New Telford Sixth Form centre plans revealed

Plans for the new Sixth Form Centre in Telford Town Centre have been submitted for approval.

In 2023, Telford & Wrekin Council successfully secured government funding to deliver its ‘Broadening Aspirations through Culture and Education’ programme.

This includes the renovation of former Addenbrooke House Council offices in Station Quarter to create a new sixth form for Telford College.

Station Quarter is located in the heart of Telford Town Centre and is being transformed to provide a state-of-the-art digital skills and enterprise hub called ‘The Quad’ as well as new town centre apartments, townhouses and retail spaces.

The Quad will provide education provision led by Telford College and Harper Adams University as well as business start-up space.

The new sixth form will be adjacent to Telford Central train station, the bus station and The Quad – creating a new education ‘campus’ in the heart of the town walking distance from both the train and bus station.

The development, which is expected to be completed in December 2025, will provide creative learning opportunities accessible to all and ensure the skills to meet the needs of Telford’s ever growing business community.

Telford College currently delivers further and higher education courses from its main site in Wellington, alongside its comprehensive range of technical courses five miles from the Town Centre.

The relocation of the A-Level provision to the Station Quarter will enable Telford College to broaden its already expanding A-Level centre, supporting more students to study locally.

It is part of a major expansion for the college which will also see a £1.8 million-plus investment in the Wellington campus to transform it into a high-level technical and vocational centre of excellence working with higher education institutions.

Councillor Shirley Reynolds (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Education, Employment and Skills, said: “Telford College’s new sixth form centre at Addenbrooke House will be a huge boost to the college’s existing training and skills offering and is excellent news for the borough.

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Telford College to deliver this facility after successfully securing support through government funding.

“The sixth form centre will be in a prime location in Telford Town Centre and sit alongside the new digital skills centre which is part of the Station Quarter development.

“Telford College will be offering existing and new A-Level courses at the centre when it opens in 2025, giving students a wider choice of qualifications, right in the heart of Telford, which will lead to a bright future.”

This work is part of Telford & Wrekin Council’s ‘20 pledges in 20 weeks’ campaign which will see the local authority deliver 20 actions on the things that matter most to local people during the first 20 weeks following Cllr Lee’s Carter’s appointment as Leader on 18 July.

The pledges reinforce the Council’s ongoing commitment to protect, care and invest to create a better borough.

Christine Pemberton, Telford College’s Vice Principal for Curriculum, said: “We’re incredibly excited about these plans.

“Our new Sixth Form Centre will be adjacent to the new digital skills centre we are launching at Station Quarter this September.

“It is part of a long-term strategy which will respond to the workforce requirements of the Telford & Wrekin area allowing us to expand a number of our areas on the Wellington Campus to further establish it as a specialist higher level technical learning centre.

“These are incredibly exciting times for the college as we continue to work closely with employers and schools to prepare the workforce for the future, with higher levels of skills.”

Pic: Addenbrooke House – Telford Live!