‘Five-star’ New Regent’s College officially opens with ceremony celebrating experiences of students
State-of-the-art facilities at New Regent’s College have been officially opened as part of a ceremony featuring speeches from Hackney students championing their experience at school.
The ceremony at the vocational college and Pupil Referral Unit at Nile Street included inspiring speeches from students covering their most cherished experiences of life at New Regent’s College. From playing basketball in the new sports hall to enjoying the school’s breakfast club and excelling in an environment where you can “truly be yourself”.
Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville was joined by Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Young People and Children’s Social Care, Cabinet colleagues and local Hoxton councillors to cut the ribbon unveiling a plaque marking the official opening of the school yesterday (Wednesday, 22 September).
This fantastic school building is proof of the aspirations we have as a Council for young people in Hackney. It is vital that specialist schools such as New Regent’s College are not left behind when we are improving education facilities across the borough. As someone who was a 'NEET' (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) myself, I know that things don't always go right at school and that second chances are vitally important.
Whatever provision you are in Hackney, and whatever stage of your education journey you are on, you are deserving of the very best buildings which dedicated staff can then bring alive. Here in Hackney we have a passionate belief in an investment in buildings which can help unlock the talent of all our pupils and that they can go on to succeed.
If you provide the right environment and staff to support young people, you can achieve the right outcome. This school offers an exciting new beginning for students to start their journey in this wonderful space.
These young people deserve to have these incredible facilities and I am pleased to hear of the fantastic achievements of the New Regent’s College students. All we want to see is that students continue to do their best and use these skills to equip themselves on their journey once they leave school. I want to thank the students and staff who have been the inspiration for producing this fantastic facility.
The school, which is a mixed provision for primary aged students through to Year 11 of secondary school, caters for about 250 pupils each year.
Executive headteacher Richard Brown said: “The sense of support that this school has received is really incredible. Hackney has invested hugely in this project and that means that they have invested in the children and young people here.
“Our mission statement is ‘learning to succeed’. Some of the young people who come here have had difficult experiences previously and we want to ensure that they have the skills to harness their talents and abilities. We have created the best possible environment with this school building for young people who can then learn to succeed. Now we have a five-star building to match five-star staff.”
Last week the education regulator Ofsted published its latest report on New Regent’s College, which found that the school continues to be “good”, with inspectors visiting in June reporting that “pupils enjoy coming to school”, “staff expect all students to do well and aim high” and that “students focus well in lessons and enjoy learning from the curriculum”.
Hackney Council’s Director of Education Annie Gammon said: “These state-of-the-art facilities will give students the best possible chance to flourish with their studies in Hackney. Some students have come to New Regent’s College following challenging circumstances, but their time here can kickstart their learning and improve their opportunities for the future. We are looking forward to New Regent’s going from strength to strength.”
The New Regent’s College is part of the Council’s delivery of its commitment to build almost 2,000 homes, two new schools and a leisure centre on over 20 sites between 2018 and 2022.
Since 2018 the Council has completed more than 800 new homes, alongside a new primary school, secondary school, the New Regent’s College and the state-of-the-art Britannia Leisure Centre. It has started construction on a further 170 new homes and received planning permission for over 700 more.
More information on New Regent’s College, which opened in September 2019 but delayed its official opening ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic, is available here.