‘School of the future’ replacing Staffordshire University’s Stafford campus reveals opening date
A multi-million pound state-of-the-art global educational hub that will replace Staffordshire University’s Stafford campus has revealed the name for its new college – with plans to open in September 2018.
The Chinese-owned New Beacon Group, which bought the former Beaconside campus last year, will be introducing an international college, a specialised university as well as a first-class international boarding school.
And it has been revealed that the college, off the Weston Road, will be called Beaconwood College – catering for students aged 11 to 19.
It will initially be open for post-16 students and deliver international AS, A Level and Cambridge Pre-U qualifications.
As well as the new international college, the group has plans for pathway programmes for preparing international students for degree-level study and a brand-new Innovation Hub in the Octagon building and Digital Media Lab in the TV studio opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006.
Dr Kai Liu, New Beacon Group chief executive, said: “We’re creating a global education hub for local students and international students at Beaconside.
“Beaconwood College will be a school of the future, with an international and entrepreneurial ethos to equip young people with the skills and experiences to thrive in a global, connected world.
“We’re very excited to see students’ ideas on what the school of the future should look like.”
Beaconwood College is one part of the transformation of the former Staffordshire University site by new owners New Beacon Group, which took over Beaconside last year and is transforming the campus into a global education and innovation hub.
To celebrate the opening, young people in Staffordshire are being given the chance to win the trip of a lifetime in a cultural exchange competition, sponsored by Beaconwood College. Staffordshire County Council leader Philip Atkins has visited Guangzhou, Tianjin and Beijing in China on behalf of the West Midlands.
He added: “Staffordshire is an outward-looking, innovative county with globally-recognised companies exporting around the world. An essential part of our success is a willingness to seize new opportunities wherever they arise and this is a fantastic opportunity for a dozen Staffordshire students to broaden their horizons.
“It is pleasing to see the group involving Staffordshire students at such an early stage and providing them with a fantastic learning opportunity.”
