Rolle College

History

The college opened in 1949, and initially graduates were awarded a Certificate in Education by the University of Exeter. In 1988, Rolle College became part of Plymouth Polytechnic, and in 1990 was absorbed into Plymouth University.

The last three Students' Union Presidents of Rolle College were Katie Shaw (05/06), Fiona House (06/07) and Michael Austin (07/08).

The Exmouth campus was closed in 2009, when Plymouth University relocated the college, its 3000 students and 400 staff to their main campus in Plymouth.

Rolle played a significant part in the life of Exmouth, both economically and socially. The decision to relocate the campus was controversial with past and present students, staff and the local community. Anti-closure demonstrations and campaigns lasted until the relocation.

With the premises becoming vacant, and with Exmouth no longer being home to a community of students, a Community Benefit Company (Rolle Exmouth Limited, or REL) was set up in 2010 to find new uses for the site that would benefit the community. Plans were drawn up in conjunction with Plymouth University to retain part of the site for a mixture of uses including educational and vocational training, business incubation, and community facilities; the plans included disposal of a significant part of the site for housing development. Negotiations appeared to be proceeding well (though slowly), when Plymouth University suddenly announced, on 1 September 2016, that contracts had been exchanged with the Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education, under which the Academy would acquire the entire site and relocate there from its existing premises in Exeter. The Deaf Academy’s Chief Executive, Jonathan Farnhill, described his vision that the new site would "transform the lives of Deaf children and their families and ... be a place where Deaf and hearing people can come together