A £800,000 project to combine a national 'showcase' travel and tourism academy with integrated services for local children, young people and families will begin at Callington Community College this autumn.

The travel and tourism centre will link with further new facilities at each of the six other South East Cornwall Learning Partnership schools and colleges and the St Mellion International Resort and offer a diploma course.

It will also focus on the development of foreign language skills and be equipped with bespoke IT systems that incorporate a professional travel booking system and video conferencing facilities.

As well as bringing together health and Cornwall Council services for children, schools and families at the site there will also be a health and well being centre for the benefit of students, families, staff and members of the wider community.

Emotional health support will be coupled with a programme of health promotion events and training for individuals to act as peers and coaches.

Headteacher Gary Lobbett said the tourism academy would host and operate a web-based commercial service that would cater for the needs of tourist organisations in the region. This highly innovative approach to learning would enable students and staff to learn and work collaboratively across the South East Cornwall partnership.

'I am delighted that the college will be contributing to such an important national development,' he said.

'Our students will benefit significantly from this unique opportunity to access national, showcase facilities on the college site.'

'Our travel and tourism students will gain a truly authentic experience of working in the travel and tourism sector.  Using the highest quality video conferencing and learning management systems, students will learn through tutorials, mentoring and group work locally, nationally and worldwide.

'Callington is a highly successful "International School" and "International Bacca-laureate World School" — the courses and opportunities that will be offered to our students at this facility build on these achievements and bring an exciting new dimension to our college.'

Cornwall Council and health staff will be based at the college with Children's Trust partner organisations, including the police and voluntary sector providers, using it for partnership working and sharing of information.   

The project will enable services to be delivered from within communities that have limited access to children's services in Launceston, Bude and Callington. 

The council's cabinet member for children's services Neil Burden said: 'Cornwall Council is looking at all opportunities and is committed in providing more integrated and customer focused services in educational and vocational services for our young people through working more closely with partners and delivering services closer to where people live.

The new build is being constructed with Central Government funding.