East Sussex College or East Sussex College Group is the largest higher education college in East Sussex, providing education and training from foundation to degree level. The college educates almost half of the county's young people and over 8,000 adults each year at campuses in Lewes, Eastbourne, Hastings and Newhaven, and in the workplace.
Sussex Downs College, itself created from colleges in Eastbourne and Lewes, merged with Sussex Coast College in 2018 to form the East Sussex College Group (ESCG).
East Sussex College is a provider of work based further education and apprenticeships in these areas.
History The college traces its roots back via the four original institutions: one in Hastings, two in Eastbourne and one in Lewes: Lewes Tertiary College, created in 1989 when Priory School, Lewes sixth form (using the former Lewes County Grammar School for Boys building) and Lewes Technical College merged to create the new institution. Park College, Eastbourne, renamed from Eastbourne Sixth Form College in 1994 after incorporation, was created from Eastbourne Grammar School in 1979. Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology was renamed in 1987. Before that it was the College of Further Education, Eastbourne (which had until 1957 been the Eastbourne Technical College and before that the Technical Institute, Eastbourne). In 1980 it merged with The College of Art and Design, Eastbourne which was in turn formerly known as the Eastbourne School of Arts and Crafts; around 1962 it acquired 'Eversley Court', St Anne's Road (formerly used by Ascham House Gentlemen's School). Sussex Coast College Hastings was established under the name Hastings College of Arts and Technology in 1982 but can trace its roots back to Hastings College of Further Education, created in 1968, and the School of Science and Art, Hastings which was established in 1875 and was taken over by Hastings County Borough in March 1895.
Merger with Lewes Tertiary College and Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology Sussex Downs College was established in 2001 through a merger of Lewes Tertiary College and Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology.
Takeover of Park College Park College was taken over in 2003
Merger with Sussex Downs College and Sussex Coast College In 2017 it was announced that there would be a further merger and reorganisation, to create the East Sussex College Group across several campuses and a wider area. On 18 April 2018, it was announced that the merger had been completed.
In 2017 the college announced they were planning to merge with Sussex Downs College. Which on 18 April 2018, was announced to have been completed and merged.
Current campuses
East Sussex College, Eastbourne
Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 2UF
East Sussex College, Lewes
1 Mountfield Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2XH
East Sussex College, Newhaven
Marine Workshops, Railway Quay, Newhaven, BN9 0ER
East Sussex College, Hastings Station Plaza
Station Approach, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1BA
East Sussex College, Ore Valley
Parker Road, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 3TT
East Sussex College, Automotive Centre
Unit 17 & 18 Northridge Industrial Estate, Ivyhouse Lane, Haywood Way, Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 4PP
Courses
A variety of part-time and full-time courses are offered at the colleges including A levels, BTECs, apprenticeships and many work based vocational qualifications.
Students can also study at the Sports Academy, Performing Arts Academy and East Sussex Music Academy
Students
East Sussex College offers a wide range of programmes for international students, with learners undertaking anything from one week courses to three years of academic study in preparation for progression to UK universities.
The College has approximately 4,500 full time students under the age of 19 and 10,000+ adult learners.
Staff
The College has more than 1,000 staff. In January 2019, teaching staff went on strike, in response to complaints over low pay, where real pay rates for teaching staff have fallen by 25% between 2009-2019.
In 2018, it was reported that the ex-Principal of Sussex Downs College was paid £200,000 per year and had been placed on gardening leave at a cost of £80,000, while the College expected to post a large annual deficit that year of £1.9m and was also making other staff redundancies.
Academic results
In 2014, Sussex Downs College achieved an overall A-Level pass rate of 97% with almost three quarters of students achieving higher grades of A-C.
55 subject areas achieved 100% pass rates.
External evaluation
In an Ofsted inspection in 2017, Sussex Downs College was rated as 'Requires Improvement'. This grade from Ofsted was the same as their previous inspection.
Four key areas were identified as needing to improve: effectiveness of leadership and management; quality of teaching, learning and assessment; outcomes for learners; and the 16-19 study programmes.
Beacon status from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service.
Artsmark Gold for its creative and performance arts education from Arts Council England.
Awarded the Matrix Standard for advice and support services.
Achieved Investor in Careers status.
Assessed under QAA UK Quality Assured scheme.
Action for Inclusion working together to develop and improve education for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in the FE sector.
Former Sussex Coast College, Hastings
East Sussex College, Hastings is the easterly most campus of the college it was previously called Sussex Coast College Hastings or Hastings College of Arts and Technology (HCAT). It provides general further education for Hastings and the surrounding rural area in Rother District.
The college's main site is at Station Plaza, adjacent to Hastings rail station with a secondary main site in Ore Valley. The college works with local secondary schools to provide vocational courses for year 10 and 11 students, the college also works in partnership with Pestalozzi International Village in Sedlescombe to offer the International Baccalaureate.
Station Plaza The Station Plaza building was opened in 2010, costing £97 million. It is situated in the town centre in Station Approach, directly next to Hastings train station, and forms part of a planned redevelopment of the former railway goods yard. An adjacent building, housing shops and medical services have been completed, while planning consent has been obtained on the remainder of the site for a student accommodation building for nearby Brighton University. The college building comprises six floors of accommodation arranged in a triangular configuration, with an atrium extending the full height of the building occupying the centre. This provides some 12,000 square metres of educational facilities, plus the 1,200 square metres atrium social space and 1,600 square metres of uncompleted empty space reserved for future development. Parts of the ground floor are occupied by a Subway franchise restaurant and Costa Coffee. Station Plaza also houses IT suites, a gym, performing arts and dance studios, an art gallery, a training kitchen, a professional hair salon, a restaurant, a learning resource centre and audio-visual / media equipment.
Ore Valley The college maintains a secondary site at Ore Valley, less than a mile from Hastings town centre, which was opened in 2010. This has 7,000 square metres of realistic working environments, workshops and ‘live build’ areas, where students build, wire, plumb, fit-out and decorate a full-size house in the central atrium. Students have access to a sports pitch, diner and coffee shop.
This campus houses most of the construction and ICT / Computing courses.
Motor Vehicle Centre The Motor Vehicle Training Centre situated in Haywards Way, off the Ridge in Hastings, offers qualifications and hands-on training in all aspects of vehicle maintenance, repair and restoration. The Motor vehicle centre was formerly located in Bexhill but moved to a new location in 2012/13. The new premises were 50% funded by a capital grant from the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). The centre has IMI (Institute of Motor Industry) accreditation and approval to deliver E3 and Levels 1 to 3 motor vehicle maintenance and repair, and apprenticeships at level 2 and 3.
Hastings Governance and administration
The college is overseen by a board of governors, known as the Sussex Coast College Hastings Corporation. This has a chairman and deputy chairman, plus eight ordinary members, the college principal, two staff members, two student members and a clerk. The college principal is responsible for everyday management of the college, with a vice principal and deputy principal. Staff and student governors are not permitted to attend all discussions. The chair of the governors is Tony Campbell, and vice chair Pat Farmer. Sarah Connerty, clerk to the governors, is responsible for freedom of information requests made to the college.
College principal from 1998 to 2006 was Julie Walker, during the time that college redevelopment was being planned. From 2006 to 2010 the principal was Sue Middlehurst, covering the period of the college's reorganisation and move to new premises. On her departure, she said, "I was appointed as principal at Hastings College with the goal of transforming the college and improving its reputation. With its inspirational new build, successful, an oversubscribed Academy 6, and significantly improved reputation I hope that I have gone some way to achieving that aim." Her replacement on 1 January 2011 was Janek Patel, who in July that year announced that the college anticipated a 25% cut in its income over the next three years, and the loss of 50 mainly part-time jobs, equivalent to 15 full-time posts. Patel resigned December 2011 following criticisms of leadership and management by OFSTED and was temporarily replaced by Bill Grady, supported by the newly appointed deputy principal April Carrol. The current principal is Clive Cook, appointed 1 April 2012. Cook began his program of restoring the college's finances with a program of job restructuring and 50 redundancies.
Published accounts for 2012/13 show the college to have assets of £78.6 million and annual revenue of £20 million, on which it was roughly breaking even, but accumulated loan debts of £8.4 million and an overdraft facility of £2 million. By early 2014, the overdraft had risen to £2.75 million. The college was given a Financial health notice of concern by the SFA following poor financial results reported for the year to July 2012, requiring it to submit monthly reports for two years, but succeeded in meeting its financial targets in 2012/13 and 2013/14. In March 2014 the governors' finance committee reported: "having got through the Ofsted it was suggested that the College put in dedication and focus on finances to turn the College around financially."
In April 2015, the college put in place plans for further teaching staff cuts of £800,000 or 20,000 hours of teaching time, amounting to some 18% of the total. College management reported that this reduced teaching time in line with the industry average, at a time when funding for FE is falling nationally, and further funding cuts were likely. The college aimed to increase class sizes, currently 'very low', and to timetable more self-directed study. It was noted that despite general cost reductions, admin staff costs had risen 10%. The college aimed to improve its profitability by subcontracting operations and had been downsizing while moving to computer equipment leasing would allow more headroom on the college's overdraft. Settlement agreements would continue to be made with departing staff where that was considered to be in the best interest of the college. The UK National Audit Office reported that almost half of all further education colleges were in deficit in 2013-14.