East Sussex College shows its new plans at consultation

The college, which was formed in 2018, used a virtual town hall space to launch the consultation on Friday, May 21, sharing its vision and strategic intentions with the communities that they serve.

Rebecca Conroy, principal and CEO, said: “We are extremely proud and really excited to unveil the new strategic plan for our college group.

“This is a big moment for us; the plan has been developed with campus specialisms and the student experience at its core.

“We want our learning and skills offer to be what the communities of East Sussex need and deserve.

“The reallocation of space, and a close look at the course offer at each campus, will allow us to strengthen our position as a leading provider of education in East Sussex.”

Visitors to the virtual town hall can explore the aim of the college and learn more about proposed specialisms at each campus, through interactive displays and videos.

The college will develop these specialisms to ensure the curriculum on offer better meets the needs of the community and provides the skills required by employers.

The Lewes site, an A-Level centre of excellence, will also focus on developing performing arts, reflecting student success in this area and collaborations with the likes of Southern Rail and Brighton Dome and Festival.

This new strategy outlines the college’s intentions for the next phase of its journey, and welcomes comments and feedback from students, parents/carers, employers, strategic partners, and local community leaders.

The estate plans for each campus also feature for review.

The college has received £1.82m from the government this year to make these developments possible, with further stages due for completion by 2023/24, if the college is successful with a £20m investment package submitted to government.

Plans include new buildings in Lewes and Eastbourne and a proposed new site in Newhaven.

The investment will also see the redevelopment of ESC’s existing sites in Hastings, which already includes a state-of-the-art campus at Station Plaza, completed in 2011.

East Sussex College currently has 9,388 students, with 1,071 students aged 16-18 and 345 adult learners in Lewes.

Students at the Lewes campus make up 11 per cent of East Sussex College’s higher education students.

This new strategy sets out the next phase of development with significant investment planned across the entire estate up until the end of the Parliament.

The virtual town hall will be open to the public until the end of June.

To find out more and to give feedback on the plans, visit www.escg.ac.uk

To find out more about the Lewes campus, visit www.escg.ac.uk/explore/lewes/