Latest news with #CheviotLearningTrust
BBC News
14-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Prudhoe High school Pupils given new site 16 miles away
Pupils at a school which had to be shut due to cracks will now be taught about 16 miles (26km) away for the "foreseeable future", bosses have Community High School in Northumberland was shut on 17 February and pupils were initially told they would not be able to return until 3 the Cheviot Learning Trust then told parents the school would be closed for "six to nine months as a minimum" after the building - built nine years ago - was found to be has now said pupils will be taught at Sunderland College's Washington Campus, meaning pupils will have to take a 32-mile (52km) round trip each day. Trust chief executive Alice Witherow said the team was grateful to the college for "their collaboration and support in making this solution possible".She said the team had received "many messages of support" from parents and the wider community in recent weeks."[It] has been a real lift for all of us," she said, adding: "It is a real team effort and we are really grateful." The trust said the building in Washington would only be used by its school pupils and it would be for the "foreseeable future", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said the children would be bussed from Prudhoe to the college and back again each day, and that everyone would be "entitled to a space".Education Partnership North East, which Sunderland College is a part of, said it was committed to serving communities in the region. Neither body said when exactly pupils would start learning at the site. Students are currently being taught online. Prudhoe Community High School was built in 2016 at a cost of £14.6m under the previous Conservative government's priority school building programme (PSBP). Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
10-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Prudhoe High school: New site found for pupils of 'unsafe' school
A temporary site has been found for a school which had to be closed when cracks appeared on its upper floor. Prudhoe Community High School in Northumberland was shut on Monday 17 February, and pupils were told they would not be able to return until 3 the Cheviot Learning Trust then told parents the school would be closed for "six to nine months as a minimum" after the building - built nine years ago - was found to be unsafe. The trust said it would reveal the new site once the deal with its owners was complete. Trust chief executive Alice Witherow said: "I know that this is frustrating but the other party has asked us not to release information at this point."I am very hopeful, however, that this is a good interim solution."The school was built in 2016 at a cost of £14.6m under the previous Conservative government's priority school building programme (PSBP).The building has been deemed "unsafe" by engineers and "stringent" safety measures are in place to prevent are currently learning online from Tracey Gilmour said she was worried about the impact on her daughter, who is about to take her GCSEs. "Now they're home-schooling and not in front of the teachers so they're missing that crucial stage of the year when they really need to prepare for their exams," she said. In a statement, the trust said it continued to "explore the possibility of installing portable classrooms onsite as a longer-term option".But, it said, that was dependent on "ongoing structural investigations and advice from surveyors regarding land movement beneath the school building".Ms Witherow added: "Staff have told me they are really impressed with the resilience of the students and it is great to hear these positive stories."I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who is making this possible."The support from parents, the local community, the Department for Education and Northumberland County Council has been invaluable." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
School shut for at least six months due to cracks
A school which was built in 2016 and forced to close earlier this week after a "number of cracks" were found will now be shut for at least six months. Prudhoe Community High School in Northumberland was shut on Monday and pupils were told they would not be able to return until 3 March at the earliest. But following further checks, parents were told the school, which is run by the Cheviot Learning Trust, would be closed for "six to nine months as a minimum". The trust's head Alice Witherow said the safety of staff and pupils was the organisation's "top priority". The trust said engineers had found that the building, which was built at a cost of £14.6m, was "not safe to continue operating". It said lessons would be taught online until another solution was found. Options being explored include relocation and the construction of temporary mobile classrooms. Ms Witherow said she understood the anxiety the situation had caused particularly for those in their GCSE and A-Level examination years. "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the parents, staff, and community members for their continued support during this challenging time," said Ms Witherow. "The safety of our pupils and staff is our top priority, and while this situation is difficult, I am confident in the strength of our school community to navigate through it." She said meetings would be held after the half-term break to share updates and address any concerns from families. The school was built under the previous Conservative government's priority school building programme (PSBP), which has now been withdrawn. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. School closes after cracks found in building Prudhoe Community High School Cheviot Learning Trust
BBC News
22-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Prudhoe school shut for at least six months due to cracks
A school which was built in 2016 and forced to close earlier this week after a "number of cracks" were found will now be shut for at least six months. Prudhoe Community High School in Northumberland was shut on Monday and pupils were told they would not be able to return until 3 March at the following further checks, parents were told the school, which is run by the Cheviot Learning Trust, would be closed for "six to nine months as a minimum".The trust's head Alice Witherow said the safety of staff and pupils was the organisation's "top priority". The trust said engineers had found that the building, which was built at a cost of £14.6m, was "not safe to continue operating". It said lessons would be taught online until another solution was found. Options being explored include relocation and the construction of temporary mobile classrooms. 'Confident in school community' Ms Witherow said she understood the anxiety the situation had caused particularly for those in their GCSE and A-Level examination years. "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the parents, staff, and community members for their continued support during this challenging time," said Ms Witherow."The safety of our pupils and staff is our top priority, and while this situation is difficult, I am confident in the strength of our school community to navigate through it."She said meetings would be held after the half-term break to share updates and address any concerns from families. The school was built under the previous Conservative government's priority school building programme (PSBP), which has now been withdrawn. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
