Wakefield College

Wakefield College
Motto "Transforming lives through learning"
Established 1868
Type General Further Education and Tertiary
Religion Mixed
Principal Sam Wright
Location Margaret Street
Wakefield
West Yorkshire
WF1 2DH
England England
53°41′10″N 1°30′21″W / 53.68600°N 1.50595°W / 53.68600; -1.50595Coordinates: 53°41′10″N 1°30′21″W / 53.68600°N 1.50595°W / 53.68600; -1.50595
Local authority Yorkshire & Humber LSC (although in Wakefield LEA)
DfE URN 130549 Tables
Ofsted Reports
Gender Mixed
Website College Website

Wakefield College is a Further Education and Higher Education College [1] in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It has provided education within the city since 1868 .[2]

History

In the 1950s, it was known as the Wakefield Technical College on Burton Street, becoming the Wakefield Technical and Arts College in the early 1960s and the Wakefield College of Technology and Arts in 1973. In 1974, it became administered by the City of Wakefield.

Campuses

The higher education courses available are located in specialist facilities at all three campuses. There are almost 40 university level courses offered in conjunction with Huddersfield University, Leeds Beckett University and Bradford University. Every year the College holds its prestigious graduation event, celebrating over 500 awards with its students.

Wakefield College has three main campuses in the Wakefield district:

Wakefield Campus

Buildings in Wakefield

This site is located at Margaret Street in the city centre and houses the Sixth Form Centre for students studying for AS and A Levels. This campus offers also courses such as ICT and Computing, Office Skills, Hospitality and Catering, Travel and Tourism, Health Studies, Childcare, Animal Care and Languages.[3]

The Wakefield City Centre campus is currently undergoing major re-development works, including the recent completion of a new building designed to house the College's sixth-form, higher education provision and new Library. [4] Current works include the refurbishment of the former Wakefield Museum, which the College has taken ownership of. The College will use the building, on Wood Street, to house its Performing Arts centre.[5]

Thornes Park Campus

This site is located in the centre of Thornes Park, Wakefield and offers courses such as Performing Arts and Music, Art, Design, Media and Communications, Business and Management, Sport and Public Services.[6] The buildings are made up of the former Thornes House High School (also known as Thornes House Grammar School) which opened in 1921 as separate sex school. In 1941 it became a mixed school, and the school suffered a fire in July 1951. It was administered by the City of Wakefield Educational Committee. It became a 13-18 comprehensive school in 1972 with 1200 boys and girls. In 1981, it lost its sixth form and became a 13-16 school, and, in 1992 merged with nearby Cathedral Middle School and the newly formed school re-located into Cathedral Middle's buildings on Thornes Road.[7] In 1993, it became part of Wakefield College.[8]

Castleford Campus

Castleford Campus building

This is a purpose built site in Glasshoughton which opened in 2008,[9] described by the College as a 'distinctive, iconic structure'. The Castleford Campus was formerly known as the skillsXchange.[10] This site houses courses for construction crafts, practical engineering, motor vehicle, hairdressing and beauty therapy, IT and care.[11] This site replaced the Whitwood Campus, located in Castleford. This now closed campus was the former Whitwood Mining and Technical School, which opened in the 1930s and closed in February 2009.[12] The Whitwood Campus has been redeveloped for housing.

University Centre

The College currently has an established higher education provision, branded as the University Centre Wakefield.[13] The College does have plans to significantly expand its HE provision, submitting its plans to Wakefield Council for consideration in September 2012.[14]

Collaboration with Crofton Academy

In 2012, Wakefield College announced it would be collaborating with Crofton Academy, opening a sixth form centre at the Crofton Academy site, High Street, Crofton. The centre will offer a range of A Level and BTEC courses. [15] [16]

Alumni

Alumni of Thornes House School

Alumni of Thornes House School are known as Old Thornesians.

Wakefield College Students' Union

Wakefield College Students' Union is the official Students' Union for Wakefield College. Its role is to provide a representative channel between all students and the authorities of the college as well as to provide services and run events and campaigns.

Executive Committee

The Unions Executive Committee are elected once every year; Usually at the end of the previous academic year and, if necessary, again at the start of the appropriate Academic year to fill the remaining unfilled posts. The Committee currently has 11 members.

The Executive Committee and certain members of staff are responsible for running the union as a whole.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_providers/full/(urn)/130549 Ofsted Wakefield College
  2. ↑ http://www.wakefield.ac.uk/About/ Wakefield College - About
  3. ↑ http://www.wakefield.ac.uk/About/WakefieldCampus.asp Wakefield College - Wakefield Campus
  4. ↑ http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2012-05-11/wakefield-college-topping-out-ceremony/
  5. ↑ http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/local/more-wakefield-news/wakefield-museum-to-get-1m-makeover-to-become-performing-arts-centre-for-students-1-5025789
  6. ↑ http://www.wakefield.ac.uk/About/ThornesParkCampus.asp Wakefield College - Thornes Park Campus
  7. ↑ http://thorneshouse.org.uk/History/history-2.htm Thornes House Website
  8. ↑ http://www.wakefieldfhs.org.uk/Educational%20Establishments.htm Wakefield Family History Site
  9. ↑ http://www.wakefield.ac.uk/News/PressReleases/Articles/2009/04/SXCOpening.asp Wakefield College Press Release
  10. ↑ http://www.wakefield.ac.uk/getintouch/skillsxchange.asp
  11. ↑ http://www.wakefield.ac.uk/About/skillsXchange.asp Wakefield College - skillsXchange
  12. ↑ https://www.flickr.com/photos/22226318@N08/sets/72157610013242880/with/3056492281 flickr.com Whitwood Campus
  13. ↑ http://www.wakefield.ac.uk/HigherEducation/
  14. ↑ http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/local/more-wakefield-news/university-plan-for-wakefield-closer-1-4886610
  15. ↑ http://www.croftonacademy.org.uk/index1.html
  16. ↑ http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/wakefield-new-1m-sixth-form-college-is-planned-1-5002349
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