Hillcrest School improvements come a step closer

Northumberland County Council Cabinet  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.

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.

Two other projects have also progressed. 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.

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.”