REVEALED: Seevic College and Palmer’s College to merge to save cash and increase course options

Palmer’s College, in Chadwell Road, Grays, and Seevic College, in Kiln Road, Thundersley, will both keep their existing campuses. They will operate under a new trading name - Seevic and Palmer’s Colleges Group.

Bosses claim the merger will enable them to be “more financially resilient” and “combine the strengths of both colleges.”

In a joint statement, Mark Vinall, principal of Palmer’s College, and Dan Pearson, principal of Seevic College, claim the partnership will “improve the quality and choice of post-16 education” for south Essex.

In 2015 the Government changed the law to ensure youngsters stay on in education, training or apprenticeships until the age of 18.

In the joint statement, Mr Vinall and Mr Pearson said: “We will become stronger together and this exciting plan will deliver major benefits to our communities. Together we will expand post-16 choices through a wide range of A-levels and other programmes than cannot be offered by smaller institutions.

“The Seevic and Palmer’s Colleges Group will combine the best of each organisation to form a single college that maintains our local identities. By working together, we can raise standards and invest in ensuring the best teaching and learning for our students.

“By joining forces, we can extend the range of options to include professional pathways towards careers, apprenticeships and higher education courses which will lead students on to university or fulfilling careers in the industry of their choice.

“Bringing both our colleges together gives us greater stability, financial resilience and will create exciting opportunities for both areas, our students and apprentices as well as staff.”

A public consultation into the merger has launched today. It will run until Sunday, April 30.

Visit palmers.ac.uk, email merger@palmers.ac.uk or send your views to Merger Consultation c/o Kay Staines, Palmer’s College, Chadwell Road, Grays, Essex, RM17 5TD