The Sheffield College has begun consulting with staff and students this week following a decision to move courses from Peaks Campus.
The college has decided that from September 2023 it will no longer deliver teaching and learning provision at the campus on Waterthorpe Greenway.
Around 300 students are based at Peaks Campus, which offers games design, health and social care, high needs, public services and science courses, apprenticeships and the Prince’s Trust programme.
Subject to a stakeholder consultation process, it is anticipated that the majority of Peaks Campus courses will continue and move to City Campus, Granville Road, which has good public transport links.
The stakeholder consultation process, which has started today, will involve staff, students, parents and carers and community organisations including civic and business leaders.
The consultation, from 9th May 2023 to 1st June 2023, aims to seek stakeholders’ views on the impact of the college’s decision and its planned changes for Peaks Campus. Alongside this, the college is also running a second formal consultation process with the trade unions and Peaks Campus staff whose jobs are directly affected.
The college is consulting with 13 staff permanently based at Peaks Campus who are most affected by the plans, and approximately 70 staff who work regularly at Peaks Campus. The college is committed to minimising any potential redundancies and, wherever possible, staff will be given the option to relocate from Peaks Campus.
Angela Foulkes, Chief Executive and Principal, The Sheffield College, said: “To ensure that we maintain high quality and sustainable education and training for our students, local communities and employers, we regularly review our course offer, facilities and estate.
“It is vital that our estate is sustainable and has a long-term future to enhance the student experience and meet future skills needs. 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.”
She explained: “We understand this will be unsettling news for our Peaks Campus based staff and students, and we will do everything we can to support them. We are also committed to working with partner organisations in the city to find a long term sustainable solution for use of the site.”
The college’s decision follows an internal review of the estate, which found that Peaks Campus is significantly underutilised and costly to maintain and run.
Student recruitment at Peaks Campus has declined with more students wanting to study at City Campus. Around 85% of college students from the local area travel to the College’s other sites to study, particularly City Campus.
For example, 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 the campus. Most of the courses delivered at Peaks Campus are already offered at other campuses.
Peaks Campus students and applicants will be supported with the move and receive:
- Support with travel costs and journey planning.
- Bespoke transport arrangements where required.
- Information, advice and guidance support to ensure they are making the right decision for their future.
For more information, please visit our Peaks Campus FAQs.
About The Sheffield College
- The Sheffield College, which is Ofsted graded ‘good’, is a further and higher education college that provides academic, vocational and professional qualifications to approximately 14,000 young people and adults a year. Our mission is transforming lives through learning.
- The college offers a broad curriculum that includes apprenticeships, vocational diplomas, A Levels, access courses, and foundation and honours degrees, and has four campuses: City, Hillsborough, Olive Grove and Peaks as well as two centres at Fir Vale and Pennine 5.
- Approximately 13,771 students and apprentices studied with the College during 2021/22. Of those learners, around 2,097 were apprentices. The College works with around 2,458 employers. It has approximately 1,300 staff.
Pictured: The Sheffield College has begun consulting with staff, students and other stakeholders following a decision to move courses from Peaks Campus from September 2023.
