PUPILS at Salisbury 6th Form College (S6C) are set to move into a new purpose-built facility after spending two years housed at nearby Wiltshire College.

The Tollgate Road college will open its doors on the first day after the Whitsun half-term on Monday.

It is the culmination of years worth of campaigning by parents and teachers at the three Laverstock schools to get a non-grammar sixth form built in the city. They were helped by funding from the New Schools Network (NSN) development programme, which supports bids where pupils are at a risk of educational disadvantage due to the lack of provision.

About 750 young people were travelling out of Salisbury on a daily basis to access post-16 education, with some students travelling up to 56 miles a day.

An application to create a college was first made in 2012 with the first pupils being enrolled in 2014.

The college is on a brownfield site near to St Martins Church. It is a former clock factory and will house 400 students. Bosses at the college had hoped to open it eight months ago but were delayed due to hold-ups in the planning process.

Planning permission was granted exactly a year ago and construction has been sped-up by a modular design with classrooms being built off-site.

It was designed with input from S6C students and includes high tech IT equipment, science labs and common room facilities.

S6C student vice-president, Hannah Bridewell said, “The new building is absolutely incredible, it has exceeded my expectations. I am extremely excited to move in and complete my studies in a purpose built building with so many opportunities. The new year 12s and future students are so lucky to be able to complete their full A level study in an amazing space.

“I’m also looking forward to watching the building develop even further.”