Weston College is investing in its Education and Early Years provision due to the sector demand - it’s estimated that in 2020 over 143,000 under twos and 1,271,500 three to four-years olds benefitted from funded early education*, and this figure is set to grow.

Our brand new £600k Education and Early Years facility at the Knightstone Campus will be open this September to meet the growing demand from employers both locally and regionally to train potential staff to join the industry and develop existing employees.

This brand-new facility will include a:

• Community Room – to allow us to host stay and play and other community sessions.
• Child and Healthcare Room – a multi-functional space for food prep and mid-session naps.
• Primary School Room – an engaging environment full of multi-curricular activities.
• Creative and Exploratory Atelier – a non-traditional learning environment to host messy-play, science activities and more.
• Observation room – includes one-way mirrors so learners do not influence a child’s play.

Sandra Bull, Dean of the Faculty said: “It’s really important for us that all learners get real-life experience to ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to get ahead in the modern jobs market. We work with a number of early education employers to ensure not only the course content includes insights of industry leaders, but also that the new facilities will be industry standard.”

The new facilities will be matched with an exciting portfolio of study programmes, for school leavers there will be college-based courses, apprenticeships plus the new flagship T Level – the gold-standard in qualifications where learners can follow a college-based programme and gain sector experience through an industry placement. Plus, a range of options for adults for those who would like to upskill or re-train as an early years practitioner or teaching assistant.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive, Weston College added: “To complement these exciting developments, we have launched an innovative ten-point Education and Early Years Career Excellence Hub Charter ensuring that the area is committed to aligning its curriculum to the needs of employers. This new facility is just one element of a College-wide initiative to ensure we are making aspirational careers a reality for all our learners regardless of their starting point in life.”

The build is co-funded by T Level Capital funding, awarded by the Department for Education.

Keep an eye on our social media for updates on the build as it progresses over the summer. There is still time to apply to join us this September:

• Courses for school leavers
• Courses for adults

*Source: December 2020.

All photos shown on the right are for illustration purposes, actual build may vary.