Expansion to Peterborough technical college with new teaching block paused due to lack of available funding

Greater Peterborough University Technical College has been forced to pause plans expand its site with a new three-storey teaching teaching block.

In January, the technical college submitted plans to the council for a new three-storey teaching block, which would include a workshop, workshop store and ICT/Math Lab on the ground floor, a large classroom and sixth form breakout zone on the first floor, an equipment store and plant room on the second floor as well as a rooftop play ground.

The college has said that the new block will provide much-needed teaching space and will allow for internal remodelling in the main building to provide more specialist teaching space.

The plans have now were withdrawn this month though.

Principal Lee Mawby said: “We have future plans to build a new teaching block. These plans are

currently paused due to a lack of available funding for building works, but we hope to revisit

them in the future.”

The school has, however, been allocated £322,000 in T Level Specialist Equipment funding by the Department for Education. The funding is part of a £50 million investment to support T Level providers delivering routes

for the first time in 2024. It will be used to purchase professional machinery, providing GPUTC with new state-of-the-art engineering equipment and adding to the specialist workshop facilities already on offer for students.

Principal Mawby added: “Having the right equipment in our engineering and design labs is an essential part of ensuring our students can experience the latest and greatest technology being used and trialled in businesses today.

"This will ultimately provide them with the best opportunities and knowledge which they can take with them into their future careers.

“T Levels are a new and exciting offer for students in Peterborough. They follow on from GCSEs and are roughly equivalent in size to three A-Levels.

"They’re perfect for students who want to start working towards a skilled occupation, prefer an applied approach to learning and are looking for a predominantly learning-environment-based course.”

The college’s two-year T Level courses have been designed in partnership with employers to ensure students have the skills and experience to get a place at university, secure an apprenticeship or find a job as soon as they qualify.