The Sheffield College is a large general
further education
Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is education in addition to that received at secondary school, that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. I ...
college in
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
, England. The college has six campuses across the city and has 13,500 students enrolled (including 2,501 apprentices) as of 2021. It provides academic, technical and vocational training for school leavers and adults from across the
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is the combined authority for South Yorkshire in England, with powers over transport (public transport and major trunk roads only), economic development and regeneration. It covers a total area of 3 ...
region.
History
The college is the sole provider of post-16 education in the north of Sheffield, following the abolition of traditional sixth-forms in 1988
by the
tertiary
Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago.
The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...
system. The current college was founded in 1992, following the merger of six different tertiary colleges, namely: Castle, Loxley, Norton, Parkwood, Parson Cross and Stradbroke. In May 1995, the college was described as being the biggest in Britain and had over 33,000 students enrolled at the time, of which almost 7,000 were full-time students. In 2003, the college launched a new 'federal structure', a reorganisation that 'sought to create a greater voice for students and a better organisational structure for its workforce'.
In 2014, the now-closed Norton campus served as a filming location for the television series ''
This Is England '90
''This Is England '90'' is a 2015 British TV drama mini-series written by Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne and produced by Warp Films. A spin-off from the 2006 film ''This Is England'', it is also a sequel to the series ''This Is England '86'' an ...
''.
Courses
The college offers a variety of courses at the following levels:
* School Leavers - Entry to Level 3 (
NVQ
National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are practical work-based awards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that are achieved through assessment and training. The regulatory framework supporting NVQs was withdrawn in 2015 and replaced by the ...
Level 1–3;
GCSE
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 ...
s to
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 aut ...
s)
* Access to University - Level 3 (NVQ Level 3; A-Levels)
* Career Progression/Adult - Level 3 to Level 7 (NVQ Level 3–7; A levels to
postgraduate
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree.
The organization and stru ...
level)
* University Level - Level 4 to 7 (NVQ Level 4–7; A levels to postgraduate level)
The college offers courses in the following subjects: Animal care, Automotive engineering, aviation, tourism & events, business, catering & hospitality, childcare & education, civil engineering, construction & building trades, design & visual arts, engineering, ESOL, games design, hair & beauty, health & social care, inclusion, IT & computing, land-based studies, medial, journalism & photography, performing arts & music, science, dental & pharmacy, sport, taxi driving and uniformed public services.
In September 2012, more than 200
taxi
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...
drivers completed the first course of its kind designed to train prospective drivers in customer service skills. In October 2012, the college launched an online ''Human Trafficking Uncovered'' course, the first of its kind designed for those working in the public, private and voluntary sectors. In December 2014, singer
JB Gill
Jonathan Benjamin Gill (born 7 December 1986) is an English actor, farmer, presenter and singer-songwriter. He is best known as a member of boy band JLS, who came second on ''The X Factor'' in 2008. They went on to have five number-one singles ...
was recruited by the college as the public face of a two-year vocational performing arts course. The course was part of a portfolio of courses to help address a skills shortage in the creative industries.
In September 2012, the closure of a press photographers' course raised concerns about the future of regional newspaper staff photography. The course had been running uninterrupted at Norton College since 1979.
Campuses
The college has main campuses at City,
Hillsborough, Olive Grove and Peaks.
City
![City College, rebuilt (geograph 2890552)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/City_College%2C_rebuilt_%28geograph_2890552%29.jpg)
In 2010, Sheffield City College underwent a £60 million rebuild programme to create an environmentally-friendly, single-site campus. The site provides vocational subjects including areas such as hair and beauty, catering, business and construction. The building features three roof mounted 15 metre tall
wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. ...
s. Energy from the turbines is fed back into a distribution system for the college's tower block. The college also has
solar panel
A solar cell panel, solar electric panel, photo-voltaic (PV) module, PV panel or solar panel is an assembly of photovoltaic solar cells mounted in a (usually rectangular) frame, and a neatly organised collection of PV panels is called a photo ...
s and rainwater recycling facilities.
In August 2017, the campus was temporarily evacuated and closed due to a faulty
fire alarm system
A fire alarm system warns people when smoke, fire, carbon monoxide or other fire-related or general notification emergency, emergencies are detected. These alarms may be activated automatically from smoke detectors and heat detectors or may also ...
.
Hillsborough
![Hillsborough College](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Hillsborough_College.jpg)
In June 2001, the college announced plans to replace two of its centres, based at Parson Cross and in
Loxley, with a single campus in Hillsborough that would serve 1,800 students across the north of Sheffield. The plans received criticism from some, suggesting that there was 'inequality in education in the city'. In November 2003, construction began on the £27 million campus, with the building completed in 2005.
The site includes sports facilities, 14 art and design studios and 12 ICT workshops.
It was proposed that the former Loxley site be replaced with up to 74 homes, but the proposals had encountered difficulty after the college had been unable to convince the local authority that the homes were appropriate for the area. In August 2007, plans for 79 houses and 29 apartments were judged to 'fall short' in terms of design, layout and appearance.
Following the closure of the Norton campus, all courses were relocated to the Hillsborough campus in September 2015. The campus was one of the oldest Sheffield College site, with parts dating back to the 1950s. The courses were relocated to a new £8.8 million centre and the former site was proposed to be redeveloped into a supermarket.
University Technical Colleges (UTC)
The Sheffield College sponsors UTC Sheffield Academy Trust which operates three university technical colleges (two in Sheffield and one in
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
). The college is a member and sponsor of the trust and provides it with business support services.
UTC Sheffield City Centre
The first, opened in September 2013, specialises in technical studies and offers 250 pupils training in the engineering and digital sectors. The scheme had been approved in August 2012 and construction began in September 2012. The project was said to have cost £8.5 million. The college building was nominated for the
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
' (RIBA) regional award in April 2015, after the building had been remodelled and refurbished with an aim to retain features of the original structure, which was built in 1902.
UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park
A second, produced in partnership with
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is a public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The university is based on two sites; the City Campus is located in the city centre near Sheffield railway station, while the Collegiate Cr ...
, saw the unveiling of a £10 million college in September 2016, based on the site of the former
Don Valley Stadium
Don Valley Stadium was a sports stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The venue, which was completed in September 1990, hosted the 1991 World Student Games. It was designed by Sheffield City Council's Design & Building Services and nam ...
. The UTC specialises in sports science, healthcare and well-being and had been approved by
Sheffield City Council
Sheffield City Council is the city council for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors. It is currently under No Overall Contr ...
in September 2015. The college employs 56 people and serves 600 pupils aged between 14 and 19. The plan had initially been rejected by the
British Government
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, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
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in January 2014 but was eventually approved in August 2014 after the bid was resubmitted.
UTC Derby Pride Park
The UTC site ib Derby opened in 2015 as Derby Manufacturing UTC. It was launched as partnership between
Derby College
Derby College is a further education provider with sites located within Derbyshire (Derby and South East Derbyshire – Ilkeston, Morley). It delivers training in workplace locations across England.
The College is a member of the Collab Group ...
,
University of Derby
, mottoeng = Experience is the best teacher
, established = 1851 – Teacher Training College1992 – gained university status
, type = Public
, chancellor = William Cavendish, Ea ...
,
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
,
Bombardier and
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
. After poor results in its 2017 and subsequent OFSTED inspections it transferred to the Sheffield UTC Academy Trust and focused in engineering, later added a specialism in life sciences in 2020.
Subsidiaries
The Sheffield college owns and operates three wholly owned subsidiaries which provide specific services for the college.
* Sparks Managed Services Ltd. which provides nursery, cleaning, catering and facilities support to the college and Sheffield UTC Academy Trust.
* Sparks Teaching Services Ltd. which provides temporary teachers and other staff.
* Sparks Solutions Ltd. provides marketing, and business development services to the college.
Results
In August 2009, the college reported a pass rate of 96.9 per cent, with those achieving A to B grades at 34.4 per cent. In August 2016, the college reported a 93 per cent A-Level pass rate, with 23 per cent of grades at A* to B. This was down from the scores of 2015, which were 94 and 23 per cent respectively.
In February 2016,
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a Non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament of the U ...
marked the college as 'requiring improvement', following an inspection. Inspectors had found failings in leadership, teaching, attainment, personal development and both 16 to 19 and adult education programmes.
In August 2017, the
National Student Survey The National Student Survey is an annual survey, launched in 2005, of all final year undergraduate degree students at institutions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom. The survey is designed to assess undergrad ...
(NSS) awarded the college with an 86 per cent satisfaction rate, a score higher than the national average of 84 per cent.
Students' Union
The ''Sheffield College Students' Union'' (SCSU) reportedly represents around 25,000 students at the college every year. Every student automatically becomes a member of the union upon enrollment.
Notable alumni
*
Richard Caborn
Richard George Caborn (born 6 October 1943) is a British politician who served as Minister of Sport from 2001 to 2007 and later as the prime minister's ambassador for England's 2018 FIFA World Cup bid. He previously served as a junior minist ...
*
David Blunkett
David Blunkett, Baron Blunkett, (born 6 June 1947) is a British Labour Party politician who has been a Member of the House of Lords since 2015, and previously served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough ...
*
George W. Buckley
*
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English broadcaster, journalist, game show host and writer who specialises in Driving, motoring. He is best known for the motoring programmes ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), Top Gear'' an ...
*
Kat Fletcher
Kathryn "Kat" Jane Fletcher (born 20 December 1979) is a British Labour Party politician. In May 2016, she was sworn in as the Mayor of Islington, having served as a councillor of the borough's St George's Ward since 2013. She was previously p ...
*
Richard McCourt
Richard "Dick" McCourt (born 12 August 1976) is an English entertainer and presenter. He is best known as one half of the comic duo Dick and Dom, with the other being Dominic Wood. His older brother is fellow television presenter James McCourt ...
*
Stephen Slater
Stephen Hazelton Slater (1885 – 1 February 1948) was a rugby union player who represented Australia.
Slater, a prop, was born in Manly, New South Wales
Manly is a beach-side suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, ...
*
John Sweeney (journalist)
John Paul Sweeney (born 7 June 1958) is a British investigative journalist and writer. He worked for ''The Observer'' newspaper, and the BBC's '' Panorama'' and ''Newsnight'' series. Sweeney ceased working for the BBC in October 2019.
Education ...
See also
*
The Online College
References
External links
The Sheffield CollegeThe Sheffield College Students' UnionOnline learning in the Sheffield CollegeHigher Futures Lifelong Learning NetworkMoLeNET
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheffield College
Education in Sheffield
Further education colleges in South Yorkshire
Further education colleges in the Collab Group
Educational institutions established in 1993
Buildings and structures in Sheffield
1993 establishments in England