Image demonstrating Councillors approve next steps in £25.5m investment in Amble schools

Councillors approve next steps in £25.5m investment in Amble schools

Councillors have approved the next steps in plans for a £25.5m capital investment in schools in the Coquet Partnership.  
The council has already agreed to fund the project, which will include the replacement or refurbishment of James Calvert Spence College (JCSC).   
But before the work is carried out, cabinet has approved a six-week public consultation on the structure of the school system in the partnership to make sure it delivers the best outcomes for young people now and in the future.  
The partnership currently operates on a system based on a three-tier structure with pupils transferring from their first schools at age nine to a split site James Calvert Spence College from age 9-18.    
The consultation will seek views on whether or not to move from a three to a two-tier structure, along with the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and Early Years provision in the area.   
Councillor Guy Renner-Thompson, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Children’s Services, said: “Council officers have met with school leaders to discuss the structure of organisation of schools which would be, in their view, the most effective in improving outcomes for pupils in all phases and for the long-term sustainability of the partnership.  
"Overall, the feedback received from schools clearly pointed to the desire to carry out a consultation on proposals for schools to be organised within a two-tier structure rather than the current three-tier.   
“It is vital that we get this major investment in our schools and young people absolutely right. This is a community-led consultation and we want to hear your views.”  
Audrey Kingham, Interim Executive Director of Children’s Services, Northumberland County Council, said: “This consultation sets out the key issues faced by schools in the partnership and asks for views on whether the current structure or the proposed primary/secondary school structure would deliver a good and sustainable school system in the Coquet Partnership area.   

“We are also asking for any alternative suggestions that could be a viable option for delivering these aims.  
“Whether you are a member of staff in a Coquet school, a parent of school-age children, a local resident, or anyone with an interest in education in the area, I hope that you will take this opportunity to submit your views and help to shape the future of schools in the Coquet Partnership.”  
A six-week consultation will take place between 11 May and 29 June 2022. 

The latest on the project can be found here.  
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