AN MP has secured a meeting with a Government minister to discuss concerns about a school in her constituency.

Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman raised the problem of Whitworth Park School, in Spennymoor, closing its sixth form in the House of Commons on Monday.

Anne Milton MP, the minister for apprenticeships and skills, agreed to meet with her to discuss the issue in more detail.

Ms Goodman said: "I asked the Government what it was doing about the closure of Whitworth Park Sixth Form.

"The minister has agreed to meet with me to discuss the case in detail.

"This is a step in the right direction to protecting our education in Spennymoor."

Last September an 11th hour decision was made to cut post-16 education at Whitworth Park, when Governors decided it was unviable to run a sixth form due to falling student numbers.

That move came on the back of an Ofsted report which deemed it 'inadequate' and a poor set of exam results.

It is currently moving towards academy status, with Advance Learning Partnership, and senior leaders believe progress is being made. But some teachers have threatened industrial action and pupils have held protests about staff redunancies.