Hastings site to be turned into 'educational hub'

A college in Sussex is extending its offer of courses to Hastings.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Plumpton College will be delivering courses in the town later this year.

Courses range from horticulture, viticulture, and dog grooming, as well as other land-based subjects.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The move is part of a seven-year plan to transform underused land in Hastings into an educational hub.

An artist's impression of classroom/pod structuresAn artist's impression of classroom/pod structures
An artist's impression of classroom/pod structures

Education Futures Trust (EFT) recently launched the proposals for the site at The Firs.

A partnership has also been set up between Broadening Horizons Together and EFT, which works to support children, families and vulnerable adults in Hastings and the surrounding area, as well as Plumpton College.

EFT said the partnership will result in the introduction of a green, environmental, and land-based curriculum delivered by Plumpton College at The Firs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It added that through the Towns Fund, the site at The Firs will benefit from an investment in resources, including a new modular classroom.

Guests attend a Concept Day event at The Firs Hastings. Pictured are Jane Hartnell - Managing Director, Hastings Borough Council, Carole Dixon – CEO, Education Futures Trust, Graham Peters - Chairman, Team East Sussex, Sally-Ann Hart - MP for Hastings and Rye, Darrell Gale - Director of Public Health, East Sussex County Council, Sean Dennis - Chamber of Commerce, Let’s Do Business, Jeremy Kerswell - Principal, Plumpton College, Jon Searle - Curriculum Manager, Plumpton College, Shar Brown, Outdoor Learning Manager, Education Futures Trust, Chantal Lass - Sustainability and Climate Change Programme Manager, Hastings Borough Council, Cllr Paul Barnett - Leader of the Council, Hastings Borough Council, Cllr Maya Evans – Deputy leader, Hastings Borough Council, Cllr Julia Hilton – Hastings Borough Council, Pranesh Datta - Economic Development Manager Regeneration and Culture, Hastings Borough Council, Clive Galbraith – Trustee, Education Futures Trust, Allison Baines – Trustee, Education Futures Trust, and Richard Lawless, Business Development Manager, Education Futures TrustGuests attend a Concept Day event at The Firs Hastings. Pictured are Jane Hartnell - Managing Director, Hastings Borough Council, Carole Dixon – CEO, Education Futures Trust, Graham Peters - Chairman, Team East Sussex, Sally-Ann Hart - MP for Hastings and Rye, Darrell Gale - Director of Public Health, East Sussex County Council, Sean Dennis - Chamber of Commerce, Let’s Do Business, Jeremy Kerswell - Principal, Plumpton College, Jon Searle - Curriculum Manager, Plumpton College, Shar Brown, Outdoor Learning Manager, Education Futures Trust, Chantal Lass - Sustainability and Climate Change Programme Manager, Hastings Borough Council, Cllr Paul Barnett - Leader of the Council, Hastings Borough Council, Cllr Maya Evans – Deputy leader, Hastings Borough Council, Cllr Julia Hilton – Hastings Borough Council, Pranesh Datta - Economic Development Manager Regeneration and Culture, Hastings Borough Council, Clive Galbraith – Trustee, Education Futures Trust, Allison Baines – Trustee, Education Futures Trust, and Richard Lawless, Business Development Manager, Education Futures Trust
Guests attend a Concept Day event at The Firs Hastings. Pictured are Jane Hartnell - Managing Director, Hastings Borough Council, Carole Dixon – CEO, Education Futures Trust, Graham Peters - Chairman, Team East Sussex, Sally-Ann Hart - MP for Hastings and Rye, Darrell Gale - Director of Public Health, East Sussex County Council, Sean Dennis - Chamber of Commerce, Let’s Do Business, Jeremy Kerswell - Principal, Plumpton College, Jon Searle - Curriculum Manager, Plumpton College, Shar Brown, Outdoor Learning Manager, Education Futures Trust, Chantal Lass - Sustainability and Climate Change Programme Manager, Hastings Borough Council, Cllr Paul Barnett - Leader of the Council, Hastings Borough Council, Cllr Maya Evans – Deputy leader, Hastings Borough Council, Cllr Julia Hilton – Hastings Borough Council, Pranesh Datta - Economic Development Manager Regeneration and Culture, Hastings Borough Council, Clive Galbraith – Trustee, Education Futures Trust, Allison Baines – Trustee, Education Futures Trust, and Richard Lawless, Business Development Manager, Education Futures Trust

Sally-Ann Hart, MP for Hastings and Rye, and Darrell Gale, director of public health at East Sussex County Council, were among those invited to The Firs site in Elphinstone Road at a launch event on June 8 to learn more about the new development, which is set to launch at the end of July.

Carole Dixon, EFT’s CEO, said: “The partnership will deliver specialist land-based provision for school and home educated students, as well as a post-16 offer that provides exposure and training that closes the skills gap within the land-based jobs market.

"Adult provision will support career change opportunities and industry up-skilling that meets local need.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This holistic approach will provide a seamless transition into learning and will ultimately provide progression routes into skills development and employment; tackling the significant socio-economic challenges faced by the town and leading to improved life chances.”

In autumn 2019, the Government announced that Hastings, along with 100 other towns across the UK, had been selected to bid for a share of £3.6 billion from the Towns Fund in order to support the regeneration of the town centre and gateway sites over the next decade.

Plumpton College is a further and higher education college, based in Plumpton, that runs courses in a variety of land-based and related subjects, including agriculture, horticulture, floristry, equine studies, metalsmithing, animal care and veterinary nursing, forestry and arboriculture and viticulture.