Wigan Today were invited for a tour around the new facilities at Hope School and College, on the former site of Central Park and Pemberton College, Montrose Avenue, Wigan. College students study education and vocational qualifications, learn independent living skills and skills for future learning and employment. There are plans to demolish or refurbish other parts of the site in the future.
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00:00 Hi, I'm Nicola Holland, I'm the Head of College here at Hope School and College
00:03 and this is our lovely new provision.
00:05 So the new site has offered us so much more than we had at the previous site
00:09 in terms of space and the local community.
00:12 So we offer a three year programme for our young people.
00:15 They come to us in year 12 and stay with us and we transition them through to year 14 and beyond
00:21 as part of our education offer.
00:24 We access our vocational qualifications and other accredited routes
00:28 to give our young people qualifications, independent living skills
00:32 and skills for further learning and employment.
00:34 So the students will love in particular the outside space.
00:36 So our previous site didn't have any outside space for our college students.
00:40 So we've got a much bigger outside space that they'll love in playing football
00:43 and just being more physical outside.
00:45 We've also got access at the moment to the sports hall,
00:47 which will be a shared facility when everybody moves onto our site.
00:50 But over on the shared sports hall, it gives them indoor space for lunchtime provision.
00:58 I'm Councillor Jenny Bullen and I hold a portfolio for children, young people and families on Wigan Council.
01:05 And I'm delighted this morning to be in the new Hope College.
01:11 It's a wonderful environment, very much fit for purpose.
01:15 It's colourful, it's bright.
01:18 The students are very well nurtured and they're learning all kinds of skills
01:23 because the college will transition the students afterwards into other facilities.
01:29 So they're learning the skills that they need to become more independent for later life.
01:36 And it's been a brilliant visit.
01:38 I feel really privileged to have been part of it.
01:42 And also on this site here, we're looking forward to the further building of the primary/secondary school
01:51 because they're going to move from the Hope site to this one here
01:56 and they will have all the facilities that they need, very modern, very fit for purpose.
02:02 And I know it will be a flagship for Wigan Council for special educational needs education.