Franklin Sixth Form College is delighted to announce that construction has commenced on a major new addition to our main campus. This exciting expansion will build on our existing range of outstanding facilities and include eight state-of-the-art classrooms, a 160-seater auditorium, and a new main entrance and reception area. The £3.2 million investment is funded jointly by Franklin and the Department of Education.
Interim Principal Wendy Ellis expressed her enthusiasm for the build: “We are a highly popular college, and the new facilities will allow us to respond to our growing popularity. The addition of this fantastic new building will not only improve our already excellent provision but further enhance our students' learning and Franklin experience. It will provide them with a modern and aspirational environment, ensuring they have the skills and attributes they need to progress to positive destinations for life after Franklin.”
Alex Baxter, Franklin’s Chair of Corporation took part in the in the official groundbreaking ceremony alongside Peter Kennedy, Franklin Executive Principal and CEO and Wendy Ellis, Franklin Interim Principal. Alex commented: “This build underpins our commitment to providing an outstanding educational experience for all our students. Franklin is a college of the community, and this expansion will enable us to broaden our offer and host a range of both college and community events.”
Visitors to Franklin will be welcomed in the new reception area, which will lead through to our atrium and the main hub of Franklin. The auditorium will be a flexible space, available not only to Franklin staff and students but also to the wider community as a bookable venue for performances for community events. The eight new classrooms will be home to business students who will benefit from the industry-standard learning environment.
The building, planned to be completed in Summer 2025, has been planned and designed by ID Architecture, with the build carried out by Jembuild, who are working alongside Charles Garth building surveyors and consultants.
Peter Kennedy, CEO and Principal, highlighted the importance of providing students with a world-class facility and the positive impact on their studies. He commented: “The young people in the region deserve the best of what can be available for their education and the highest quality facilities we can offer. The new build is an extension of a plan at the heart of the college's developments to be a beacon of excellence in the area. I’m particularly delighted that Jembuild can join us for this contract, as they have recently completed the Bridge, the latest development at Franklin.
“The whole purpose of the College is to be an aspirational centre of excellence for Lincolnshire, which is embodied by the developments that are about making a world-class education facility for our students to enjoy. As research shows, if you give young people this kind of world-class environment, they will respond and be inspired and motivated. Being at the heart of Lincolnshire post-16 education in the way that we are, the new build was something we had to do.”
Paul Barker, Managing Director of JemBuild, said: "We've worked at Franklin College since 2012 - we did the media block first which was quite a big job for us, it was our first large scheme we'd had, then we went on to complete the Courtyard building and then did The Bridge. That was a difficult job, but it was a fantastic result.
"I'm so proud to be involved with Franklin - my daughter goes here, and my son came here - so for me, there was never any choice. I've seen it for what it is, and it's a fantastic step towards university. There isn't anything in the area that can challenge it. I'm really excited to leave another legacy in the area.
