Kingston College

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kingston College is a College of Further and Higher Education based in Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey, England. It has two campuses in the town of Kingston. The main campus is the tallest building in the town and is based on Kingston Hall Road. The second campus is based on Richmond Road and is primarily used for the Arts. There are 3,500 full-time students and 3,500 part-time students in the College. It is famous within the criminal world for having a gang culture and numerous academic faliures.

Principal
Dr. N. G. Sinnamon

Mission Statement
Kingston College aims to provide high quality and best value education and training, post-16.

History
The origins of the College go back to 1899, when the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames built Science and Art Schools and a Technical Institute on the present main site of the College in Kingston Hall Road. The Victorian home of Kingston Technical College (as the institution was then known) survived till the 1960s, when major reconstruction work followed a local reorganisation of further and higher eduaction.

In 1962 Kingston Technical College split into the present college of further education and a college of technology, now Kingston University. Because Kingston College and Kingston University have this common heritage, there remains a strong bond between them today which works to the benefit of students. Jointly run courses and close staff relations ensure that a ladder of educational opportunity is available for both full-time and part-time students from post-GCSE to first degree levels, and beyond. So as to respond to growing student demand, Kingston College has over the past few years broadened the range of courses on offer to keep the curriculum abreast of new technology.

Café 100
Café 100 is the College canteen and regular meeting spot for students. The canteen offers food at reasonable prices for students only and is open throughout the college day. Students are often found quickly visiting the Café in between lessons for a snack.

Arena
Arena is a fully functional gym and sports complex avaialable to the students of Kingston College as well as employees of Kingston Council. The facility is adjoined to the Kingston Hall Road Campus and is open between 12-2pm and 5-8pm Monday-Friday. The College uses these facilities for their Dance and Sport classes during the regular timetabled day. The sixty station gym is fully equipped with weight loss and body toning equipment and its studio classes include steps, legs, bums, tums, yoga, studio cycling and club grooves to name just a few. The Sports hall with seating for 500 spectators include five-a-side football, basketball, badminton, table tennis, fencing and trampolining.

As well as the sports complex, there is the Arena Hair & Beauty facility which offers a working hairdressers and salon. The latest training facility for the hair and beauty sector has been launched in central Kingston at Arena. This unique centre offers specialist facilities which benefit students, employers and clients alike.

Theatre
The College also houses two theatres with the main being the Arthur Cotterell Theatre which the drama faculty uses to stage productions. The theatre is also used to greet and induct students at the beginning of the year.

Proximity To Kinsgton
Both campuses are conveniently located no more than 5 minutes walk from the centre of Kingston. Students often go into Kingston for lunch or during free periods. Kingston offers many options for good value food along with many shopping opportunities. It is also one of the south London Bus hubs and can be reached easily using the bus from many parts of London. It also has an overground train station which students also use to get to and from the college. Trains and buses from Kingston link to Wimbledon and Richmond where District line London Underground trains can be caught.

Satellite Institutions
Chessington Community Centre
Penny School Gallery
Kingston Management Centre

Faculties
The College has numerous faculties of which students belong, and must wear ID with the name of their faculty on to enter the building.
These faculties consist of:
Faculty of General Education
The School Of Art & Design
Faculty of Sports and Leisure Studies
Faculty of Engineering and Science
Faculty of Design Studies