School improvement schemes come a step closer

13 May 2020 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news

Three important school improvement projects in Northumberland have come a step closer, as the county council’s cabinet has agreed arrangements for contract signing.

At Haltwhistle, a new home for the primary school will be developed in a £2.65m refurbishment of the former middle school buildings, while at Bedlington St Benet Biscop Academy will see a £2.5m expansion to create additional places.

The cabinet agreed to delegate authority to award the contracts for both of these projects to the cabinet member for children’s services and the executive director of adult social care and children’s services.  

Cabinet also agreed to allocate £411,656 of its special provision capital grant fund for pupils with educational, health and social care plans to purchase new modular classrooms for Hillcrest Special School in Cramlington.  

The council has highlighted an urgent need to create special educational needs places across the county and this work will create an additional eight SEND places at Hillcrest

Again it was agreed that the cabinet member for children’s services and the executive director of adult social care and children’s services will be able to approve the purchase of the new classrooms. 

Cllr Wayne Daley, cabinet member for children’s services at Northumberland County Council said:  “Despite the circumstances that we currently find ourselves in it is important to progress with business as usual - and continue our improvements to education in the county.

“These are key projects and will provide additional school places, including for children with special needs, as well as high quality learning environments for our children and young people in Northumberland.  

“I am very pleased that we are making progress with these schemes, and that we can now get the contracts signed and work underway as soon as we reach that stage.”