Strode College were thrilled to welcome Gillian Keegan, Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, to open our Digital Media and Technology Centre with MP James Heappey, Minister for the armed forces and local MP in attendance. Gillian and James enjoyed touring the high tech facilities and meeting the students studying new Digital and Education T Levels.
Ofsted Outstanding Strode College is not only one of the first providers of new ‘T Levels’ - marking a revolution in technical education, but, was also successful in a bid for £1m funding from the T Level capital fund. We are so pleased to have been able to transform an old, dark and inefficient 1960s building into a bright, modern and airy specialist centre for Digital Media and Technology because of this funding.
Looking inside
We now have the following newly refurbished, clean and bright classrooms and additional facilities:
- Two, dedicated Apple Mac learning suites
- Two, large classrooms
- A dedicated radio recording studio, TV studio and mixing suite
- Two, high end IT labs to support the Digital T Levels, including a separate network for students
- Four, well equipped IT classrooms
- Significant energy efficiency improvements to the building
- And extended specialist childcare learning facilities to include child toilets and lunch area to facilitate the integration of the nursery into the T Level delivery
These new classrooms and facilities will revolutionise the learning for the students.
It was fantastic to visit Strode College to open their new Digital Media & Technology Centre with local MP James Heappey. The high tech facilities were brilliant and it was great to meet the pioneering T Level students. The students had lots of enthusiasm for how these T Level qualifications will take them to the next level in their chosen careers. - Gillian Keegan
It was great to be back at Strode College with my colleague from the Department for Education, Gillian Keegan, to open the brand new Digital Media and Technology Centre. I am so impressed with this fantastic facility and great to be able to show Gillian the excellent work ongoing in Somerset - James Heappey
The estates team worked tirelessly over the spring and summer during the period of lock down working with the builders and designers to deliver the enhanced facilities for the Digital Media and Technology Centre which we were able to do having received 1m pounds from the T Level capital fund. - Liam Hardy Estates Manager
I am incredibly proud of what the staff and students at Strode have achieved. The official opening of our new T level facilities is a key milestone in the launch of these new, high quality technical qualifications. We are delighted to have had such a successful start to our T level journey, which will continue to be rolled out over the coming years. Strode College has a long, established reputation for outstanding academic provision; we must also ensure young people have access to the highest quality technical education too. It is important that our courses prepare students for employment, leading to strong careers, as well as courses which provide excellent routes into University. Our offer of A levels and vocational and technical courses means our students have that choice.
