The Northumberland Church of England Academy
The current Duke is continuing this long standing tradition. In 2009 he became joint sponsor of The Northumberland Church of England Academy alongside the Church of England Diocese of Newcastle. The Academy, which is based in Ashington in Northumberland, is an all age school educating children from 3 to 19 years of age. This £46 million project is replacing ten existing schools with state of the art facilities for the 3,000 children who attend and hoping to significantly raise academic standards.
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St Clouds
Since the Second World War, part of Alnwick Castle has been used by educational establishments. Since 1981 it has been home to a branch campus for St. Cloud State University, Minnesota, USA, forming part of their International Study Programme. This programme is designed to give American students the opportunity to experience different cultures and customs whilst gaining credits towards their degrees. The majority of the courses taught at Alnwick fall within the humanities and social sciences, and some of the courses, such as English History and Contemporary Britain, are taught by staff from Alnwick. During their stay in Alnwick, the students live and study within the Castle but also spend time with local families, with many developing unique links with the town and people.
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Alnwick Schools and The Northumberland Estates
The relationship between Alnwick schools and The Northumberland Estates continues today. Recently, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle announced plans to redevelop the St Oswald’s school site on the edge of the town. This scheme will see St John’s RC First and Thomas Percy RC Middle Schools move to the St Oswald’s site, with the refurbishment to provide state of the art facilities for the children. The refurbishment will be financed by the sale of the former school sites to The Northumberland Estates.
Meantime educational visits by local school children and other groups to the Castle are welcomed with a programme of educational activities available. For more information visit the Alnwick Castle web site.