North Kensington Centre for Skills celebrates handover as landmark redevelopment nears completion  

As the re-imagined North Kensington Centre for Skills on Wornington Road completes its construction phase, we are delighted to open our main ground floor entrance once more. 

Our bright new café is also complete as well as a refurbished creche, new landscaping and Performance Hall. The clean décor, highlight colours and high quality finish throughout lend a warm welcome, encouraging and supporting educational ambition and achievement at the heart of the local communities we serve.  

We are open!

Last night, over 120 members of the Morley Staff Team from across Morley College London gathered in the Centre’s brand-new Performance Hall, the first to preview the re-opened ground and first floors. On show were all the new facilities such as the impressive Performance Hall, small hall, gleaming new reception area, Esports room, Radio production studio, classrooms and studios. Going forward, this momentous handover will be shared with the wider community and other audiences as we host drop-in sessions throughout next week and a ‘focus month’ of engagement activity through November.  

Continuous onsite learning

The second and third floors, completed last April, have been delivering teaching and learning in classrooms and art studios ensuring continuity for our students. The front and rear extensions, new glazing and open aspect of the design are transformational create space for new learning opportunities, exhibitions, talks and events, as well as all-age advice and guidance on new and next steps in students’ learning journeys. 

What will the newly renovated centre offer?

The centre will include exciting, innovative learning and skills initiatives such as: 

• A skills and pathways Advice Centre to provide advice to the whole community 
• A new and much needed Performance Hall to develop performing arts opportunities – due for completion later in the year 
• An innovative Market Trader taster course offering something different and highly vocational that is unique to the area in partnership with RBKC 
• The re-opening of our refurbished crèche which is free to students and vital in supporting inclusive study for all 

What courses do we offer?

The Centre’s overall curriculum will deliver a range of opportunities connected to local employment including areas such as Business and IT, the Creative Arts (Ceramics, Jewellery, Glass), Urban Music, Legal Studies, and Health, Education and Science. With short courses all the way to two-year programmes, there are lots of flexible learning opportunities for people of all ages and at all stages of learning. 

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to everyone who has made this significant moment possible. The North Kensington Centre for Skills is now ready to develop an expanding range of learning opportunities relevant to meeting local skills needs. A very warm welcome awaits for all. Now with a fully renovated centre in place, we look forward to playing our part as North Kensington’s local Centre for Skills, in the heart of the communities we serve.” 

Dr Andrew Gower, Principal and Chief Executive of Morley College London

“As well as the wonderful new look and feel to the building, it is ultimately what we will be delivering in terms of facilities, learning opportunities, community partnerships and curriculum that is so important to our mission as a leading inclusive learning provider in North Kensington. Our curriculum has been developed by the needs of our community, as well as the wider London economy. But it is the very individual learning opportunities we can offer to every student who enrols with us that sets us apart and really comes together in the new building.”  

Craig Hanlon-Smith, Centre Principal, North Kensington Centre for Skills

Come and have a look! Drop in sessions from 7th November

• A week of community learning sessions will take place throughout the week from 7-11 November 2022 at 10am-12pm and 4pm-6pm.  
• An Open Day will follow on Saturday 10 December, 11am-2pm. 

What is next?

From 1 November, Morley College London was handed back the building from main contractor, Morgan Sindall, which means that the final phases of completion – fitting out and finishing – can begin. Full occupation will take place from early next year with the official opening in Spring 2023, marking full completion of the entire project.  

 “The multi-million pound investment has been well-used to produce a modern, vibrant, welcoming college centre. Having achieved this important milestone of completing the construction phase of the renovation we now want to spread the word that we are here and a warm welcome awaits. Our upcoming community enrolment days, as well as the start of some innovative new courses, will really bring our learners in and show them what we have to offer.”   

Craig Hanlon-Smith, Centre Principal, North Kensington Centre for Skills

Read more about the North Kensington Centre Renovation