Northgate Street era draws to a close
More than 100 years of history will come to an end this week as education staff at Warwickshire County Council start to bid farewell to Northgate Street in Warwick.
Packing cases are being filled and the first team will move out of the historic street to new offices in Saltisford in Warwick this week.
More than 300 members of staff are switching to the new building (opposite Sainsbury’s), which form the headquarters for the new Children, Young People and Families directorate. The directorate was formed earlier this year to bring together all county council children’s services under a single structure.
Among the first teams to move will be the Pupil and Student Services section, who handle applications for student loans, free school meals and school transport.
Applications for the forthcoming academic year will be processed as normal. All services will be maintained during the move and telephone lines will be open to callers.
Other sections will be moving in over the next few weeks, with everyone due in place by the start of the school term. As well as teams from Northgate Street, staff from nine other locations around the county are being brought together to help improve services.
Northgate Street, the home of the education department from around 1904, will be used temporarily by other council staff before it is sold for conversion back into houses.
Marion Davis, Strategic Director for Children, Young People and Families, said: “We have been working hard to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible so disruption to our services is minimal. In one way it is sad that we are leaving the buildings that have been our home for so long, but a bright new dawn is beckoning for the way that we support children, young people and families in Warwickshire.”