DfE investment will expand sixth form’s technical curriculum

Department for Education (DfE) capital investment in Hartlepool Sixth Form will take its provision of technical qualifications to a new level with new T Level subjects in areas critical to the demand for skills with Hartlepool and the wider Tees Valley.   

The sixth form, part of the Education Partnership North East (EPNE) a group of colleges whose set up is similar to a multi academy trust, has announced substantial investment from the Department for Education’s T Level Capital Fund (TLCF). This investment will establish new engineering, manufacturing, and tech facilities, as well as a new business hub at the sixth form’s Blakelock Road campus.

These new state-of-the-art facilities will enable Hartlepool Sixth Form to offer students new T Levels in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering, Digital Production, Design and Development, Business, Management and Administration.

The sixth form has been delivering T Levels in Health (Supporting the Adult Nurse) and Education and Childcare (Early Years Educator) since September 2021 and commenced the delivery of a T Level in Laboratory Science in September 2022.

In its latest round of support the DfE announced a total of £74m will support 86 T Level projects. The aim of the TLCF is to provide FE and Sixth Form colleges with world-class facilities for the provision of T Levels and the fund’s exciting investment in Hartlepool will transform its provision. 

Specifically, the Hartlepool Sixth Form project will involve: 

Engineering: 

• The creation of a Robot/Cobot (collaborative robot) facility used in the delivery of manufacturing, processing and control processing technologies needed to offer further pathways to support the skills gaps within the region; 
• Building new digital classroom spaces and an additional practical classroom area focused on maintenance, installation and repair. This will include installation of appropriate equipment and repurposed clean zones providing students with an environment matching that of the tech industry.  

Digital: 

• The creation of modern digital classrooms; 
• Building a ‘next generation room’ that will create a variety of different digital learning environments; 
• The addition of a state-of-the-art motion capture environment. 

Business and Management: 

• Building a new business hub to complement standard teaching spaces.  This student business incubator will be focused on small group and collaborative spaces where students can think about becoming the next generation of Tees Valley entrepreneurs.  The styling will reflect trends set by companies such as Google while also promoting regional entrepreneurial success stories – of which Hartlepool Sixth Form alumni will feature heavily. 

The investment will also enable the sixth form to create a state of the art immersive 360-degree space that will be used by all T Level students to create ‘real-world’ environments in the safety of the sixth form.

Ellen Thinnesen OBE, Chief Executive of EPNE, said: “This is amazing support for our growing T Level strategy in Hartlepool and the Tees Valley. We’re proud the DfE has the trust and confidence to invest in creating world-class digital and technical facilities to expand our programme of T Levels.  

“This investment will transform not just what we deliver, but how we deliver it. 

“T Levels are becoming the gold standard of education in the UK and this huge investment will keep Hartlepool Sixth Form ahead of the curve in our delivery. We’re delighted the Department for Education has the trust and confidence to invest in our college as this funding will transform not just what we deliver, but how we deliver it, ultimately providing improved access to technical and academic career routes for our students.”

The new provision will include a range of T Levels, new two-year courses developed in collaboration with employers and broadly equivalent in size to 3 A-Levels. These exciting new qualifications will prepare the sixth form’s students for entry into skilled employment, an apprenticeship or related technical study through further or higher education. 

Jane Reed, Campus Principal at Hartlepool Sixth Form, said: “Our T Levels broaden the options of study for students. They offer a clear path to employment with a focus on industry and a 45-day on-the-job placement. We’ve had great feedback from the students who started the T Levels with us last year and know this next phase and investment, will widen the scope of provision by bringing this exciting new option in Sixth Form education, tailored to industry needs and skills.”