New plans for JCSC to be considered
Northumberland County Council is to consider a new proposal which would see Amble’s middle school become a hub for young people with special needs and disabilities. The campus at James Calvert Spence College would also benefit from millions of pounds of investment.
JCSC South Avenue building, commonly known as Amble Middle School
NCC has already approved a £25.5m investment in schools in the Coquet Partnership, and now plans to increase the spend to £36.6m to include the new project.
A public consultation was carried out in June, asking people for their views on moving to a two-tier educational system in Amble. 92% of respondents said they believed two-tier would deliver the best outcomes for young people.
JCSC Acklington Rd building
There was also widespread support for proposals to create 50 new places for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by building a new satellite site of Barndale House Special School on the current JCSC South Avenue site that would open in September 2024.
The new SEND hub would cater primarily for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, Speech Language and Communication (SLCN) and Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD).
It would also provide support to all the Coquet Partnership schools offering Continuous Professional Development for staff, intervention and outreach support into mainstream schools.
Councillors will meet to discuss the plans at the Family and Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on September 8 before the report goes before Cabinet on September 13.
Should Cabinet approve the publication of the statutory proposals set out under the recommendations, there would be a four-week period of statutory consultation during which time all interested parties would be able to submit comments, either for or against the proposals.
In a joint statement, the headteachers of the Coquet Partnership said: “All the schools in the Coquet Partnership are united in their vision to build a thriving educational community where all our children and young people can reach their full potential.”
This article has been updated to reflect the £25.5m investment in all the schools in the Coquet Partnership, not just JCSC, as had been originally stated.
