Exeter College is a general further education college in

Exeter, Devon Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

; it was first such college in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, and is currently the highest-ranked in the country. The College has its origins in the

Royal Albert Memorial Museum Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) is a museum and art gallery in Exeter, Devon, the largest in the city. It holds significant and diverse collections in areas such as zoology, anthropology, fine art, local and overseas archaeolo ...

, founded in 1869, and first became an independent institution in 1893 as the Exeter Technical and University Extension College. After using various different sites, the College's preceding institution moved into its present main campus in 1959, and was established in its present form as the first English further education college in 1970. The majority of its present buildings were constructed from 2005 onward. The College is based around a campus at Hele Road, though owns several other sites around the city, and educates approximately twelve thousand students, including both sixteen to eighteen-year-olds and mature (adult) students. In addition, Exeter College jointly runs the specialist Exeter Mathematics School with the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...

, with the College providing extra-curricular activities and pastoral support, and with students at the Maths School able to study one A.-level at the College. The tower block at the Hele Road campus, completed in 1963, is the third-tallest building in Exeter.

History

Origins, 1869-1893

Exeter College can trace its origins back to the opening of the

(R.A.M.M.) in 1869. At its opening, the R.A.M.M. included a School of Science and a School of Art. In January 1891, the local government decided to use the Technical Instruction Act 1889 to either found a new technical institution in the city or to fund lectures and courses in the R.A.M.M.'s two schools. The latter option was chosen, and by June three such lectures had taken place "for the furtherance of technical education among working men", attended by six hundred and sixty people; the local University Extension Committee had sponsored two further "people's lectures", attended by nine hundred people in total. the scheme was subject to some criticism for being poorly-planned.

Preceding institutions, 1893-1970

Exeter College, 1970-present

In 1970, Exeter became the first

tertiary college In England and Wales, a tertiary college is a type of further education (FE) college that offers both academic and vocational courses to both youngsters and adults, combining the main functions of an FE college and a sixth form college. Unlike a si ...

in England, combining the features of a typical further education college with a sixth form college.

Buildings and sites

Hele Road building

Future improvement

In January 2019, the College announced it would be spending £70 million on altering the Hele Road site, including demolishing the tower block and allowing the public to cross through the campus to

Exeter St Davids railway station Exeter St Davids is the principal railway station serving the city of Exeter in Devon, England. It is from the zero point at on the line through Bristol which continues to Plymouth and Penzance. It is also served by an alternative route to ...

Organisation

Academic profile

Student life

Amenities

Before 2018, many students at the College visited the Shakeaway milkshake bar in the nearby Harlequins Shopping Centre.

Notable alumni

Matt Bellamy Matthew James Bellamy (born 9 June 1978) is an English singer, musician, producer, and songwriter. He is primarily known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and primary songwriter for English rock band Muse. He is recognised for his eccen ...

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

Alistair Brammer Alistair Daniel Brammer (born 12 November 1988) is an English actor best known for playing Jean Prouvaire in both the 2010 special '' Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary Concert'' and the 2012 musical film ''Les Misérables''. Brammer performed as ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

Jim Causley Jim Causley is an English Folk music, folk singer, songwriter, and musician from Devon who specializes in the Folk Music of England, traditional songs and music of the West Country. Journalist Colin Irwin (journalist), Colin Irwin has called him ...

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

ian * Adam Devonshire, bassist in Idles *

Elliott Frear Elliott Thomas Frear (born 11 September 1990) is an English professional footballer, who plays for National League South side Bath City, as a winger. Career Frear signed for Exeter City at the age of 11 and progressed through the club's Centre ...

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

Luke Newberry Luke Newberry (born 19 February 1990) is an English actor. He is best known for his leading role in the drama television series '' In the Flesh'' (2013–2014), which earned him a British Academy Television Award nomination. Early life Newber ...

Joe Talbot Joseph Lyle Talbot (born July 11, 1990) is an American filmmaker. His debut feature film, ''The Last Black Man in San Francisco'' (2019), which he co-wrote and directed, won the Best Director prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The film i ...

, lead singer in Idles

References

External links

Exeter College website

Ofsted: Exeter College, Exeter

University of Plymouth: Partner Institutions

Exeter College Students' Union
{{coord, 50, 43, 42, N, 3, 32, 19, W, display=title, type:edu_region:GB Education in Exeter Further education colleges in Devon Buildings and structures in Exeter Educational institutions established in 1970 International Baccalaureate schools in England