Weston College

Weston College
Weston College Logo
Motto Creating Brighter Futures
Principal Paul Phillips
Founder Henry Stacy
Students 10,997[1]
Undergraduates 450[2]
Location Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset, United Kingdom
51°21′03″N 2°58′53″W / 51.350896°N 2.981486°WCoordinates: 51°21′03″N 2°58′53″W / 51.350896°N 2.981486°W
Website www.weston.ac.uk
Knightstone Campus
The Hans Price Gallery
University Campus

Weston College is a general college of further and higher education in Weston-super-Mare, in North Somerset, England. It provides education and vocational training from age 14 to adult. At the end of 2013 it had 2883 full-time and 8114 part-time students.[1] In an OFSTED inspection in January 2014 it received an overall grade of "outstanding".[3] On 27th February 2015, the college was named 'College of the Year' and 'Overall FE Provider of the Year' at the TES FE awards.[4] It is a major employer in Weston-super-Mare.[5]

Courses

The college offers A level courses, vocational courses, apprenticeships, traineeships, courses for the unemployed and work-related courses in nine subject areas: administration, business management, foundation English, hair and beauty, independent living and leisure, public services, science, sport, and vehicle engineering.[1] It also provides training for work in the building,[6] catering and plumbing trades.[1] It has facilities for learners with difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD). It also offers some associate degree courses; its degrees are validated by Bath Spa University and by the University of the West of England.[6] In 2009/2010 there were 450 undergraduate students on degree courses.[2]

In 2012, Weston College was given a £10 million contract to provide education to inmates of 13 prisons in the South West of England.[7]

Campuses

Weston College has three main campuses: Knightstone Campus, which used to be Weston-super-Mare Technical College; University Campus, on the site of Broadoak Sixth Form Centre on Loxton Road; and South West Skills Campus.[8] Care and management of horses and other animals are taught at Badgworth Equestrian and Animal Centre.[9] The former Hans Price School of Art and Science is now a conference centre.[10] In 2012 the 10-bedroom Weston Bay Hotel was refurbished as residential accommodation for special needs students.[11]

Assessment

In 2011, higher education teaching at Weston College was assessed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, which had confidence in its management of award standards and learning opportunities.[6]

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.[12][13] It was assessed as Grade 1 in five of its nine subject areas, and Grade 2, "good", in the remaining four.[1]

In 2014 the A level pass rate at the college was 98%, one percent higher than in 2013.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 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.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Russell Jordan (21 October 2010). "Weston College: Focused monitoring visit report" (PDF). Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (OFSTED).. Accessed November 2014.
  3. ↑ Bristol Post, "Weston College rated as outstanding by OFSTED".
  4. ↑ TES FE awards, "Weston College celebrate awards".
  5. ↑ Cheddar Valley Gazette, "Weston College celebrate awards".
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 [s.n.] (October 2011). Integrated quality and enhancement review: Summative review: Weston College SR 004/11. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Accessed November 2014.
  7. ↑ Bethan Evans (25 January 2013). College lands £10m contract to educate prison inmates. Weston, Worle & Somerset Mercury. Accessed November 2014.
  8. ↑ Weston College Guide, The Telegraph.
  9. ↑ What Can I Study?, Badgworth Arena.
  10. ↑ Hans Price gem is back to its best, Weston, Worle & Somerset Mercury.
  11. ↑ BBC News, "Weston College opens special needs academy".
  12. ↑ The Guardian, "Winning over Ofsted: how to become an outstanding college".
  13. ↑ Bristol Post, "Ofsted College's 'amazing result' up with UK best".
  14. ↑ Bethan Evans (23 August 2014). Pass rate is up for Weston College. Weston, Worle & Somerset Mercury. Accessed November 2014.