Pupils celebrated a special delivery as the £39m investment in the Coquet Partnership of schools continues to take shape.  
 

The first new classrooms were delivered in style, arriving by lorry and hoisted into place by cranes, as the partnership prepares to move from a three to a two-tier system.  
 

From September 2024, Amble Links, Red Row, Grange View and Broomhill First Schools will expand into primary schools. 
 

The schools have been working closely with Portakabin, which specialises in modular buildings, to develop bespoke designs to accommodate additional pupils.  
 

Once in position, work will then take place to add the finishing touches, all ready for pupils at the start of the new term. 
 

Pupils at Grange View Church of England First School also celebrated the milestone by burying a time capsule underneath their new classroom.  
 

Cllr Guy Renner-Thompson, Cabinet member for Inspiring Young People, said: “Portakabin have worked closely with the schools on these designs, and I’m delighted to see the plans take shape. 
 

“The first classrooms certainly arrived in style, and it will be fantastic to have these new facilities ready for September as the schools embark on this exciting next chapter.”  
 

Lee Norwood, Contract Manager at Portakabin, said: “The whole Portakabin team have been thrilled to support the local community in this way, by providing state-of-the-art teaching facilities and learning areas that students can thrive in. 
 

“We’re really looking forward to seeing these new schools in action in September.” 
 

The expansion is part of the wider Coquet Partnership masterplan, which aims to transform education and learning facilities in the area for generations to come.  
 

Work is also on track at the former middle school site on South Avenue, which is being redeveloped into two new schools opening in September 2024. 
 

Amble First School will expand and relocate to become the 210-place Edwin Street Primary School along with a 26-place nursery.  
 

Barndale House School will open a new 50-place satellite site called Barndale-by-the-Sea. Catering for pupils with a range of neurodiverse needs, it will be fitted out with bespoke classrooms, a life skills studio, home economics classroom, STEM classroom and library. 
 

A new building for James Calvert Spence College will also be constructed, opening to pupils in April 2026.  
 

Cllr Jeff Watson, Cabinet member for Healthy Lives at Northumberland County Council and who represents Amble West with Warkworth, said: “We’ve talked about these plans for a long time, but now they are quickly becoming reality and it’s very exciting for Amble and the surrounding area.  

“We’re witnessing a transformation in Amble and it’s going to be fantastic for the children, young people and the wider community.”