First look at school at heart of education reform

Designs for a £42m school, which is set to be rebuilt as part of a reorganisation of a county's education system, have been released by a local authority.

Northumberland County Council has published two designs of how the new Berwick Academy might look if plans are approved later this year.

The academy is being rebuilt as schools in the north of the county shift from a three-tier education system, involving first, middle and high schools, to a two-tier system.

Three middle schools will close during the overhaul, with councillor Guy Renner-Thompson saying the council would be offering support to any anxious parents.

"This is an absolute focus for us as we move into the next stages of the transition, and I have instructed that extra support is made available for this on top of the support schools are already getting," he said.

Under the changes Berwick, Tweedmouth and Glendale Middle Schools will close, with the council spending £8.2m on converting the existing first schools to primary schools, as well as the creation of a family and community hub in Wooler.

Parents of pupils previously raised concerns the council lacked a clear plan for the school system changes. However, the council has insisted the changes are running to schedule.

The new high school will contain a dedicated special educational needs facilities and training facilities for students aged over 16.

Two possible designs have been released by the council, which both include a number of football pitches and an extensive car park.

Access to the new school will be from Northumberland Road, meaning pupils can continue to use the existing Berwick Academy building during construction work.

A drop-in event is being organised in Berwick to allow local people to find out more about the proposed new site and how pupils will transition to the new system.

"We are totally committed to delivering what will be a huge development that will benefit our children for decades to come, and the next chapter in the regeneration of Berwick town itself," said Renner-Thompson.

Renner-Thompson said: "We are totally committed to delivering what will be a huge development that will benefit our children for decades to come, and the next chapter in the regeneration of Berwick town itself."

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