Uxbridge 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 A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

in the

London Borough of Hillingdon The London Borough of Hillingdon () is the largest and westernmost borough in West London, England. It was formed from the districts of Hayes and Harlington, Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the ceremonial county ...

. Since 2017 the college has been merged with

Harrow College Harrow College is a further education college in the London Borough of Harrow, England, with two campuses in Harrow and Harrow Weald.http://www.educationuk.org/pls/hot_bc/bc_profile.page_pls_profile_details?x=133784075207&y=0&a=0&z=869&p_prof_i ...

, although it retains its individual identity. It has two campuses, in

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Situated west-northwest of Charing Cross, it is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Uxbrid ...

and in Hayes. Harrow College & Uxbridge College (HCUC) jointly had over 7,900 learners as of 2019, the majority of which were on 16-19 study programmes and a majority based at the Uxbridge campus.

History

The college dates back to the founding of Uxbridge Technical College on Park Road, Uxbridge in 1965. This had originally been mooted in the 1930s, and the land reserved at that point. In 1957 the delay in building was raised in Parliament. The college had originally, in 1953, been intended to provide senior levels of qualifications in

aeronautical engineering Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: Aeronautics, aeronautical engineering and Astronautics, astronautical engineering. A ...

, because it was near

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...

, but this plan was dropped in 1957. The college was officially opened in 1966 by the then Education Secretary

Anthony Crosland Charles Anthony Raven Crosland (29 August 191819 February 1977) was a British Labour Party politician and author. A social democrat on the right wing of the Labour Party, he was a prominent socialist intellectual. His influential book ''The ...

. The campus in Hayes became part of the college in 1987; it had been formerly the site of Townfield Secondary School. The following year, "Technical" was dropped from the college's name.

Facilities

Uxbridge College has spent heavily on its buildings, facilities and IT systems, spending £38 million over the last 12 years. Facilities include the £5 million Mall and teaching centre completed in September 2006, the £6.3 million Technical Institute, its professional-level hair and beauty salons, and training kitchens. On the Uxbridge campus the Mall offers conference and classroom facilities alongside a coffee and relaxation area. It also houses student and learning support services and includes private offices for confidential meetings. The Hayes Community Campus offers purpose-built facilities including professional level hair and beauty salons, a theatre for dance and drama performances, a nursery and a multi-gym. The London Borough of Hillingdon has refurbished Uxbridge Lido which is now incorporated into a brand new sport and leisure centre with a 50m indoor swimming pool adjacent to Uxbridge College and Hillingdon Athletics Stadium called the Hillingdon Sports and Leisure Complex. In 2010, Laraine Smith, principal of the college, was appointed an OBE for her services to further education. In 2011, Uxbridge College launched a new sports department which includes a brand new gymnasium, a £6 million sports hall, lounge area and two new 5-a-side football pitches with third-generation turf and tarmac.

Performance

Following a one-week visit in May 2008, inspectors from the government's education inspection body reported that the college was an 'Outstanding' college. As of 2021, this remains the most recent full inspection of the college by

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 ...

. The merged HCUC (Harrow College & Uxbridge College) has had a more recent monitoring visit in June 2019.

Educational and learning partnerships

University of Greenwich The University of Greenwich is a public university located in London and Kent, United Kingdom. Previous names include Woolwich Polytechnic and Thames Polytechnic. The university's main campus is at the Old Royal Naval College, which along with it ...

Brunel University Brunel University London is a public research university located in the Uxbridge area of London, England. It was founded in 1966 and named after the Victorian engineer and pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In June 1 ...

Kingston University , mottoeng = "Through Learning We Progress" , established = – gained University Status – Kingston Technical Institute , type = Public , endowment = £2.3 m (2015) , ...

Bucks New University Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) is a public university in Buckinghamshire, England, with campuses in High Wycombe, Aylesbury, Uxbridge and Great Missenden. The institution dates from 1891, when it was founded as the School of Science and Art, ...

University of West London The University of West London (UWL) is a public research university in the United Kingdom with campuses in Ealing, Brentford, and in Reading, Berkshire. The university has roots in 1860, when the Lady Byron School was founded, later Ealing Col ...

University of Westminster , mottoeng = The Lord is our Strength , type = Public , established = 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster , endowment = £5.1 million ...

References

External links

Official websiteUxbridge Technical College
records at the National Archives {{Authority control Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Hillingdon Educational institutions established in 1965 Further education colleges in London Education in the London Borough of Hillingdon 1965 establishments in England Uxbridge