Student Accommodation

Stoke-on-Trent

Staffordshire University

Our Stoke-on-Trent student accommodation is in the perfect location for two prestigious universities in the area. Staffordshire University is the closer of the two universities to our student accommodation in Stoke-on-Trent. Its aim has always been to deliver a solid link between students, academic partners, business and society. The campus is based in Stoke-on-Trent and is blessed with fantastic transport links, great facilities for students, and an innovative and inspiring array of social spaces. There are also Centres of Excellence in Healthcare Education in Stafford and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. Students at the university are encouraged to build digital skills and there is a keen focus on apprentices through the university.

The main library is open 24 hours a day, with workshops, video conferencing, and market research reports, and a plethora of online training tools to assist students in maximising their potential. Students have access to a digital app; with a Chabot programme that provides personalised information about timetables, dialogue with personal tutors and access to all sorts of campus facility and support service information.

Unitemps is the specialist on-campus recruitment service, sourcing interesting part-time work on and off campus, with many links to local businesses, and internship opportunities. 250 students work in the Students’ Union each year, in many different types of roles. The SU is a passionate place, with an exciting and safe nightlife, shops, and cafés. Staffordshire University has over 100 years of heritage as an education provider, and its continued approach to innovation can be seen not only in the digital apps and connectivity with students, but also in the fact it offered the first BA (Hons) E-sports degree in the country.

Keele University

Keele University is set on a beautiful 600-acre campus in the countryside, just a short ride on public transport from your student accommodation in Stoke-on-Trent. It is a university that prides itself on providing a rich research-led environment, with innovation at the core of teaching and learning. It offers gold-standard teaching. Students are encouraged to engage with cutting-edge research. The campus is pretty big in size, but works as a welcoming, tight-knit community that is home to many a bright student from different backgrounds and cultures.

The Best Places To Eat

Eating out as student in Stoke-on-Trent is exciting, as there are plenty of options open to you, both on campus at Staffordshire and also in any one of the many different areas that make up Stoke. One of the best places to head to as a student looking for some tasty treats is to the beautiful market town of Newcastle under Lyme, there are many cracking eateries and bars just off its main square, and it is just a short ride away on public transport from your Stoke-on-Trent student accommodation.

College Court

College Court is on the door step of Hanley city centre which features the Intu Potteries centre and The Hive which is filled with fantastic restaurants such as Bon Pan Asia, Chiquitos, Nandos, Burger Priest, Pizza Express as well as an Cineworld Cinema.

Bars

Other favourites for students in Stoke-on-Trent include RAWR Juice & Superfood Bar, a café bar and kitchen that is home to an outstanding menu – whether you are looking for a hearty brunch, lunch, or dinner, either eat in or takeaway. Rare Lounge Bar & Steakhouse can be found in the old Rectory Chambers in Newcastle, and you can get some delicious lunch offers for under a fiver, and some outstanding steaks for a little bit more.

Oatcakes

If you are moving to Staffordshire from other parts of the country or from a different country entirely you might not be aware that there is some famous cuisine from this area. The oatcake is an institution and from your Stoke-on-Trent student accommodation you must make it a priority to sample an oatcake as soon as possible. It is like a savoury pancake that is made from flour, yeast, and oatmeal and has been a local delicacy in Staffordshire since the 18th century, helping to fuel the workforces of the potteries. They are versatile and can be eaten with bacon and cheese as a breakfast meal, or with some jam at 11am for a tea break. You’ll find plenty of oatcake shops in the area, so be sure to find your favourite (many say that Foley’s on King Street is the best, for others it’s High Lane Oatcakes in Burslem).

Have A Good Night Out

In Staffordshire University SU you can find LRV and Verve that cater for student nights out such as Gobble on Wednesday.

City Centre

If students want to have a night out away from the University then Hanley city centre is not far away and features many bars. Monday night is Student Night and Fiction Night club is very popular, this club is on multiple levels and caters to students with different tastes as each floor will play a different style of music, other favourites are Chicago Rock and Boston Brothers. Additionally there is regular live music at The Sugarmill and The Underground.

The Exchange Bar and Kitchen

Over in nearby Hanley The Exchange Bar and Kitchen is starting to become one of the most popular haunts for students living in Stoke-on-Trent. It doesn’t look like your traditional student hangout, but trust us, you’ll get some fantastic food including juicy burgers and starter sharing platters, and that’ll just help you prepare for a night of drinking and dancing. The basement room here is a regular host of dance music nights.

The Sugarmill

The Sugarmill on Brunswick Street you’ll find a regular array of live music acts in a great compact live music venue that’ll get you bouncing. Electric Friday at The Sugarmill is a great Friday night club night that offers the best indie & alternative night in town, and every first Friday of the month is Hip-Hop night.

Stanley Matthews Sports Centre

There is more to sport at Staffordshire University than just the sports field. TeamStaffs provides students with the chance to utilise some stunning indoor and outdoor sports facilities at the Stanley Matthews Sports Centre. If you are interested in joining a team to keep fit, for a laugh and to make new friends, or to compete at a high level, you can do so here. You can join a sports team that competes against other universities nationally, and there is also a Scholarship programme aimed at helping elite athletes maximise their potential whilst studying at university.

Football

If you are interested in taking in a spectator sport then you are lucky in Stoke-on-Trent as there are two professional football clubs in town. The most famous is Stoke City FC, playing in The Championship at the bet365 Stadium. The club has a rich history and tradition (they were home to one of the best footballers to ever live – Sir Stanley Matthews who played on until he was well into his 50s!). Port Vale play in League Two, with their home ground being Vale Park. At the SU for both universities in town you can usually find cheap student-discounted tickets to both football clubs home matches, with shuttle busses provided to take students from campus to the stadium on matchday.

Outdoor Activities

If you are an outdoors type then the surrounding areas close to your Stoke-on-Trent student accommodation is full of possibilities. There is a Heritage Canoe Trail in the town itself, and plenty of cycling and walking pathways in the surrounding areas. If you like trampolining you’ll find Flip Out Stoke, located in Stone, whilst there is Waterworld for those looking for a splashing good time at a water park.

Also don’t forget the ever popular varsity sports event where Keele University and Staffordshire University battle it out each year!

Lets Go Shopping

Moving to your new digs at our Stoke-on-Trent student accommodation you’ll want to get as quickly settled as possible and work out the best places to go shopping (for both groceries and for your pleasure). There is plenty to be found in Stoke itself, as well as in the surrounding areas. You’ll have access to some of the biggest brand names and high street stores that you recognise from home, plenty of the staple supermarkets and shops to buy your food each week, but you’ll also have access to some fantastic markets and independent stores.

Ceramics

Living in the Potteries gives you access to some of the finest ceramics in the world, with an exciting collection of ceramic factory shops where you can get your hands on some of the finest china, table and cookware, jugs, tiles, mugs, and jewellery. Perfect if you are looking to buy a gift for a loved on, or if you fancy pointing your parents in the direction of something to do when visiting you.

Markets

There are a few indoor and outdoor markets in Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding areas too. Both Newcastle and Leek have regular markets from crafts and collectable markets, to antiques, and the usual farmers and food markets. Rode Hall is home to a big farmers’ market on the first Saturday of every month selling some of the finest local produce from over 60 suppliers.

Alton Towers

With such a rich history and tradition in the Potteries, and the fact that from your Stoke-on-Trent student accommodation you can access events at various towns and villages within a small radius, it is no surprise that there is always something to see and do when living here as a student. One of the biggest attractions in the area is, of course, Alton Towers. It is the most well-known theme park in the whole of the UK, and can be found just a short drive away from Stoke-on-Trent. You’ll have a thrill a minute, and as a student you can gain access to the biggest theme park in the UK with a student discount. Make the most of the fun during your time living in Stoke and head on over to the rollercoasters and rides with your new friends.

Comic Con

Stoke hosts a big bi-annual Comic-con in October and April.

Waterpark

Waterworld at Festival Park is another thrill-seekers paradise, and is really close to the student action in Stoke. It is a large indoor, tropical aqua park and is home to the first water rollercoaster in the world! As a student you’ll most probably also be able to go there at off-peak times, missing the big crowds at weekends and school holidays and you can enjoy the place for you and your friends alone! Monkey Forest, close to Keele City, is another great attraction, with around 140 monkeys roaming free in the woodland.

Festivals

The May Bank Holidays in the area are fantastic, harking back to the traditions of the past and the hardworking people of the Potteries, who would let their hair down over these weekends. Newcastle Jazz & Blues Festival is a particular highlight, as is The Lymelight Festival. Other festivals of note throughout the year include Middleport Pottery and Gladstone Pottery Museum both hosting an annual beer festival in April and July respectively, and The Stone Food & Drink Festival in October has over 100 stalls, cookery workshops and presentations to delight the crowds.

Museums and Live Entertainment

Brampton Museum is a cultural gem, exploring over 2000 years of history in the area, whilst in Stoke-on-Trent you’ll find both The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery and Gladstone Pottery Museum. The New Vic Theatre is host to plenty of dramas, concerts, and comedy stand-up shows, alongside The Regent Theatre & Victoria Hall in Hanley.

In the winter you can enjoy Hanley’s Winter Wonderland and Hanley’s very own German Christmas Market and if you ever want to burn off some energy you can always visit Stoke’s ever popular Ninja Warrior centre!