Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College (stylised as Welbeck – The Defence Sixth Form College),
formerly named and often referred to as simply Welbeck College, was an independent, selective
sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution, where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A Levels, Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) and the International Baccalaureate Di ...
in Leicestershire, England. While run as a sixth form college, the school was an institution of the
Ministry of Defence and part of the
Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
The Defence Academy of the United Kingdom provides higher education for personnel in the British Armed Forces, Civil Service, other government departments and service personnel from other nations. The Director General of the Defence Academy is ...
.
Founded in 1953, the school was originally based at
Welbeck Abbey
Welbeck Abbey in the Dukeries in North Nottinghamshire was the site of a monastery belonging to the Premonstratensian order in England and after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, a country house residence of the Dukes of Portland. It is o ...
, where it provided A-level education for boys planning to join the technical branches of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
. By 2004, the school accepted both male and female students for all three branches of the armed forces and in 2005, the school was re-opened and relocated to a purpose-built site in Leicestershire, where it also began admitting potential civil servants for the
Defence Engineering and Science Group within the Ministry of Defence. The school closed on 3 July 2021.
History
Foundation
Recognising a decline in the number of cadets passing to
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town of ...
, particularly from the north of England, in 1951 the
Army Council appointed a committee to consider ways to attract young boys to take commissions in the army. The committee concluded that either a system of scholarships should be established to encourage boys to stay at school until they were 18 before graduating to Sandhurst, or that the army should open a school of its own. The second method was preferred by the council, who appointed a second committee which selected
Welbeck Abbey
Welbeck Abbey in the Dukeries in North Nottinghamshire was the site of a monastery belonging to the Premonstratensian order in England and after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, a country house residence of the Dukes of Portland. It is o ...
—previously an army college for adults—as the site for the new school. The report was approved by the council, and in the autumn of 1952, work commenced to convert the abbey, which was let by the
Duke of Portland
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...
to the
Ministry of Defence,
into a teaching facility.
Following several meetings throughout September 1953 to finalise some last details, Welbeck College, The Army Sixth Form was officially opened on 25 September 1953.
Expansion and re-opening
![Welbeckabbeysmall123](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Welbeckabbeysmall123.jpg)
In 1992, female students were permitted to join the school for the first time.
In 2002, the Defence Training Review resulted in a decision to expand the school to accommodate candidates for the engineering branches of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
and the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
, starting from 2004. Having operated out of Welbeck Abbey for half a century,
the review also resulted in the decision to close the school at the abbey and open a new Defence Sixth Form College on the site of some disused barracks outside Woodhouse, near Loughborough.
The purpose-built site was selected for its proximity to the
M1 and the
East Midlands Airport
East Midlands Airport is an international airport in the East Midlands of England, close to Castle Donington in northwestern Leicestershire, between Loughborough (), Derby () and Nottingham (); Leicester is () to the south and Lincoln () ...
, and reportedly cost £38 million to develop.
The school officially re-opened as Welbeck – The Defence Sixth Form College on 7 December 2005.
Upon its re-opening, the school continued to admit potential officers for all three branches of the armed forces as it had started doing the year prior, and began admitting potential civil servants for the
Defence Engineering and Science Group (DESG) within the Ministry of Defence.
Closure
On 11 March 2019, it was announced in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
that the school would be closed in 2021. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence acknowledged that the school had "produced some excellent young graduates" but said that the school was "not meeting Defence's requirements or providing sufficient value for money".
In a
parliamentary debate
Parliamentary debate (also referred to as "parliamentary" or "parli") is an academic debate event. Many university-level institutions in English-speaking nations sponsor parliamentary debate teams. In addition the format is currently spreading to ...
called by then-Conservative MP
Nicky Morgan
Nicola Ann Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Cotes, (; born 10 October 1972) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities from 2014 to 2016 and Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, ...
on 30 April 2019, Defence minister
Mark Lancaster said that "the scheme as it stands has consistently failed to deliver the required number of engineers and technical officers to Defence since its establishment in 2005" and that "on average only 53 per cent of entrants have completed
he scheme
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
successfully, and a proportion of those have not achieved STEM degrees". He also noted that "the scheme has cost the Ministry of Defence and the taxpayer some £200,000 per student who has become a STEM graduate".
The school was officially closed at the final graduation ceremony on 3 July 2021, which was attended by
Princess Anne
Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...
.
Governance
Although run as a
sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution, where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A Levels, Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) and the International Baccalaureate Di ...
, the school was an institution of the Ministry of Defence and part of the
Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
The Defence Academy of the United Kingdom provides higher education for personnel in the British Armed Forces, Civil Service, other government departments and service personnel from other nations. The Director General of the Defence Academy is ...
, and operated by Minerva Ltd as part of a
public–private partnership
A public–private partnership (PPP, 3P, or P3) is a long-term arrangement between a government and private sector institutions.Hodge, G. A and Greve, C. (2007), Public–Private Partnerships: An International Performance Review, Public Administ ...
.
It was governed by a board including senior armed forces personnel, civil servants, individuals with technical and industrial experience, directors of Minerva, as well as staff and parents. The board acted as an advisory, rather than a proprietorial body, overseeing the day-to-day running of the school, the facilities, and the provision of education and pastoral care. There were two sub-committees—academic and pastoral, and facilities—which reported to the main governing board.
The school was an associate of the
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) is an association of the head teachers of 361 independent schools (both boarding schools and day schools), some traditionally described as public schools. 298 Members are based in the Unite ...
(HMC).
Admissions
As a
selective school
A selective school is a school that admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria, usually academic. The term may have different connotations in different systems and is the opposite of a comprehensive school, which accepts all s ...
, it required prospective pupils to satisfy one of the Single Service Selection Boards and meet minimum academic requirements.
Candidates had to be British citizens, or hold dual-nationality with one being British. Candidates were required to have an A grade in GCSE maths (or equivalent), a B grade in the equivalent level science, and a C grade in the equivalent level English language.
A 2018
Independent Schools Inspectorate
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is approved by the Secretary of State for Education – under section 106 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 – to inspect independent schools in England. These schools are members of associations, w ...
report noted that pupils at the school came from a very diverse range of backgrounds from across the United Kingdom.
A similar report in 2014 noted that just under a quarter of the students were girls.
A small number of private pupils were admitted annually,
who paid £6,900 per term during 2019/2020,
although the majority of students were classified as 'sponsored students' and had their tuition fees paid for by the Ministry of Defence.
All students' parents were expected to contribute toward maintenance costs, including board, lodging, uniform, and any other services provided, though the amount varied based on gross annual household income and several other factors.
Curriculum
Structure
Aiming to prepare students for careers in the armed forces, the school focused primarily on
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The term is typically used in the context of ...
(STEM) subjects,
and, shortly before its closure, offered a choice of 11 core subjects.
Before its closure, all students were required to take four AS-levels in lower-sixth, including mathematics and physics, and all had to continue mathematics at A-level in their final year. An enrichment programme was also available, whereby students could attain additional qualifications such as developing language skills or completing an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ).
A 2018
Independent Schools Inspectorate
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is approved by the Secretary of State for Education – under section 106 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 – to inspect independent schools in England. These schools are members of associations, w ...
(ISI) report noted that A-level results from 2014 to 2016 were above the national average for sixth formers in maintained schools,
similar to the 2014 ISI report which further found that over two-thirds of results were graded A* to B in 2013.
Pupils of the school were given preferred entry to the
Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme
The Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS) is a university sponsorship programme for students who want to join the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force or Engineering and Science branch of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Civil Service a ...
(DTUS), which aimed to further prepare students for careers in the armed forces.
Pupils typically went on to read science, engineering or management degrees at one of 11 universities on the scheme.
Combined Cadet Force
![WelbeckParade](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/WelbeckParade.JPG)
Unlike most schools, participation in the school's combined cadet force (CCF) was a compulsory part of the curriculum for all students.
The school CCF did not follow the usual cadet training programme, instead holding sessions twice per week and placing more emphasis on skills and leadership, in order to better prepare students for officer training.
The school CCF held an annual passing out parade to an audience of family, friends and invited guests. Awards were given to the best cadet from each section and two special awards—the Welbeck Sword of Honour and the Prince Philip Medal—were also presented.
Extracurricular activities
A wide range of sports were offered at the school, and students participated in regional and military sporting events. In addition to compulsory sports and CCF activities, students were required to participate in at least one further activity per week from a range of sporting and non-sporting options. These activities included local volunteering as well as participation in
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, that has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and young ...
programme.
School site
The school had a purpose-built site outside
Woodhouse, near Loughborough, from its re-opening in 2005 until its closure in 2021.
Built on the site of some disused army barracks, the site was close to both the
M1 and the
East Midlands Airport
East Midlands Airport is an international airport in the East Midlands of England, close to Castle Donington in northwestern Leicestershire, between Loughborough (), Derby () and Nottingham (); Leicester is () to the south and Lincoln () ...
, and reportedly developed at a cost of £38 million.
The school buildings were grouped into four distinct zones adjacent to a large area of sports fields, and included dining facilities, a medical wing, student club areas, a learning resource centre and computer laboratories. Five boarding houses accommodated up to 380 students, while residential house staff were provided with separate accommodation.
Alumni
Welbeck College educated the following notable alumni in the British armed forces:
*
Brigadier
Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...
Andrew Massey, Army officer
*
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Richard Cripwell
Lieutenant General Richard John Cripwell, (born 1962) is a former senior British Army officer. He has served as the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey since 2022.
Early life and education
Cripwell was born in 1962 in Newry, Northern Ireland. He wa ...
Army officer
* Lieutenant General Sir
David Bill, Army officer
* Lieutenant General
Andrew Figgures
Lieutenant General Andrew Collingwood Figgures CB CBE FREng (born 13 November 1950) is a former Master-General of the Ordnance.
Military career
Educated at Loughborough Grammar School, Welbeck College and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, ...
, former
Master-General of the Ordnance
The Master-General of the Ordnance (MGO) was a very senior British military position from 1415 to 2013 (except 1855–1895 and 1939–1958) with some changes to the name, usually held by a serving general. The Master-General of the Ordnance was ...
* Lieutenant General
Tyrone Urch
Lieutenant General Sir Tyrone Richard Urch, (born 12 June 1965) is a former senior British Army officer who, during his career, served as General Officer Commanding, Force Troops Command and later Commander, Home Command.
Early life and educa ...
, Army officer
[‘URCH, Maj. Gen. Tyrone Richard’, Who's Who 2016, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2016]
*
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Peter Ronald Davies
Major-General Peter Ronald Davies (born 10 May 1938) is a retired British Army Officer and animal welfare campaigner.
Early life and education
Davies was educated at Llandovery College, Welbeck College and at Royal Military Academy Sandhur ...
, British Army Officer and
animal welfare
Animal welfare is the well-being of non-human animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures such as longevity ...
campaigner
*
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
Dick Strawbridge
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Francis Strawbridge, MBE (born 3 September 1959) is a British television personality, engineer and former army officer. He is often referred to as "Colonel Dick".
Early life
The third of seven children of Jennife ...
, engineer,
television presenter
A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television show, television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for ...
and
environmentalist
An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...
*
Pam Relph
Pamela Lillian Relph MBE (born 14 November 1989) is a British adaptive rower who won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Paralympics, thus becoming the first double gold medallist in Paralympic rowing.
Personal life
Relph was ...
, Paralympic Gold medallist
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Official website archived in August 2021
Old Welbexian Association website
{{Authority control
Sixth form colleges in Leicestershire
Boarding schools in Leicestershire
Defunct boarding schools in England
Defunct schools in Leicestershire
Military schools in the United Kingdom
Military academies of the United Kingdom
Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
Educational institutions established in 1953
1953 establishments in England
Educational institutions disestablished in 2021
2021 disestablishments in England
State funded boarding schools in England