London South East Colleges is celebrating project completion of its new Greenwich campus - with staff invited into the building for a special preview today.
The £45m ‘Future Greenwich’ project has been delivered through an exceptional partnership between the College, the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the Greater London Authority and L&Q. It is the first further education college building in the UK to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating – setting a new national benchmark for sustainability and place-based excellence.
The site itself has been home to a college since 1967, with educational roots in Greenwich stretching back to 1922. The design of the new campus reflects this rich heritage, drawing on the borough’s identity while firmly looking to the future.
The new campus represents a long-term legacy for Greenwich. Following an Ofsted judgement of inadequate and an uncertain future for Greenwich Community College almost a decade ago, Bromley College stepped in, leading to the creation of London South East Colleges in 2016 through the country’s first three-way college merger with Bexley College.
London South East College’s commitment to protecting further education in Greenwich is now being realised through the Future Greenwich campus, supporting high-quality skills and training aligned to the digital and green industries shaping the local economy.
Welcoming staff for a special viewing of the new campus today, Dr Sam Parrett CBE said:
“We are absolutely delighted have the keys for our outstanding new campus. This is such an important milestone for both the College and for Greenwich.
“When we took on the college a decade ago, we committed to securing its future - recognising the importance of it as a training and skills provider for our local communities. Seeing the new campus today is a very proud moment for us all.
“We are hugely grateful to the many partners who have helped make this happen, including the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the GLA, the DfE, L&Q, our contractor Kier and the many other professional construction partners.
“We look forward to welcoming everyone who has been involved onto the campus in the coming weeks, with students on site from half term.”
Staff were excited to preview the building today, saying:
Vanessa (Student Hub Manager) - "We’re really looking forward to moving into a lovely, modern space. We’re so excited for this next chapter."
Dayo (ALS Support Tutor) - "The old campus has been our home for many years however we're excited to move into the new building and start afresh. The students are feeling as equally excited as they love this college."
Rosalee (ALS Support Tutor)- “I’m excited for the change. This building has been around for a long time, and sometimes a fresh start is overdue. The uncertainty of what the new building will be like is exciting - in a good way.”
London South East Colleges Greenwich will be holding its next open event on Tuesday 24 February, 5pm–7:30pm. Please come along for the chance to explore our brand-new building, meet our expert staff, and discover our fantastic facilities. Register here