HEALTH clinics, libraries, gyms and even a skatepark will all be brought under one roof at some of the region's schools, under a pioneering scheme unveiled today.
The projects - totalling £12.7m - will help ensure more children succeeded by ensuring important services are easily available, Children's Secretary Ed Balls pledged.
They are among 101 "co-location" projects to be funded from a £200m pot, with the aim of ending the days when schools opened Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm. Some will be at other public buildings.
The schemes are: * Heathfield Primary School, Darlington (£2.73m) - a gymnasium, 'Nurture Room', information library, after school care with disabled access and 'hot desk' facilities at a Well-Being Centre.
* Seven "one stop shops" at schools in County Durham (£6.8M) - including learning support, support for emotional wellbeing health needs and parenting, run by Durham Children's Trust.
* Gateshead Civic Centre (£850,000) - a partnership with Northumbria Police, focusing on child protection and domestic violence, working with child protection nurses.
* Rossmere Primary School, Hartlepool (£396,456) - a 'Multi Use Games Area' and a skatepark.
* Tyneside Foyer, Newcastle (£964,722) - to provide high quality, safe accommodation and life skills coaching for care leavers.
* Biddick Hall Infant School, South Tyneside (£207,000) - accommodation for the successful 'Community Breakfast Caf' alongside a children's centre and health services.
* Applefields School, York (£877,500) - supporting young people with disabilities, with physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and a psychologist, with links to local employers.
Announcing the funding, Mr Balls said: "Schools used to be open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, but I want them to be at the heart of their community.
"The Sure Start centres were the first stage of that, bringing together nursery provision, toddlers groups, midwives and health visitors on the same site.
"Now we want to introduce that idea right through the school system, including in some secondary schools. Some are even putting GPs and dentists into schools."
Mr Balls explained that the approach could be particularly important for the one in ten children with mental health problems and needing expert help.
He added: "At the moment, they have to travel to a different place, a long way away, because there might only be one such expert for the whole of a city. We need to get those facilities within schools."
Project organisers will receive their funding straight away, with the aim of getting some projects up and running before the end of the summer.
* In a separate announcement, Mr Balls pledged £2.7m to Redcar and Cleveland authority to improve services for children with special educational needs (SEN).
Ten authorities will receive cash for better assessment of children, provide more activities and encourage their parents to become involved, to close the big achievement gap with other youngsters.
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