They were extremely popular, and the following year the newly created Southend Corporation purchased land in Clarence Road to build a Technical Institute.

However, plans were developed to build a new school, library and town hall on land owned by the council at Victoria Circus.

[6][7][8] By 1905, an extension was added to cope with the demand of both the day technical school and the college of art which was located on the top floor.

[12] Land was purchased on the corner of Victoria Avenue and Carnarvon Road to build a new further education college to host both the school of art and the evening class institute.

[13] However, the site purchased by the council on the corner of Victoria Avenue and Carnarvon Road was reassigned to be the home of a new town hall in 1934.

[21][18] The School of Architecture was closed by the College governors in 1966, with students having to be transferred elsewhere with the aid of the Royal Institute of British Architects finding them places.

[22][23] In 1969, the college moved from Victoria Circus to a new site at Carnarvon Road next to the Civic Centre, with the old building demolished shortly after.

[21] In 2004, the college relocated to a £52 million campus in the centre of Southend, close to main public transport routes and right next to the High Street and mainline railway station.

[27] In June 2018 it was announced that South Essex College would merge with PROCAT, a specialist engineering and construction provider based in Basildon, Canvey Island and Ilford.

[30] In December 2021 it was announced that South Essex College had won Institute of Technology status in wave two in part of a government education plan to improve higher technical training in subjects such as advanced manufacturing, digital and cyber security, aerospace and healthcare.

[31] South Essex College's Further Education provision includes a wide range of A-levels and vocational courses such as BTECs and apprenticeships.

[46] Other areas in the Forum include a University of Essex floor, the Focal Point Art Gallery, a 200-seat lecture theatre and refreshment facilities.