Middlesbrough schools closing early over expected 'traffic disruption' for A66 crash funeral
Four schools have said they will shut their doors at lunchtime
The Education Secretary says she trusts decisions made by headteachers at some Middlesbrough schools who are closing early as a funeral for a man killed in last month's A66 crash takes place.
Four are shutting at lunchtime over concerns of traffic disruption.
In a media interview, Lucy Powell said: “As Education Secretary, I want schools to be open. I want pupils attending schools all the time.
“And these headteachers of these small number of schools have taken a very difficult decision with the local authority and the police for the safety of their school community to close early.
“What I would say is that there are huge anxieties and worries in the communities.”
She said she had been in touch with local MPs and Home Office ministers to put surge policing and extra resources in place to “calm those tensions down and to make those streets safe”.
She added: “I trust headteachers to make the judgments that they need to make to keep their school community safe. I hope this doesn’t have to happen again.”
She also said it was not a time for “party political point scoring”, adding: “This is a very, very difficult and delicate situation, as you say, and I will always put the safety and wellbeing of children at the forefront of anything I do."
The funeral is understood to be for Jakub Matusiak, also known as Jacob, who was one of five young men killed when a Volkswagen Passat hit a marked police car while going the wrong way down a dual carriageway.
Mr Matusiak, 23; Cole Worthy, 17; Theo Rae, 17; Makai Saddington, 18; and Michael Cahill, 23, were pronounced dead at the scene.
The two police officers in the other vehicle – Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38 – were also killed in the incident. Crowds, motorbikes and quad bikes are expected to congregate in Normanby Road in the South Bank area of Middlesbrough for the funeral of Mr Matusiak.
South Bank Primary School said it would be closing at 12pm on Friday “to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our pupils”.
In a message posted on social media, headteacher Tammy Cooper said: “A funeral is being held locally at St John’s Church on Normanby Road that day and we are expecting large numbers of people in the area which will inevitably cause congestion and transport disruption in the immediate area.
“This decision has been reached after careful consideration of the potential impact on the departure of pupils, staff and families.
“We recognise the inconvenience this may cause and thank our families for their understanding and co-operation.”
Ms Cooper said the school also recognises “some pupils may feel upset or anxious about the funeral taking place locally” and the pastoral team would be available for support.
In a letter to parents, Mark Robinson, principal of Outwood Academy in Normanby, said the school would also close from midday after discussions between local headteachers and the council.
A vigil for Mr Cahill last week prompted criticism from MPs and police after a crowd set fire to a number of cars in Haswell, County Durham.
A spokesperson for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said: “Following discussions between local headteachers and the local authority, a number of schools in the South Bank area will close earlier than usual on Friday afternoon due to anticipated traffic congestion and transport disruption associated with a local funeral taking place in the area.
“The decision was made after careful consideration of the potential impact on home-to-school transport and the departure of pupils, staff and families at the end of the school day.
“Schools have worked with the local authority and transport providers to consider arrangements for pupils, including those who travel to and from specialist educational settings.
“We recognise that early closure may cause inconvenience for some parents and carers, and we thank them for their understanding and co-operation.”
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott branded the decision to close schools early as “wrong” and said that “children shouldn’t lose their education because of organised crime”.
She urged Education Secretary Lucy Powell to intervene in a letter shared on X, writing: “You have a duty to ensure that this does not impact on the honest and decent pupils, parents and teachers in the area.”
She added: “Children should not be kept out of school because of the behaviour of thugs on the streets. If schools are closing because of concerns about disorder, intimidation or criminality in the surrounding area, then those responsible should be held to account by law.”
Superintendent John Wrintmore from Cleveland Police said: “Some potential traffic disruption and delays are expected from 3pm through to around 5pm on Friday 4 September, due to a funeral taking place in the area.
“This will affect areas of South Bank, Normanby Road through Teesville, Ormesby and Marton, and Acklam Road.
“We are working closely with highways departments from the local authority, who are leading on the traffic management for this event, in order to minimise disruption.
“As with any significant gathering, we have plans in place to ensure public safety and security, which is line with our usual process.”