A new primary academy school which shares its premises with a school for deaf children has opened in King’s Cross.
The two-form King’s Cross Academy shares facilities with the Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children in the heart of the King’s Cross development in the Plimsoll Building.
Children and staff at both schools will learn British Sign Language, allowing pupils to communicate with each other. The classrooms are all fitted with specialist equipment to improve the sound quality.
Frank Barnes has long awaited a permanent home after it made way for the UCL Academy school in Swiss Cottage in 2012.
Its new neighbour King’s Cross Academy has two reception classes for 60 children, and will eventually expand to serve 420 pupils alongside a 26-place nursery.
Emyr Fairburn, headteacher of King’s Cross Academy, said: “Our aim is for all our children to become highly successful life-long learners, raise aspirations and develop into economically, socially and emotionally strong citizens of the future.
“Our location, together with our state-of-the-art building, gives us the raw tools to help us achieve this ambitious aim.
“Being co-located with Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children gives our pupils a unique opportunity to collaborate with the deaf community.”
Karen Simpson, headteacher of Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children, said: “The co-location of Frank Barnes School and Kings Cross Academy is the realisation of a vision for a state-of-the-art school for the deaf that will serve generations of deaf children in the future.
“The school has been designed to include all the latest technology and high acoustic specifications to provide an excellent learning environment for all of the children in both schools.”
Cllr Angela Mason, Camden Council’s cabinet member for children, said: “At a time when much of the education conversation is dominated by opposing ideologies, the new learning complex at King’s Cross shows what can be done when we work together.
“The combination of a state special school and a primary academy, sponsored by the developers of the fantastic King’s Cross development working closely with the local authority, creates a very exciting educational dynamic and great opportunities for our children, whose learning will also be enriched by partnership projects with prestigious organisations and businesses nearby.”
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