Bedford College is a

further education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is additional education to that received at secondary school that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. It ...

college located in

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...

, Bedfordshire, England. It is the principal further education provider in the

Borough of Bedford Bedford, or the Borough of Bedford, is a Districts of England, local government district with borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It is administered by Bedford Borough Council, ...

History

Further Education courses have been provided on Bedford College's Cauldwell Street campus under some name since

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, although its roots can be traced to the founding of Bedford Training College for Teachers in 1882. Following construction of the college's six-storey tower block, opened on 19 June 1959, the college became known as Mander College of Further Education. The college was named after Sir Frederick Mander, who was Chairman of

Bedfordshire County Council Bedfordshire County Council was the county council of Bedfordshire in England. It was created in 1889 and abolished in 2009. Throughout its existence, the council was based in Bedford. Luton was a county borough independent from the county cou ...

at the time of the tower's construction. The tower was erected at a cost of £282,510, plus £4,085 for external works. In 1976 the college combined with two teacher training institutions to form the split-site

Bedford College of Higher Education Bedford College of Higher Education was a higher education institution in Bedford, England, specializing in teacher training. History Until 1976, three separate institutions offered tertiary education in Bedford: Bedford College of Physical Edu ...

. The college remained in this form until 1992, when

Further Education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is additional education to that received at secondary school that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. It ...

colleges achieved independent status from

local education authorities Local education authorities (LEAs) were defined in England and Wales as the local councils responsible for education within their jurisdictions. The term was introduced by the Education Act 1902, which transferred education powers from school bo ...

. Bedford College was formed as a Further Education Institute to concentrate on provision within this sector, remaining at the Cauldwell Street campus. The Higher Education areas of the college separated in 1994 to become the

campus of the

De Montfort University De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body ...

, but later merged with the University of Luton to form the

University of Bedfordshire The University of Bedfordshire is a Public university, public research university with campuses in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England. The university has roots in further and higher education from 1882: it gained university status in 19 ...

. Bedford College retains some Higher Education provision, and provides a number of foundation degrees and select teaching qualifications in association with the University of Bedfordshire. In January 2008 it was announced that Bedford College (with the Harpur Trust) intended to sponsor John Bunyan Upper School (a state comprehensive school in Bedford) thereby turning the school into an

academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

. This was confirmed by

the following June. Bedford Academy opened in September 2010. BedfordCollegeEntrance

In July 2009, the college was formally awarded Beacon Status by the

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It was created by the Gordon Brown premiership on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Uni ...

. The status means that Bedford College has been recognised as one of the best further education colleges in the United Kingdom. In August 2009, it was announced that Shuttleworth College had become part of Bedford College. Shuttleworth College had previously been part of

Writtle College Writtle University College was a university college located in Writtle near Chelmsford, Essex. It was founded in 1893 and obtained University College status in May 2016. In July 2023, Writtle University College announced a merger with Anglia ...

. In September 2012, Bedford College leased the site of the former Bedford High School for a campus in the north of Bedford town centre. Bedford High School closed over the summer of 2012. The college bought the old main school buildings, Trinity Church, and the Sports and Performing Arts (SPA) complex from owners, the Harpur Trust in March 2014. The Bedford Sixth Form occupies the campus (Bedford College's branding of its

sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

provision). The SPA complex became Trinity Arts & Leisure, managed by Bedford College Services Ltd. In August 2017, Bedford College and Tresham College merged to become The Bedford College Group which includes Shuttleworth College, and The Bedford Sixth Form, as well as campuses in

Wellingborough Wellingborough ( ) is a market town in the North Northamptonshire, Unitary Authority area, England, from London and from Northampton, north of the River Nene. Originally named "Wendelingburgh" (the stronghold of Wændel's people), the Anglo ...

Kettering Kettering is a market town, market and industrial town, industrial town in the North Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England, west of Cambridge, England, Cambridge, southwest of Peterborough, southeast of Leicester and north- ...

and

Corby Corby is a town and civil parish in the North Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England, northeast of Northampton. In 2021 it had a population of 68,164. From 1974 to 2021, it was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...

. The Corby campus opened in 2023.

Bedford College today

Bedford College offers a range of academic and vocational qualifications,

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulat ...

, access to higher education courses, higher education qualifications and foundation education programmes. The areas of study include – Shuttleworth ag college

The Bedford Sixth Form

The Bedford Sixth Form is a

centre operated by Bedford College on the site of the former Bedford High School. Courses offered include

GCSEs The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...

A Levels 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 a ...

and BTECs.

Shuttleworth College

Shuttleworth College located in

Old Warden Old Warden is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England, about south-east of the county town of Bedford. The 2011 census shows its population as 328. The ...

Central Bedfordshire Central Bedfordshire is a Districts of England, local government district in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. It is administered by Central Bedfordshire Council, a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority. It was created ...

is operated by Bedford College. Shuttleworth College mainly provides courses and training related to agriculture and the

natural environment The natural environment or natural world encompasses all life, biotic and abiotic component, abiotic things occurring nature, naturally, meaning in this case not artificiality, artificial. The term is most often applied to Earth or some parts ...

Learning centres

Bedford College also operates four 'Learning Centres' located in the town centres of

Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of Milton Keynes urban area, its urban area was 264,349. The River Great Ouse forms t ...

Luton Luton () is a town and borough in Bedfordshire, England. The borough had a population of 225,262 at the 2021 census. Luton is on the River Lea, about north-west of London. The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon settleme ...

and

Rushden Rushden is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Northamptonshire district, in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, around east of Northampton. The parish is on the border with Bedfordshire, north of B ...

which offer IT skills and courses.

Bedford College Academies Trust

Bedford College formed Bedford College Academies Trust in 2013. The Trust was the initial sponsor of Bedford Academy, located in the Kingsbrook area of Bedford, along with the Harpur Trust. In April 2014, Bedford College became a new sponsor of UTC Central Bedfordshire in Houghton Regis, and worked on building a new centre for students with the highest levels of need. This was at the request of the Department for Education after the UTC failed an inspection. However, the UTC closed in August 2016 after failing to attract a sufficient number of pupils. In October 2014, it was announced that Hastingsbury Business & Enterprise College at

Kempston Kempston is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, situated around south-west of Bedford town centre. It had a population of 19,330 in the 2011 census, and forms part of the wider Bedford built-up area. The ...

would convert to an academy in partnership with Bedford College. The school was later renamed Kempston Academy, and after extending its lower age range in 2017 is now a secondary school. Today the trust is the sponsor of Wixams Academy and Wixams Tree Primary, both located in

Wixams Wixams is a new town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England, which has been under construction since early 2007. It is expected to become the third largest settlement in the Borough of Bedford after Bedford itself and Kempston, and on ...

References

External links

Bedford College

Shuttleworth College

The Bedford Sixth Form

Bedford College Employer Training Services

Bedford College Academies Trust
{{Coord, 52.13315, N, 0.46726, W, type:edu_region:GB, display=title Education in Bedford Further education colleges in Bedfordshire Further education colleges in the Collab Group Learning and Skills Beacons Educational institutions established in 1882 Educational institutions established in 1959 1882 establishments in England 1959 establishments in England