Waterfront University Technical College

University technical colleges are part of a political decision to reform education. Around the time of planning Medway UTC, the area had a surplus of secondary school places. A 2017 government briefing document contains a Standard Impact Assessment which showed that St John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive, Bishop of Rochester Academy and The Hundred of Hoo Academy were likely to be severely impacted by the creation of the UTC, losing pupils. These schools already had surplus capacity of 271, 532 and 436 respectively. she was previously Vice Principal at Leigh Academies Trust. Dr Buck left mid-year, at Christmas 2017, to become CEO of an International School in Abu Dhabi. In November 2018, the…

This UTC is in a £12 million purpose built building, in the Chatham Waters development in the former Chatham Dockyard. Full planning consent was granted by Medway Council in July 2014, and Bowmer and Kirkland, the lead contractor started on site in September 2014, and the building was complete in September 2015. The idea is that disaffected teenagers require a different type of school, one that is focused on a future career. The building is to be designed to look less like a school, and more like the world of work, and create a business-like environment.