COUNCIL bosses have been accused of having already made a decision on the controversial proposal to create a new £20m Hurworth School.

At Monday's special lifelong learning scrutiny committee meeting, the director of children's services, Margaret Asquith, defended the proposed takeover of Eastbourne Comprehensive by Hurworth School.

Campaigners wearing "Save Our School" T-shirts descended on the town hall as the plans to close both schools and create a new £20m Hurworth School at the top of Yarm Road, Darlington, came under the spotlight.

Coun Tony Richmond, leader of the Conservative group, was disappointed Mrs Asquith had attended the meeting on her own.

"It disappoints me that the leader of the council and the cabinet member for education are not here," he said, before condemning the proposal.

"This is the most contentious political proposal we have had in this town for a long time. Myself and my colleagues do not agree with this.

"Consultation in this town hall means 'We'll consult about how we implement what we have already decided to implement'.

"The schools are two different geographical entities. What confidence can you give that the performance of Eastbourne School will get up to the level of Hurworth by the time this takeover happens?"

Mrs Asquith said a new Hurworth School would help raise the achievements of pupils.

"The children of Eastbourne are as capable as the children at Hurworth," she said, "You would not know the difference between walking into Eastbourne now and walking into Hurworth.

"The proposal is to build a state-of-the-art school and in effect we are investing in Hurworth and Eastbourne. It has been made at an early stage to allow people to comment."

Bob Egan, secondary school representative, was concerned about a possible demoralising effect on staff.

"The staff at Hurworth are being told all their jobs are safe, yet staff at Eastbourne have been told they may apply for the new posts," he said. "If we as an authority have a duty of care for our pupils, we have a duty of care for our employees."

Mrs Asquith said Eastbourne School would be fully staffed in September. She said staff saw it as a real opportunity to be in prime positions to go to a new school in the future.

"The proposal is clear; it's a takeover. It's moving expertise to a new location and retaining everything about Hurworth that works," she said.

"Darlington Borough Council has an excellent reputation in terms of staff welfare. The detail is up for more consultation and how we go through it has not been finalised yet."

Coun Veronica Copeland, chairman of governors at Eastbourne, said standards were rising.

"Hurworth has been assisting us for the past two years and I don't think that has been to the detriment of Hurworth. There has been a sharing of good practice between the two," she said.

After the meeting, the teachers' union NASUWT said it was "disillusioned and angry" about the way the plans had been handled by the council.

Eastbourne teacher Terry Bladen, a former NASUWT national president, said: "My members in the school are incensed by the one-sided arguments being put forward by spokespersons for the council.

"They feel they are being portrayed as inferior teachers to those employed at Hurworth. Yet these are the same teachers who raised the GCSE performance at A* to C grade from below 20 per cent to just under 35 per cent in less than three years."

Coun Charles Johnson, chairman of the Conservative Association, was appalled at how the issue had been leaked to the Press, with many elected members not told of the plans.