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Weston College of Further and Higher Education is a general college of
further Further or Furthur may refer to: * ''Furthur'' (bus), the Merry Pranksters' psychedelic bus *Further (band), a 1990s American indie rock band *Furthur (band) Furthur was a rock band founded in 2009 by former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and ...
and higher education in
Weston-super-Mare Weston-super-Mare, also known simply as Weston, is a seaside town in North Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. It includes the suburbs of Mead Vale, Milton, Oldmi ...
,
Somerset Somerset ( , ; Archaism, archaically Somersetshire , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in South West England which borders Gloucestershire and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east and Devon to the so ...
, England. It provides education and
vocational training Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an ind ...
from age 14 to adult. The college provided education to approximately 30,000 enrolled learners. It is regarded as one of the top FE colleges in the UK, often winning high profile national awards. The college is part of the 9th largest college group in the UK. In an
Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions, includ ...
inspection in January 2014 it received an overall grade of "outstanding".Bristol Post
"Weston College rated as outstanding by OFSTED".
In 2017, the college was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. On 27 February 2015, the college was named "College of the Year" and "Overall FE Provider of the Year" at the Times Educational Supplement Further Education awards.TES FE awards
"Weston College celebrate awards".
It is a major employer in Weston-super-Mare, employing over 500 members of staff, receiving Employer of the Year Award at the annual Lloyds Bank National Business Awards.
"Weston College celebrate awards".
On 25 November 2015, the college announced that it was to become a university centre in partnership with the
University of the West of England The University of the West of England (also known as UWE Bristol) is a public research university, located in and around Bristol, England. The institution was know as the Bristol Polytechnic in 1970; it received university status in 1992 and ...
.


History

The first recorded educational building to be built on the college site was the National School, constructed at the corner of Knightstone Road and Lower Church Road. Its construction was funded by Archdeacon Henry Law, Weston-super-Mare's rector from 1834 to 1838 and also 1840 to 1862. Archdeacon Law donated approximately £15,000 towards the cost of churches, schools and other public buildings in the Weston area. The National School opened to 320 students on 22 September 1845 – the day
George Henry Law George Henry Law (12 September 1761 – 22 September 1845) was the Bishop of Chester (1812) and then, from 1824, Bishop of Bath and Wells. Born at the lodge of Peterhouse, Cambridge, of which his father Edmund Law (who later became Bishop of ...
(
Bishop of Bath and Wells The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the overwhelmingly greater part of the (ceremonial) county of Somerset and a small area of ...
), the archdeacon's father, died. In 1897, the boys’ department moved to the newly built Board School in Walliscote Road and the National School became a girls’ school. The school changed its name to St John's Church School and was closed in 1964 before being demolished in May 1966 to make way for the development of Weston Technical College, a building that is now used as the college's Knightstone Campus. Following the mid-century reforms of
Henry Cole Sir Henry Cole FRSA (15 July 1808 – 18 April 1882) was a British civil servant and inventor who facilitated many innovations in commerce and education in the 19th century in the United Kingdom. Cole is credited with devising the concept of ...
and others, which promoted the creation of schools to develop a pool of skilled technicians and designers necessary to maintain the country's industrial dominance, the
Hans Price Hans Price (1835–1912) was the architect responsible for much of the development of Weston-super-Mare, in North Somerset, England, during the Victorian era. Life Hans Fowler Price was born in St James's parish, Bristol. He studied under Thomas ...
-designed School of Science and Art, now known as the Weston College Conference Centre, was built in 1892 and opened the following year. The building was Grade 2 listed on 19 May 1983 and was completely refurbished from a derelict state in 2012.Hans Price gem is back to its best
Weston, Worle & Somerset Mercury.
In August 2013, the college's redevelopment of the building was nominated for an English Heritage Angel Award to "recognise the time, effort and determination" of the college for the rescue of the building. Plans to build Weston Technical College were granted approval in June 1965. The £550,000 college was opened on 9 September 1970 and has been an autonomous public body since 1 April 1993. In 2014,
North Somerset Council North Somerset Council is the local authority of North Somerset, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services including Cou ...
approached the college's leadership team with the idea of handing the Winter Gardens Pavilion over to the college to establish a new base for the college's expanding higher education provision and its proposed law and professional services academy. The building had previously been reported as running at a loss of around £30,000 per month. Plans to refurbish and redevelop the building were approved in October 2015, and the building was formally transferred to the college in April 2016. On 25 November 2015, the college announced that it had been granted university centre status in partnership with the
University of the West of England The University of the West of England (also known as UWE Bristol) is a public research university, located in and around Bristol, England. The institution was know as the Bristol Polytechnic in 1970; it received university status in 1992 and ...
. Part of the college's new higher education provision is based in the Winter Gardens. On 11 January 2016, the college announced that it had purchased the Arosfa Hotel in Weston-super-Mare to redevelop it as a Law and Professional Services Academy. It was reopened for teaching after extensive renovation in September 2016.


Courses

The college offers
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 ...
courses, vocational courses, apprenticeships, traineeships, courses for the unemployed and work-related courses.Wilf Hudson (20 January 2014)
Further Education and Skills inspection report: Weston College – General further education college; Inspection Number: 423351
Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (OFSTED). Accessed November 2014.
It also provides bespoke training for professionals across industry(April 2020)
Supporting your employees SR 004/20
/ref> It has facilities for learners with difficulties and/or disabilities (SEND). This provision has been recognised nationally, and is now one of three SEND Centres for Excellence in the UK. It also offers some
associate degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The fi ...
courses; its degrees are validated by
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 institu ...
and by the
University of the West of England The University of the West of England (also known as UWE Bristol) is a public research university, located in and around Bristol, England. The institution was know as the Bristol Polytechnic in 1970; it received university status in 1992 and ...
. The number of students enrolled in the college's higher education provision has grown considerably over the last decade. In 2009/2010 there were 450 undergraduate students on degree courses.. Accessed November 2014. In September 2015, the number of students enrolled in the college's higher education provision had almost doubled to 862. In 2012, Weston College won a £10 million contract to provide education to inmates of 13 prisons in the South West of England.Bethan Evans (25 January 2013)
College lands £10m contract to educate prison inmates
''Weston, Worle & Somerset Mercury''. Accessed November 2014.
This has since increased, with the college providing education to 19 prisons across England. In 2015, Weston College invested £1.5 million into creating a "Future Technology Centre" at the South West Skills Campus, enabling the college to teach a full engineering curriculum. In September 2015, Weston College announced that it had won a contract to train apprentices for
GKN GKN Ltd is a British multinational automotive and aerospace components business headquartered in Redditch, England. It is a long-running business known for many decades as Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds. It can trace its origins back to 1759 an ...
Aerospace. The engineering provision is recognised for being successful, which has led to contracts with businesses such as GKN, Rolls-Royce and Airbus.


Campuses

Weston College has three main campuses: Knightstone Campus, which used to be Weston-super-Mare Technical College; Loxton Campus, on the site of Broadoak Sixth Form Centre on Loxton Road; and South West Skills Campus.Weston College Guide
The Telegraph.
In the last two years Weston College has also opened three new campuses: The Health and Active Living Centre; Animal Management Education Centre – based at Puxton Park; and the Construction Training Centre.Sam Frost (4 August 2019)
Plans revealed for £1.4m Weston College training hub
''Weston, Worle & Somerset Mercury''. Accessed November 2019.
Josh Herrington (9 July 2019)
Weston College providing construction training for the region
''Construction Training Centre''. Accessed November 2019.


Knightstone Campus

The Knightstone Campus is the college's main site, located near Weston-super-Mare's town centre, and where its leadership team and support staff are primarily based. The Knightstone Campus is the tallest building in Weston at nine stories in height. Along with classrooms and office space, the campus contains a library, a canteen, hair and beauty salons, a gym including a sports hall, a training kitchen and restaurant, and specialist facilities for people with learning difficulties and disabilities. The building also has a university centre on its sixth floor, and a wing of performing arts and musical theatre studios in a single story extension at the rear of the building. In 1998, the college renovated the Knightstone Campus to soften and modernise its reception's appearance. The college's entrance was originally located on the first floor, accessible by a flight of stairs located on the college's southern, Knightstone Road facing elevation. The renovation moved the entrance to the ground floor and relocated it on the college's east elevation, facing Lower Church Road.


Loxton Campus

In 1998,
North Somerset Council North Somerset Council is the local authority of North Somerset, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services including Cou ...
handed over the ailing Broadoak Sixth Form College on Loxton Road to Weston College, which launched the facility as Weston College's Sixth Form Centre the following year. In 2007 the building underwent substantial redevelopment and was renamed the Jill Dando Centre in commemoration of murdered local television presenter and journalist
Jill Dando Jill Wendy Dando (9 November 1961 – 26 April 1999) was an English journalist, television presenter and newsreader. She spent most of her career at the BBC and was the corporation's Personality of the Year in 1997. At the time of her death, her ...
, who went to college on the site. In 2006, construction began on the plot adjacent to the sixth form centre to create Weston College's Loxton Campus. The £15 million university campus was opened by
Anne, Princess Royal 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 Ki ...
on 23 June 2008. The campus contains a series of suites and studios from which the college teaches its creative arts courses and some of its degree level education. The facilities include performance spaces, creative arts workshops, graphic design studios, recording and rehearsal suites, a library and a canteen. The building also has its own sports pitch.


South West Skills Campus

The South West Skills Campus on Locking Road comprises the college's 'Technology, Engineering and Construction Centre of Excellence', its automotive training centre, its Training Solutions, its eco-house and its 'Future Technology Centre', which includes its engineering centre. In August 2015, the campus was nominated for the Best Educational Building and Best Change of Use of an Existing Building categories at the Local Authority Building Control Building Excellence Awards.


Satellite Centres

In 2012 the 10-bedroom Weston Bay Hotel was refurbished as residential accommodation for learners with
special educational needs Special educational needs (SEN), also known as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the United Kingdom refers to the education of children who require different education provision to the mainstream system. Definition The definiti ...
, with a focus on learners on the
autism spectrum The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
.BBC News
"Weston College opens special needs academy".
The facility promotes
independent living Independent living (IL), as seen by its advocates, is a philosophy, a way of looking at society and disability, and a worldwide movement of disabled people working for equal opportunities, self-determination, and self-respect. In the context of ...
and
social skills A social skill is any competence facilitating interaction and communication with others where social rules and relations are created, communicated, and changed in verbal and nonverbal ways. The process of learning these skills is called soci ...
, and assist its learners by increasing their access to Higher Education and career opportunities. In January 2015,
North Somerset Council North Somerset Council is the local authority of North Somerset, England. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services including Cou ...
agreed to sell Weston-super-Mare's Winter Gardens Pavilion to the college for the nominal fee of £1. The sale is part of the council's plan to regenerate Weston-super-Mare's town centre and the college intend to turn the building into a Law and Professional Services Academy.


Assessment

The college was assessed by OFSTED in December 2013, and was classified in Grade 1, "outstanding", for overall effectiveness, for its results, for teaching quality, and for management effectiveness. It was the first general further education college in the West of England to receive this grade under the new OFSTED framework.The Guardian
"Winning over Ofsted: how to become an outstanding college".

"Ofsted College's 'amazing result' up with UK best".
It was assessed as Grade 1 in five of its nine subject areas, and Grade 2, "good", in the remaining four. The college's 2016 A Level results indicated that 99% of its students passed, with 74% achieving at least one grade above a 'C', and 46% achieving 'B' to 'A*'. In 2018, the college's A-level result pass rate remained at 99% for the third consecutive year. In 2014, more than 20 per cent of the college's Bachelor of Arts graduates achieved a first class honours degree, beating the national average of 16 per cent. In September 2015, this number of graduates achieving first class honours rose to 21.3%. In 2016, higher education teaching at Weston College was assessed by the
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) is the independent body that checks on standards and quality in UK higher education. It conducts quality assessment reviews, develops reference points and guidance for providers, and cond ...
. It reported that the college met expectations and that the quality of student learning opportunities was 'commended', which is the highest grade the organisation can give.


Weston College Group


University Centre Weston

In 2016, Weston College re-branded its higher education provision to reflect its university centre status with UWE Bristol. The University Centre Weston brand was debuted on the hoarding surrounding the seafront section of the Winter Gardens Pavilion in August 2016.


Inspirational Events and Investments

n 2017, Weston College launched Inspirational Events and Investments, which consists of the Winter Gardens, Lauriston Hotel, Lasseter's restaurant, Florentine café, and also the Weston College Conference Centre.


Offender Learning Services Limited

In August 2012, Weston College won the south west offender learning provision contract from Strode College, and has since delivered offender learning to 13 prisons in the south west of England. Following prison closures across the country, the college now delivers to the following nine prisons: HM Prison Erlestoke, HM Prison The Verne, HM Prison Bristol, HM Prison Channings Wood,
HM Prison Dartmoor HM Prison Dartmoor is a Category C men's prison, located in Princetown, high on Dartmoor in the English county of Devon. Its high granite walls dominate this area of the moor. The prison is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, and is operated by ...
, HM Prison Eastwood Park, HM Prison Exeter,
HM Prison Leyhill HM Prison Leyhill is a Category D men's prison, located in the parish of Tortworth in Gloucestershire, England. Leyhill Prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History Leyhill Prison was originally a United States military hospital ...
and
HM Prison Portland HM Prison Portland is a male Adult/ Young Offenders Institution in the village of The Grove on the Isle of Portland, in Dorset, England. It is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. The prison was originally opened in 1848 as an adult convic ...
. In December 2018 it was announced that Weston College had won the contract to deliver education to a further 10 prisons across: Avon and South Dorset, Devon and North Dorset and Kent, Surrey and Sussex.


Awards


Notable alumni

* George Shelley, former member of the British boy band
Union J Union J are an English boy band, consisting of members JJ Hamblett, Jaymi Hensley, George Shelley and Josh Cuthbert. Shelley left the group in 2016 and was replaced by Casey Johnson, who left several months later, Cuthbert left the group ...
* Nutty Noah, a singer-songwriter * Alfred Leete, creator of the
Lord Kitchener Wants You Lord Kitchener Wants You is a 1914 advertisement by Alfred Leete which was developed into a recruitment poster. It depicted Lord Kitchener, the British Secretary of State for War, above the words "WANTS YOU". Kitchener, wearing the cap of a ...
recruitment campaign, studied at the School of Science and Art *
Jill Dando Jill Wendy Dando (9 November 1961 – 26 April 1999) was an English journalist, television presenter and newsreader. She spent most of her career at the BBC and was the corporation's Personality of the Year in 1997. At the time of her death, her ...
, television presenter and journalist, studied at the former Broadoak Sixth Form Centre which later became Weston College's University Campus * Sophie Long, journalist and BBC News presenter *
Michelle Terry Michelle Terry is an Olivier Award–winning English actress and writer, known for her extensive work for Shakespeare's Globe, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre, as well as her television work, notably writing and star ...
, actor and writer


References

{{Authority control Schools in Weston-super-Mare Further education colleges in Somerset Education in North Somerset Higher education colleges in England