New College is a

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and higher education institution in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. There are two main campuses, Queens Drive and North Star, as well as an Adult Learning Centre in Swindon town centre. The College delivers qualifications and training opportunities for learners of all ages and abilities including

GCSEs The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...

, A Levels,

T Level T Levels are technical-based qualifications in England, developed in collaboration with employers and businesses, with content that meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work, further training, or study. T Levels are two-year cou ...

s, vocational qualifications,

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...

and degree-level courses,

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

s, professional and business training, and leisure courses.

Facilities

On 17 August 2020, New College merged with Swindon College. Both campuses are a short distance from Swindon’s town centre, railway station and central bus station.

Queens Drive Campus

The Queens Drive campus is just outside the town centre, near

Coate Water Country Park Coate Water () is a country park situated to the southeast of central Swindon, England, near junction 15 of the M4. It takes its name from its main feature, a reservoir originally built to provide water for the Wilts & Berks Canal. Now named ...

. Facilities include: * The Phoenix Theatre * Studios for media makeup, art, design, fashion and textiles; photography studio with darkroom * Recording studio with Live Room, Control Room and hardware and sequencing software * Two Dance studios * Sports Centre with sports hall, fitness suite and exercise studio * 3G pitch * E-learning with Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) * Over 1500 computers including tablets, Apple computers, Windows PCs and netbooks * STEM facilities including nine science labs.

North Star Campus

Formally the site of Swindon College, the North Star campus is in the centre of Swindon near the railway station. Facilities include: * Wellbeing Centre * Gym * Learning Development Centre * Purpose-built construction centre with outdoor simulated construction site * Training workshops for automotive, engineering and construction * Bespoke facilities for animal care * The Academy, a commercial hair and beauty salon * A professional training restaurant, coffee shop and specialist teaching kitchens * Computer suites.

Courses

New College is known for its range of courses offered, with almost 40

A Level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational au ...

subjects – including unusual options such as Ceramics, History (Tudors & Stuarts), Archaeology and Environmental Sciences – and a selection of vocational courses including Construction, Engineering, Vehicle Maintenance, Hospitality & Catering, Public Services, Hair & Beauty, Health Care & Childcare, Sport, Performing Arts and Art, Design & Photography. The College also offers a substantial number of programmes at Levels 1 and 2 as well as part-time qualification, leisure courses and professional training for adults. New College runs a football academy where students train and play, usually alongside an academic course. Until 2020 they fielded New College Swindon F.C. (previously New College Academy F.C.) who competed in the Hellenic League. The college also offers a basketball academy and a netball academy.

University partnerships

New College Swindon has formed strategic partnerships with the

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, Oxford Brookes University and

Bath Spa University Bath Spa University is a public university in Bath, England, with its main campus at Newton Park, about west of the centre of the city. The university has other campuses in the city of Bath, and one at Corsham Court in Wiltshire. The insti ...

to offer a range of foundation degrees and degrees.

Notable alumni

Former and current sporting alumni include Shelley Rudman (skeleton bob),

Laura Halford Laura Halford (born 25 February 1996) is a British rhythmic gymnast from Cricklade, Wiltshire. Halford is a four times senior British champion (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017), and two times junior British champion. She represented Wales at the 2014 C ...

(rhythmic gymnastics), Debbie Palmer (speed skating and ice hockey),

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(swimming), Jon Lewis (cricket), Matt O'Dowd (athletics), Louise Hunt (wheelchair tennis), and Anna Mayes (netball).

Achievements

New College was assessed as being GOOD when last visited by Ofsted in November 2017. *A Level pass rate of 98%, with over 41% of grades at A*A or B (Summer 2019) * Number one for College Achievement rates amongst local colleges * The top performing state school/college for Level progress in Swindon and Cirencester (Jan 2020 performance tables)

References

{{Authority control Education in Swindon Educational institutions established in 1983 Further education colleges in Wiltshire 1983 establishments in England