Updated: 12th June 2023
1. What is happening to Peaks Campus?
The Sheffield College has decided that from September 2023 it will no longer deliver teaching and learning provision at its Peaks Campus, Waterthorpe Greenway.
2. What does this decision mean for Peaks Campus students?
Courses currently offered at Peaks Campus will continue and move to our other campuses.
We anticipate that courses will relocate to City Campus, Granville Road, and Hillsborough Campus, Livesey Street, which have good public transport links.
The vast majority of courses delivered at Peaks Campus are already offered at our other campuses.
We understand that this is unsettling news for our Peaks students and staff and we will do all we can to support them.
3. How many students are based at Peaks Campus?
Approximately 300 students are currently based at Peaks Campus.
4. Which courses are offered at Peaks Campus?
Peaks Campus offers courses in the following areas: high needs, games design, health and social care, science, public services, apprenticeships and the Prince’s Trust programme. Courses will continue and relocate, not close.
5. What will happen to staff at Peaks Campus?
The college has been consulting with the trade unions and staff who are affected by our plans for stopping teaching and learning at Peaks Campus. No staff are at risk.
The college has been consulting with 15 staff permanently based at Peaks Campus who are most affected by the plans, and who are being offered redeployment to other sites.
The college has also been consulting with 70 staff who are based across more than one site, including Peaks Campus, and who will continue to work at the college's other campuses.
The formal consultation process with Peaks Campus staff started on Tuesday 9th May 2023.
6. Have Peaks Campus staff been put at risk of losing their jobs?
None of the 85 staff are at risk.
There are 15 staff permanently based at Peaks Campus whom we have been consulting with about redeployment to our other sites.
There are also 70 staff who work across more than one site, and who will continue to work at the other campuses.
7. How will the college support Peaks Campus students with the move?
We are committed to ensuring that our students receive the very best experience possible. We will do everything we can to support our students with the move.
We have been holding one-to-one meetings with students to discuss their options and ensure they are supported and providing tours at City Campus and Hillsborough Campus.
We have also offered drop-in sessions at City Campus and Hillsborough Campus to high needs students and their parents and carers.
The majority of provision at Peaks Campus is already offered at our other campuses and this includes programmes for high needs students, which are delivered across the college.
High needs students are offered the same support regardless of the campus where they study. Around 21% of all high needs students (65) are based at Peaks Campus; the majority, 79%, study at our other campuses.
Please email peakstravelsupport@sheffcol.ac.uk if you are a Peaks student or applicant, or a parent and carer, and have any travel-related enquiries.
Support with travel will be available to existing Peaks Campus students until summer 2025 to help with the transition period, and based on individual need.
If you are a Peaks Campus student or applicant wanting to apply for travel support, please complete our online form.
The package of support will include:
- A free travel pass.
- Paid for bespoke transport arrangements where these are required, for example, high needs students.
- Information, advice and guidance support to help students plan their journeys.
8. What does the decision mean for applicants to Peaks for September 2023?
We are in the process of updating applicants and supporting them with their choices for September 2023.
Please email peakstravelsupport@sheffcol.ac.uk if you are a Peaks applicant, or a parent and carer, and have any travel-related enquiries.
Support with travel will be available to existing Peaks Campus applicants until summer 2025 to help with the transition period, and based on individual need.
If you are a Peaks Campus applicant or student wanting to apply for travel support, please complete our online form.
The package of support will include:
- A free travel pass.
- Paid for bespoke transport arrangements where these are required, for example, high needs students.
- Information, advice and guidance support to help students plan their journeys.
If you haven't already been to have a look around City Campus or Hillsborough Campus and would like to do so, please contact us at admissions@sheffcol.ac.uk or SCE@sheffcol.ac.uk
We are in the process of contacting all those who have a Peaks Campus course offer.
If you already know that you would like to transfer your offer to City Campus or Hillsborough Campus please email admissions@sheffcol.ac.uk or call 0114 2602600 and ask for admissions.
If you choose to transfer your offer, this will be updated on your Prospect account and you will shortly receive a letter with your enrolment date for the relevant campus.
If applicants have any questions or concerns, please contact admissions@sheffcol.ac.uk in the first instance.
9. Why has this decision been made?
The college needs to ensure that all of its estate is sustainable and has a long-term future to enhance the student experience and meet future skills needs.
The decision to no longer offer courses at Peaks Campus from September 2023 follows an internal review of the college estate.
Peaks Campus is significantly underutilised which is costly to maintain and run. The situation is compounded by a tough financial climate for the further education sector nationally including a reduction in funding in real terms and surging energy costs.
Student recruitment at Peaks has declined with more students wanting to study at City Campus. In 2014/15 there were 776 students studying at Peaks. By 2019/20 this had dropped by more than half to 380. Currently, there are around 300 students at Peaks.
Although it has a reputation as a community campus, around 85% of college students from the Peaks Campus area travel to our other sites to study, particularly City Campus.
We need to ensure that all of our estate is sustainable and has a long-term future to enhance the student experience and meet future skills needs.
It is vital that the college is well positioned to provide high quality education and technical training to the students, communities and businesses that it serves.
10. Is there a consultation process?
Two consultation processes were launched in relation to Peaks Campus.
- The college has consulted with stakeholders including all staff, students, parents and carers, civic and business leaders and community organisations, to seek their views on the impact of the planned changes for Peaks Campus.
- The stakeholder consultation took place from 9th May until 1st June 2023 and has now closed. We would like to thank everyone who shared their views. A summary of consultation feedback and the college’s response has been published here.
- Alongside this, we have also been running a separate formal consultation process with the recognised trade unions and college staff who are directly affected by the decision.
11. What will happen to the Peaks Campus building in future?
We are working with partner organisations in the city on finding a long term sustainable solution for use of the site to ensure that the building is still used in a way which continues to serve its communities. Currently, there are no plans to sell the site.
For example, since we made our announcement, as part of the consultation process, we have been discussing with Sheffield City Council the potential future use of the Peaks Campus for educational purposes. These discussions are continuing, and we will keep people advised of developments.
12. Have students, applicants, and parents and carers, been informed?
Communications to students, parents and carers, applicants, and other stakeholders, were sent on Tuesday 9th May 2023 when the college announced its decision to no longer deliver teaching and learning at Peaks Campus from September 2023.
The college has also written to staff, students, parents and carers, and other stakeholders, on 7th June 2023 confirming its decision to move courses, students and staff from Peaks Campus following the completion of the stakeholder consultation process.
