Bexhill High development moves ahead

East Sussex County Council has submitted a planning application for a Skills Centre which will form the next stage in its 40 million education project for Bexhill.

The project, to be built on two sites, will replace the current building and will include a state-of-the-art 21st century school at Gunters Lane and a purpose-built Skill Centre for vocational courses at Down Road.

Head teacher Mike Conn said he was "over the moon" with plans for what he believes will provide "amazing" opportunity for young people, and added: "This is the next phase of the new school.

"This is the Skill Centre which focuses on vocational training which will be in four main areas - building and construction, engineering, hair and beauty, and catering.

"It really is going to reflect the world of work - there will be a proper restaurant and hair salon which will be open to the public.

"This is utilising part of the Down Road side of the project...but children will not be travelling between the two sites, they will be based in one or the other."

He did not foresee any problems with the ESCC application for the Skills Centre which will comprise 1,927 square metres over two floors in total.

Mr Conn is "very optimistic" about the Skills Centre and commented: "It fills in that missing piece of the jigsaw - the vocational element - which we know has been wanting, all schools having been told to provide a level of equipment and facility which reflects the world of work. This is that missing piece...I am over the moon."

It is being funded by the Government's Building Schools for the Future programme and 4 million is being invested from the ESCC's own funds.

Work on the new high school in Gunters Lane is already underway and this latest planning application moves the plan on further.

The Skill Centre will provide a specialist area for vocational courses including the new 14-19 Diplomas. The centre is dedicated to pre-16 work-based learning and opens up a whole host of opportunities for young people as an alternative to the traditional path of GCSEs.