State-of-the-art Study Centre opens at Hills Road Sixth Form College

A new state-of-the-art building that provides Hills Road Sixth Form College students with the “best possible learning environment” has opened.

The Study Centre offers university-style study spaces and houses the college’s Study Skills department.

The department has been specially designed to welcome a range of neurodiverse learners with an entire floor designed for low-sensory comfort with quiet space to study.

Principal Jo Trump said: “We believe that providing our students with the best possible learning environment is essential to their growth and success.

“The centre offers a range of study spaces to support students’ academic development while providing quiet, safe spaces for all our students – and especially our SEND students - to feel supported and confidently able to access the highest quality resources in their learning time.

The modular building, which officially opened on Monday, April 17, is the greenest building on the existing site and features temperature control using a renewable air source heat pump system.

It also has both mechanical and natural ventilation and solar photovoltaic panels on the roof together with a living green roof space.

The onsite energy generation means that the building contributes to the college’s climate pledge and has a much lower carbon footprint than other new-build options.

Construction of the new Study Centre began in July and ran through the winter with contractors leaving the site in March.

The centre features a range of facilities including silent study areas, restrooms, collaborative workspaces and a modern staff room.

Staff at the college will benefit from access to a roof terrace as well as a stylishly appointed staff room space in which to relax or collaborate on work projects with colleagues, enhancing the opportunities for wellbeing breaks within the working day.

Ms Trump continued: “We know that the Study Centre will be a great addition to the facilities already on offer at the college. Already, on its first day it has become a hub of activity, providing valuable, comfortable space for students to study, access support and learn together. Investing in a student-centred facility designed with special educational needs in mind at the heart of our site tells you a great deal about us as a college.

“We want to make our whole student community feel included, supported and welcomed and we are excited to see the positive impact that this new facility will have.”

Hills Road has been one of the top-performing sixth form colleges nationally since performance league tables began over 27 years ago - and is rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Every year, the college secures the number of offers for a state school to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and approximately 93 per cent of Hills students progress to higher education.

The Study Centre is open to all Hills Road students in term time, from Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm.