News: Nottingham College statement regarding recent media reports.

The College can state with absolute certainty that it has not, and has no intention, of installing metal arches on its campus premises. We are a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment and a place of learning to more than 6000 young people and around 15000 people overall, at any given time.

As part of our ongoing collaborative partnership with Nottinghamshire Police, we continue to jointly improve their engagement with young people in the college and increase awareness around issues such as knife crime. As part of this partnership, we welcome the police onto our campuses, who have at times, brought metal detectors with them.

With half of Nottingham’s 16 – 18 year olds at our college, it makes absolute sense for us to support a campaign of this nature and we will do all we can to raise awareness and encourage our students to make positive life choices. Increased police presence, especially after incidents occur in the city centre, offers reassurance to both staff and students, and has cemented some good working relationships with local police officers who now regularly visit the college, talk with our staff and students and can respond quickly to issues, concerns and indeed ideas.

We take our role seriously as a key player in tackling crime and instances of anti-social behaviour, acknowledging that on very rare occasions, it can come into contact with our college and our student community. The overwhelming majority of our students however are kind, courteous, respectful, ambitious, studious and eager to make a positive contribution in their lives. We will continue to nurture this whilst at the same time work with our police partners to tackle crime across all areas of the city.