October 2, 2023
A Government-funded £9.5 million repurposing and redevelopment project in Corby town centre has just completed, with Chisholm House, a 40,000 sq.ft former office building having been transformed into The Corby Sixth Form, a brand new leading sixth form college that has capacity for up to 600 students. The project was one of four set out in North Northamptonshire Council’s £19.9 million winning bid for Corby, with each project having the aim of encouraging economic growth in the area.
The delivery of the new campus was overseen by Sovereign Centros in partnership with Bedford College Group and North Northamptonshire Council.
The Corby Sixth Form, which opened to students on Monday 4 September, is part of The Bedford College Group, which includes Tresham College. It offers an ambitious and inclusive learning environment that will help build vital study and life skills and act as a stepping stone towards university or employment. A wide range of A-level, Diploma and GCSE courses are on offer, all taught by subject specialists. The campus includes an impressive new entrance extension, more than 25 classrooms, state-of-the-art science labs, a resources centre, and performance areas. There is also an external roof terrace, modern café and social spaces – all set in the heart of the town centre and supported by excellent public transport links and ample town centre car parking provision.
The Corby Sixth Form building is net zero carbon in operation. This has been achieved by implementing fabric first solutions, air source heat pumps, waste heat recovery systems and onsite energy generation using solar panels.
Simon Phipps, Senior Leasing, Development & Asset Manager at Sovereign Centros acting for the owner of Corby Town Shopping & Willow Place said, “We are delighted to welcome The Corby Sixth Form into the heart of the town centre. This type of use is exactly what towns such as Corby should look to attract. It is also a prime example of the advantages Government funding can bring to a town. The size and scale of this College is significant and will undoubtedly boost the town centre and local economy.
Corby has been named as one of the fastest growing areas in the UK with over 15,000 new homes built or consented and a number of major employment-generating industrial developments also underway.
Pat Jones, Deputy CEO of The Bedford College Group said “We are delighted to have welcomed our first students into The Corby Sixth Form and are working with them to shape this into a culture of innovative learning and development, a setting to empower young people to embrace all the opportunities that the future brings.”
