New College, Swindon
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| Established | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Type | Further & higher education |
| Principal | Graham Taylor |
| Location |
New College Drive Swindon Wiltshire SN3 1AH England Coordinates: 51°33′27″N 1°45′30″W / 51.5575°N 1.7583°W |
| DfE URN | 130851 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 4,800 approx. |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Colours | |
| Website | www |
New College is a further and higher education institution, founded in 1983 and located in Swindon, England. The latest (2009) OFSTED report rated the college as 'good' (grade 2) with 'outstanding' features stating that: "This is a good college with outstanding features and good capacity to improve.." and that: "Achievement and standards are good overall. For adult learners on long courses and for pupils aged 14 to 16 on school link programmes they are satisfactory. Learners’ outcomes do not justify the college’s own view that achievement and standards are outstanding". New College is also one of the largest institutions in the country, for around 3,000 16-18 year olds, 1,500 over-19s and 14-16s "enrichment programmes".
In January 2003, 20 years after formation, there was a rebuild of the main site. The new building had a larger library and computing area, darkroom, digital darkroom, recording studio, 250 seat theatre, textile labs, more biological, physical and chemical labs and a large Sports Centre. Further extensions were added in 2005 and 2012, the latter being a £10 million investment which increased capacity by a third. The new build included a Student Zone, a STEM zone, a Lecture Theatre and an extended Restaurant.
Overall in the 2009 inspection, the college was rated 'good' (Grade 2) with outstanding features, in achievement and standards and the same in quality of provision and leadership and management. The report also stated that "...pass rates and the achievement of high grades in A levels are in line with the high national average and are good. Pass rates in AS qualifications are broadly in line with the national average. A-level success rates are mostly in line with sixth form college averages but at AS level they are low in comparison. This is as a result of learners withdrawing from part of their programme of study during the year".
New College is known for its large range of courses offered, with 65 A-Level subjects (including unusual options such as Ceramics, History (Tudors & Stuarts), Archaeology and Environmental Sciences) and a selection of vocational courses across Public Services, Hair and Beauty, Health Care and Childcare, Sports and Leisure, Performing Arts and Art, Design and Photography. The College also offers a substantial number of programmes at Level 1 and 2 as well as part-time qualification and leisure courses for adults. New College has a vibrant business training department for organisations. Fast Forward Training and Development Fast Forward delivers training and assessment for individuals and organisations all over the country. Each year they hand-pick the most popular, successful and in-demand programmes to create a portfolio of over 75 courses, many of which are 'open access' and have regular start dates. There are qualifications and short courses all designed to help people to be more effective at work - now or in a future career.
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