Education officials at the county council have submitted a planning application to demolish Hirst High School in Ashington and build the new academy - sponsored by the Duke of Northumberland and the Church of England - on adjacent land.

The new building will cater for almost 2,000 junior, senior and special educational needs children, and form the centrepiece of the five-site Hirst Academy.

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For exam results from local high schools, special schools and Northumberland College see these pages on the Ashington, Morpeth and Amble microsites.

View comparative tables for Northumberland schools: Key Stage 2, GCSE, Post-16.

Ellington First School was visited by Government inspectors, Ofsted, recently and their findings have just been published.

From left, Ewan Williams, Lydia Fraser, Billy Hays, Robyn Lang, Benjamin Graham and Amy Watson

The report describes the school as outstanding in all categories, which is the highest grade possible.

The sibling success stories were among the highlights at Morpeth's King Edward VI High School, as twin sisters Amy and Rebecca Gibbison and brothers David and Lee Redpath amassed an amazing 36 A* and A grades between them.

Rebecca, left, and Amy Gibbison

Amy and Rebecca achieved 19 A* and A grades, while David and Lee managed a total of 17.

The Druridge Bay 10k charity run was a huge event for the school, with student Holly Moscrop winning a competition to design the shirts given to the participants on the day and Year 8 pupil Brydie Smith winning the under-16s race.

Pupils remember their tragic young playmate Philippa Callaghan, who died from cancer last year, by holding a special day and spelling out PIP in the playground

Another important event for the school was the recent 'PIP day' (pictured), held in memory of former pupil Philippa Callaghan who died from cancer last year, which was organised by Pip's sister Zoë and her friends Chelsea, Katy and Frances.

A working group of county councillors will be given the task of investigating the likely future impact of demographic change on the demand for school places across the county.

It will try to identify how many schools are at risk of closure because of falling rolls and how council policies - such as in new housing development - can help tackle the problem.

The students from Hirst High School received a masterclass in human resources work in an event organised by Lynemouth-based Rio Tinto Alcan and the Wansbeck Enterprise Education Network.

The aim of the session was to provide the students, who are studying A-Level Applied Business, with a real-life insight into HR in a genuine business setting.

Phil Hearne, who will lead the joint primary and secondary school academy in Ashington, was the head of Edgware School in London when it became a city academy.

During his time there it was ranked "outstanding" by Ofsted.

The Church of England school has a strong contribution from parents and works hard to maintain its high performance in key stages one and two.

Headteacher Elizabeth Donaldson has emphasised the school's very inclusive ethos.

Opposition county councillors are concerned that the £48m investment to create a new academy school in the Hirst area of Ashington might not provide sufficient employment or training opportunities for local people.

They are pressing for safeguards to ensure that the national company awarded the lucrative contract delivers a much-needed boost for the economy of the area.

Key Stage Two league tables published today saw the number of children getting the required level for English go up from 68% in 2007 to 87% last year. There was a slight drop in the number of children getting the required level in maths but an increase in science.

The results meant that Druridge Bay was ranked 27th of the 45 middle and primary schools in Northumberland.

Go to Ofsteds and results page »