitley Bay News
Graphic by Whitley Bay News

What stays the same

The council’s FAQs are clear on the limits of the proposal:

  • Silverdale remains a SEND school. Only the location of the primary phase would change.
  • No changes are proposed to the school’s age range, designation or admission arrangements.
  • If the move goes ahead, transition arrangements would be planned with the school and families.
  • The impact on travel and transport will be assessed as part of the consultation, and the council says feedback from parents and carers will be considered.

Two questions are left open. The council has taken no decision on the future of the Langdale Centre. And if the move does not proceed, it says there are currently no alternative options being considered for the empty Delaval Road site.

What it means for you

  • If your child attends Silverdale, nothing changes now. The school operates as normal through the consultation, and any move would come with planned transition arrangements.
  • Have your say by midnight on Sunday 25 October. The survey and full background papers are on the consultation page. For help taking part, or the information in another format, email ENTEnquiries@northtyneside.gov.uk.
  • Forest Hall residents: the proposal would bring the Delaval Road building back into daily use as a school, with the traffic and activity that brings. Travel impacts are part of what the consultation is asking about.
  • This is a pre-publication consultation, the first formal step. If the council decides to proceed, further statutory stages follow before any move happens.

Sources