Schools react to education shake-up in the Berwick Partnership

The agreement by Northumberland County Council’s cabinet last Thursday means that there will be a move to a two-tier system. Middle schools will close and first schools will be expanded into primary schools.

Also promised is a significant investment for new school buildings at Berwick Academy, which will become a secondary school, as part of an overall £41.177million allocation.

During an earlier consultation, the middle schools in Berwick proposed an alternative model where they would undergo a major restructure and merge to form a single middle school. However, this was rejected by the county council.

Donna Goddard, chair of trustees at Berwick Academy, said: “We welcome this major investment by Northumberland County Council in the Berwick Partnership of schools and are excited about the opportunities that it will bring.

“The trustees and staff at Berwick Academy are really looking forward to welcoming more young people and their families to our school community and supporting them through the next steps of their educational journey.

“We are committed to working together with all the schools in the Partnership to make sure all our children and young people can thrive and reach their full potential.”

Scremerston First School was earmarked for closure under the council's initial plans, but it will now stay open as a primary school with a reduced yearly admission from 18 to 10.

It ran an effective ‘save our school’ campaign – this included a petition that received more than 800 signatures.

A spokesperson for the school said: “Staff and governors at Scremerston First School are delighted that we will have a part to play in the future of education in the Berwick Partnership.

“We worked hard to keep our school open in the face of possible closure and are thrilled that the local authority has been persuaded by our campaign and that we can go on providing all the brilliant things our school has to offer, to future generations of children.

“The partnership will try to retain as much of the excellence and expertise currently in our middle schools as possible in the posts created in the new primary schools and in the additional years at our secondary school.

“There are exciting times ahead that will no doubt bring their own challenges and we are definitely up for meeting those and extending our offer to another two year groups.”

Berwick Middle School and Tweedmouth Community Middle School have been contacted for comment.