The Building Schools for the Future Programme is Northumberland Conservatives' flagship education policy to ensure young people in our county can access the facilities they need to have the best start in life. The programme makes our council the only one in the north to be building new schools, while only a few are building elsewhere in the country.

Today (Friday 25th January) the Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Cllr Wayne Daley, has announced a £21 million investment into Astley High School in Seaton Delaval. The school was promised a new building by the last Labour Council - and then let down. Thanks to our programme this is finally being put right.

He said: “When we took control of Northumberland County Council I was shocked to learn how many broken promises were made to schools.

I made a commitment to Astley High School that I would start a fresh discussion after they had been let down by successive Labour and Liberal Democrat administrations. Today I am proud to announce a Conservative Council has delivered a new school building which is a major investment in the future of childrens' education in the Seaton Valley area.”

Image: Wayne Daley with Head Teacher of Astley High School