Location Sutton, Greater London Opened 27 October 2010 Cost 8 million GBP | Country England Phone +44 20 8296 1287 Client London Borough of Sutton | |
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Address 24 Alcorn Cl, Sutton SM3 9PX, UK Hours Closed now Saturday9:30AM–5PMSunday10AM–2PMMonday9:30AM–8PMTuesday9:30AM–8PMWednesday9:30AM–8PMThursday9:30AM–8PMFriday9:30AM–8PMSuggest an edit Architecture firm Curl la Tourelle Head Architecture Similar Honeywood Museum, Manor Park - Sutton, Secombe Theatre, Charles Cryer Theatre, Sutton Common railway st Profiles | ||
Sutton life centre the life skills zone
The Sutton Life Centre is a community centre in Sutton, South London. It is an £8 million facility using audiovisual equipment to make young people more street smart and better able to deal with the dangers and risks they face in life. It aims to encourage community engagement and involvement. It was opened on 27 October 2010 by the then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
Contents
Sutton life centre the life skills zone
Features
Sutton Life Centre is a community and education centre in South London, which houses a blend of facilities under one roof, including an educational experience, a library, café, climbing wall, eco garden, sports pitch, and youth club. There are a number of spaces which are available to hire including meeting rooms, events spaces and an IT suite equipped with 12 Apple Mac computers.
The library is designed to be more like a High Street bookshop than a traditional library. It also offers longer opening hours and a self-service facility for borrowing books.
The centre's educational facilities support PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic) studies for pupils in Key Stages 2 and 3. They provide an immersive virtual world through the use of surround sound, lighting effects and interactive features. Pupils are taught about topics such as citizenship, personal safety and the environment. They will experience a range of real life scenarios which help young people to deal with them in the outside world.
The Life Skills Zone
The Life Skills Zone is described as being 'Europe's first super classroom' combining cinematic effects such as surround sound, evocative lighting and giant projection screens with immersive educational material on a range of topics within the PSHE agenda. The Life Skills Zone was designed to encourage young people to life safely, enable them to make informed life choices, and empower them to become responsible citizens.
Primary and secondary schools are able to book a visit to Sutton Life Centre for pupils in Key Stage 2 (KS2) for Years 5 and 6 and Key Stage 3 (KS3) for Years 7 and 8. Schools have the option of visiting for half a day, or for a full day. The half day experience consists of a Life Skills Tour only, and lasts for approximately two hours. The full day experience consists of a Life Skills Tour in the morning followed by two 45 minute workshops in the afternoon.
The Life Skills Zone is divided into four distinct areas, each of which delivers a unique learning experience.
The Street Experience has a film set feel, and is designed to look like a real street, complete with shop facades. Topics covered include bullying, alcohol, smoking, drugs, peer pressure, knife crime and gang culture.
The Transport Experience is designed to look like a railway station, and covers topics to do with public transport, including platform safety, respecting others, robbery, personal safety, littering and graffiti.
The Home Experience is a fully fitted apartment with four rooms. Pupils will make their way through a kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom to learn about keeping safe in the home. Topics covered include nutrition, domestic violence, fire safety, cyberbullying and internet safety.
The Virtual Experience is a 360° white room theatre which delivers fully immersive videos about urban hazards and the environment. Topics covered include exploring derelict buildings, trespassing on the railway, arson, waste, recycling, climate change and energy efficiency.
Testimonials
A teacher from Granton Primary School said:
A teacher from St George's Weybridge said:
A teacher from Surbiton High School said:
A pupil from Rowan Prep School said:
A pupil from Micklefield School said:
Sian Rowland, an Independent PSHE Advisor said:
Safety Centre Alliance
Sutton Life Centre is a member of the Safety Centre Alliance which was designed as a forum to help support permanent UK safety centres through development and networking between members. There are a number of safety centres which exist across the UK which deliver educational experiences on safety to children.
Energy Efficiency
Renewable energy on site provides for half of the building's requirement, and it was given an award of excellence by BREEAM for its use of sustainable energy. The centre was included in the 2014 Open House London programme.
Award from Suzy Lamplugh Trust
The centre was instrumental in the Safer Sutton Partnership Service, a joint venture between the London Borough of Sutton and the Metropolitan Police, winning the national Safer Community Award from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust in 2010. Sarah Haddon of the Trust said: