New primary school plan for South Tyneside

A new faith school in South Tyneside will be in a brand new building if the plan gets the go-ahead.
St Oswald's CE VA Primary School in Hebburn.St Oswald's CE VA Primary School in Hebburn.
St Oswald's CE VA Primary School in Hebburn.

The Diocese of Durham and the governors at St Oswald’s CE VA Primary School in Hebburn have put in a bid for a new primary school to the Government’s voluntary-aided schools capital scheme.

It is one of 14 applications for the cash to open faith schools and - if successful - would create St Cuthbert’s Church of England VA Primary School in the Monkton area of Jarrow - catering for 420 pupils and a 26-place nursery.

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The school, an exact site for which has not been revealed, is being proposed by St Oswald’s and Cuthbert’s CE VA Federation.

Helen Smith, headteacher at St Oswald’s, said if it gets the goahead a completely new school would be built, but stressed that St Oswald’s would remain as it is.

Mrs Smith said: “We are still waiting for the Department of Education to make a decision. We are hoping to find out in the next week or two if we have been successful.”

The project is the only one of the 14 final bids which is from the North East.

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If the application is approved St Cuthbert’s CofE VA Primary School will be an inclusive, non-selective 3-11-year-old CE primary school.

A report into the possible school, said: “St Cuthbert’s CE VA Primary School will be free to attend and will be highly inclusive, have a distinctive Christian character and will offer its students the opportunity to grow and develop within a broad and balanced curriculum framework under-pinned by Christian values.

“The new school will be open to pupils from families of all faiths and no faith.

“Essentially, this will be a family friendly school with nursery, breakfast club and after school provision offering a wide range of enrichment activities.”

A spokeswoman for South Tyneside Council said the local authority is not involved with the bid at this stage.

However, she said it will become more involved if the bid is successful.