Henley College Coventry

For other uses, see Henley College.

Henley College was a further education college in the city of Coventry, England. Established in 1964, it was one of three further education colleges within the city boundaries, alongside Coventry College and Hereward College before its merger in 2017 with City College to become Coventry College. The campus is located to the north of Coventry city centre and is close to the M6 motorway in a sub area of Bell Green. Graduation ceremonies were held at Coventry Cathedral.

Henley College Coventry
Henley College after modernisation
Location
Henley Road Coventry , CV2 1ED England
Coordinates	52.4323°N 1.4688°W / 52.4323; -1.4688
Information
Type	Further education college
Motto	Student First
Established	1964
Closed	2021
Department for Education URN	130472 Tables
Principal	Ray Goy
Gender	Mixed
Age	14+
Enrolment	5,000 (part-time), 1,600 (full-time)[1]
Website	http://www.coventrycollege.ac.uk/

History

2012 expansion

After plans to extensively renovate the college failed in 2009 due to lack of funding,^[2] the college was given permission to begin a £6million revamp and expansion in October 2012, replacing the college's original 1960s structures with more modern facilities.^[3]

Closure

The college closed in 2021, when the building was considered to be in a general state of disrepair and could not be improved due to insufficient funding.^[4] The site has since been used for emergency services training and served as a filming location for the BBC drama series Phoenix Rise.^[5][6]

Courses

The college took on about 6,000 students per year and had both FE and HE courses which included: Applied, Medical, and Forensic Science, Beauty Therapy, Business and Professional Studies, Criminology, Childcare and Education, Computing, Games Design, Engineering, Hairdressing, Health and Social Care, Sports and Exercise Sciences, and Travel and Tourism.^[7]

Fire

On the evening of 29 April 2025, a significant fire engulfed the former Henley College building located on Henley Road in the Bell Green area of Coventry, England. The blaze commenced around 7:15 PM, producing thick plumes of black smoke visible across the city. At its peak, approximately 75 firefighters from the West Midlands and Staffordshire fire services were deployed to combat the inferno.^[8]

The fire caused extensive damage, affecting approximately 70% of the structure and leading to the collapse of significant portions of the roof. In response to safety concerns, a nearby electrical substation was temporarily shut down, resulting in power outages for some residents.^[9]

Emergency services advised local residents to keep windows and doors closed due to the hazardous smoke. Henley Road remained closed to vehicles as firefighting efforts continued into the following day. Fire investigation officers were dispatched to determine the cause of the blaze.^[10]

As of May 1st 2025, investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing, and the future of the site remains uncertain. So far, four teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of arson. ^[11]

Demolition

After the events, contractors had started work on the Henley College as reported on the 24th of June via Coventry Live. We can officially say that workers are currently on site doing work. Residents were given letters informing them of such events nearby to the site. The source was also given a letter via King Heath Demolition LTD.^[12]

Currently, Coventry College still owns the site - work will be taking place on the 23rd. Local residents were told that work takes place between 8AM-5PM for around '10 weeks'. Health and Safety Standards were ised including Dust suppression measures.^[12]

Notable alumni

Notable alumni include:^[13]

• Aimee Challenor – British politician and transgender activist^[14]
• Marlon Devonish MBE – 100 metre and 200 metre sprint athlete
• Colleen Fletcher – Member of Parliament^[15]
• Chris Kirkland – footballer
• Darius Vassell – footballer
• Adam Whitehead – swimmer