Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC) is a further and higher education college in

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancas ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. Facilities include four main campuses located across the Fylde Coast, all of which have recently undergone or are currently undergoing major redevelopment. The college is a Regional Teaching Partner of

Lancaster University , mottoeng = Truth lies open to all , established = , endowment = £13.9 million , budget = £317.9 million , type = Public , city = Bailrigg, City of Lancaster , country = England , coor = , campus = Bailrigg , faculty ...

and offers full and part-time further education, higher education and vocational courses along with apprenticeships. From September 2016 the college also holds its own

foundation degree A foundation degree is a combined academic and vocational qualification in higher education in the United Kingdom, equivalent to two-thirds of an honours bachelor's degree, introduced by the Department for Education and Employment in 2000. Fou ...

awarding powers. The sites in

Fleetwood Fleetwood is a coastal town in the Borough of Wyre in Lancashire, England, at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 25,939 at the 2011 census. Fleetwood acquired its modern character in the 1830s, when the principal lando ...

form a specialised Nautical campus, which teaches courses for merchant seafarers and offshore workers. As well as delivering a broad portfolio of accredited safety, survival and fire training courses, qualifications are also awarded by Th
Scottish Qualifications Authority
Lancaster University as well as the college itself.

History

The history of B&FC dates back to 1892's opening of Fleetwood's School for Fishermen, which later developed into the Nautical campus. Blackpool Technical College (B&FC's Palatine Road site, later expanded into Blackpool Technical College and School of Art) opened in 1937, and expanded again to include the Bispham site c.1970 (Hall, ''A Hundred Years of Blackpool Education'', Blackpool Education Committee, 1970). The Fleetwood and Blackpool colleges combined into B&FC in 1987. The college's Lytham site has most recently been converted to provide sixth form facilities, in conjunction with Lytham St Annes Technology and Performing Arts College.

Campuses

* Bispham * Gateway * Fleetwood Nautical * Seasiders Learning * University Centre * Lancashire Energy HQ

Students' Union

B&FC Students' Union is affiliated with the NUS and works in partnership with the college. The SU represents students on a range of issues, including equality and diversity, education and social activities.

Alumni

Peter Baynham Peter Baynham is a Welsh screenwriter and performer. He is best known for appearing in a series of comedic Pot Noodle television adverts in the 1990s. His work largely represents collaborations with comedy figures such as Armando Iannucci, Steve ...

, comedian and screenwriter *

Kate Ford Kate Ford (born 29 December 1976) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Tracy Barlow in the ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'' (2002–2007, 2010–present). Ford was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. She attended Q ...

, actress *

Craig McDean Craig McDean (born 1964 in England) is a British fashion photographer, originally from Middlewich, now based in New York City. Life McDean originally trained and worked as a car mechanic before studying photography at Mid Cheshire College (OND ...

, photographer * Sarah Myerscough, model maker / artist for

Blackpool Illuminations Blackpool Illuminations is an annual lights festival, founded in 1879 and first switched on 18 September that year, held each autumn in the British seaside resort of Blackpool on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire. Also known locally as The Lights o ...

, previously at

Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool Pleasure Beach is an amusement park situated on Blackpool's South Shore, in the county of Lancashire, North West England. It operates as a secure facility, and has introduced epayments via smartphones for admission charges, repla ...

Helen Owen Helen Owen (born 1 May 1980) is an English theatre actor known for her roles in ''Les Misérables'', '' Mamma Mia'' and '' The Wizard of Oz''. She is married to actor Thomas Aldridge. Early life Born in Rochdale, England, Owen went to school a ...

, theatre actress *

Craig Parkinson Craig Parkinson (born 11 March 1976) is an English actor and podcaster. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Shaun in the E4 series '' Misfits'', twins Jimmy and Johnny Kray in the ITV series ''Whitechapel'', and DI Matthew "Dot" Cottan ...

, actor *

Jodie Prenger Jodie Prenger (born 12 June 1979) is an English actress and singer, best known as the winner of BBC television series '' I'd Do Anything'' on 31 May 2008 and the second series of ''The Biggest Loser'' in 2006. In 2022, she began portraying the ...

, actress and singer * John Simm, actor

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Blackpool Buildings and structures in the Borough of Fylde Buildings and structures in Fleetwood Education in Blackpool Education in the Borough of Fylde Education in the Borough of Wyre Further education colleges in the Collab Group Further education colleges in Lancashire Maritime colleges in the United Kingdom