Council admits new schools not ready for pupils
A week into the new term, Northumberland County Council have confirmed to parents that a new Primary school in Amble will now not be ready for pupils for some time. Pupils who expected to attend the new King Edwin Primary school this term must now return to their previous school building on Edwin Street, until refurbishment work is finished.
The building on South Avenue is not ready for children
Pupils from Barndale school who were also hoping to start at the new premises will also see delays.
The announcement comes a week after children were due to begin the new term. Pupils at Amble Links Primary School were not affected, and children in Year 5 began their new school year in specially constructed mobile classrooms on the Links School site.
A spokesperson for NCC told The Ambler: “Although the vast majority of the works are now complete, the contractor has requested more time to carry out all the final testing, commissioning and safety checks before the official handovers.
“King Edwin Primary School and nursery pupils will be returning to their former school site on Tuesday 10 September until their new school is ready to open.
“Barndale-by-the-Sea will open to pupils from Monday 16 September, following a week of fun transition activities in the community to ensure a smooth transition for both its new staff and pupils.”
The spokesperson added: “Whilst these short delays are both disappointing and frustrating, we believe this is the best course of action to ensure these two new fantastic schools are fully operational ahead of our taking possession and moving in.
“We have been in touch with all parents and carers to explain the new arrangements and thank all affected by this delay for their patience and understanding.”
The site of the former Middle School was due to open to pupils at the beginning of autumn term.
King Edwin Primary School is the new name for Amble First School, after the local education system changed to two-tier. The refurbished Middle School building on South Avenue will house pupils from Amble First School, which will offer a 210 place primary school and 26 place nursery.
Barndale House School will open a new 50 place satellite site called Barndale-by-the-Sea for pupils with special educational needs including autism, social and emotional mental health, speech, language and communication, and moderate learning difficulties.
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