A TEACHER has criticised proposals to close one of the region's special schools, which was singled out for praise by Government inspectors.

Education chiefs, in Stockton on Teesside, have proposed that Bishopsmills School, Saltergill School and Westlands School, in the town, should be closed and replaced by two new residential schools.

Primary and secondary age pupils, from a number of education authorities, attend the schools, which cater for youngsters with behavioural and learning difficulties.

The council wants to create a middle school for 119 eight to 14-year-olds and an upper school for 61 pupils aged 15 and 16.

But the proposal has been described as a "recipe for disaster" by a teacher at Westlands School, which has been recommended for beacon status by Ofsted because of its achievements.

The teacher, who has asked to remain anonymous, contacted The Northern Echo to express his horror at the pressure the plans would put on both staff and pupils.

He said: "They are wanting to open a Key Stage Four school for emotionally and behaviourally disadvantaged teenagers.

"This means every September a group of about 30 of these students will be coming to a strange school, with staff they have had no previous contact with.

"One of the reasons Westlands has done so well is the relationship teachers create with students which takes time to build up."

The teacher said that staff with specialist skills would be moved to work with the Stage Four youngsters, even through some had no previous experience of teaching the National Curriculum at that level.

He suggested that the merger would penalise Westlands School for the poorer performances of the other schools, as well as forcing more vulnerable children to attend schools with those with different problems.

He said: "Many teachers think it is okay the way it is, and we would be losing an excellent school for the sake of two others."

An informal consultation into the proposals finished on Monday.

Stockton Borough Council's assistant director Alison Stephenson said: "We understand that people will have a variety of different views and some will have concerns regarding these proposals.

"These will be taken into account before any decisions is made."

Council officials seek to implement the proposals by September.