Council confirms new tenant for Northdown House in Margate

Thanet District Council has secured a new tenant for the Grade II listed Northdown House in Margate. Life Skills Enterprise was selected following a call for prospective tenants who might use the building for leisure, hospitality or educational purposes. 

The organisation took over the lease on Friday 8 November 2024 and will set up a day school in Northdown House, for young people with Autistic Spectrum Condition. At full capacity, the new school could provide up to 80 specialist placements, requiring up to 40 staff with a proposed opening in 2025.

The new school will provide skills-based lessons focussed on the day to day running of the school, for example food preparation and building maintenance for post-16 students. The long-term aim is for Life Skills Enterprise to help provide students with the practical skills needed for independent living and future employment.

The school will operate with small classroom sizes, accommodating around eight to ten students in each, supported by a high staff-to-student ratio of one teacher and two teaching assistants per class. The curriculum will include core academic subjects, alongside life skills and therapeutic interventions.

Further specialised therapeutic services will be offered, including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and counselling. These will support the students’ emotional and social development, with the aim of preparing them for adulthood and employability.

As part of the lease, Life Skills Enterprise will carry out improvements to Northdown House, to include:

• Full internal refurbishment
• Repairing or replacing windows
• Work to the main entrance and porch
• Work to the exterior of the building
• Resurfacing the car park
• Reinstating the Secret Jungle, Northdown Park’s walled garden

In addition to upgrading the building and setting up the school, Life Skills Enterprise also plans to open the Secret Jungle to the members of the public, free of charge, at specific times during the week. As part of a further rolling programme of developments, there are also plans to open a community café.

Northdown House sits within the grounds of Northdown Park. The park itself is not included in the lease, and will remain open for public use. Fences and gates will be installed to safeguard the children and also to retain the existing public right of way. 

Cllr Ruth Duckworth, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property at Thanet District Council, said: “I’m so pleased that we have secured a new tenant for Northdown House, and one that will provide a real benefit to local families in need of specialist education for their children. 

“Northdown House is a beautiful building in a picturesque setting, and the works that will be carried out will help to safeguard the property for future generations.” 

Paul Barrett, Director and founder of Life Skills Manor and Life Skills Enterprise, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we have been given the opportunity to restore Northdown House as a school that caters for children aged 10-18 with a primary diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Condition. 

“The need for a provision with specialist placements continues to grow and Northdown House, along with the Secret Jungle, natural woodland and beautiful surroundings, will enable local children to flourish.

“We have a proven track record of creating high-quality specialist provision, and I would encourage people to view our partnership school at www.lifeskillsmanor.co.uk”   

Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the new school, or in applying for a place, should contact paul@lifeskillsenterprise.co.uk 

Photo credit: Your Leisure Kent Ltd / AG Studio