500 signatures reached
To: Northumberland County Council + Others
Schools in Berwick need £40m+ investment NOW!
Updated 9th September 2021
An announcement from the Middle Schools which marks significant progress;
Importantly, we must do everything we can to stop the NCC Administration rowing back from the £40m commitment.
Updated 24th February 2021
** The budget amendment proposed by Cllr Georgina Hill to bring forward funding to progress with the project and business plan straightaway and to increase the overall commitment from £19.75m to £40m was SUCCESSFUL 👍👍👍 **
This is absolutely fantastic news but there is still a lot of hard work ahead and we need to ensure that this remains high up the agenda so
KEEP SIGNING !!
News links;
Position / aims before 24th February 2021;
1. NCC to reverse the decision to delay the long awaited for, new school buildings programme in Berwick-upon-Tweed for two years.
(The current approach demonstrates a culpable lack of leadership, ambition and sense of urgency and is, therefore, likely to lead to further delays.).
2. NCC to bring forward and increase the total budget commitment of £19.8m in 2026 to £40m+.
3. The NCC draft budget, which will be considered on 24th February 2021, to be amended so that the final budget reflects this critical need.
Why is this important?
.** See 9th September 2021 update **
** See 24th February 2021 update **
** The children and young people of Berwick-Upon-Tweed (and the surrounding area) deserve first class, modern educational facilities **
** Current school buildings in the Town were in desperate need of modernisation 20+ (TWENTY) years ago. **
Berwick Academy is the only state high school serving Berwick and the surrounding area - it cannot fail.
It exists in crumbling, old 1950’s buildings.
In early 2018, it was placed in to special measures by Ofsted.
Given all these circumstances, it would be difficult to find a school anywhere in the Country, let alone Northumberland, in more desperate need of improvement and investment - and to be prioritised !
In 2019, an initial budget commitment was given by NCC of £15m. This was meant to be the “starting point” with the eventual investment to be significantly higher - closer to the £40m + which has been invested in new schools elsewhere in Northumberland such as Hexham and Ponteland.
The vision was for other new schools to be built on the existing, large, Berwick Academy site creating a multi-school, education campus.
NOTHING has progressed since then and the conversations, which have taken place, have been “bogged down” with the issue around school reorganisation and with NCC expecting the local schools to come up with the definitive plan.
School reorganisation may follow but is not a necessity or precursor for schools to be able to co-locate on the same site, sharing facilities and greatly reducing their running costs.
In the draft budget, NCC have reduced the £15m, three year budget commitment to £6.4m and pushed the initial investment all the way back into 2023 - 2024.
They have also limited the ambition to just a new high school with a projected figure of £19.8m by 2026. This does not fully address the needs of the Academy, ignores other schools in the area and is contrary to the original vision.
NCC needs to take the lead and commit £40m+ investment NOW which will be the driver for the project and cooperation between the schools.
** We must stop another generation of pupils in Berwick being failed **
