Neath Port Talbot College
Encyclopedia
Neath Port Talbot College (Welsh
: Coleg Castell Nedd Port Talbot) is a further education
institution established as two campuses in Port Talbot
and Neath
in Wales
, United Kingdom
.
The college allows study of many courses including GCSE's, AS Level
/A levels, AGCE
's, AVCE
's, Adult Lifelong Learning Services, GNVQs at both Foundation and Intermediate levels.
Neath Port Talbot College also offers higher education
courses or HND
/Cs
in various subjects related to their AVCE/AGCE courses, notably in Computing, Health & Social Care, Hospitality and Childcare.
After the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot was formed in 1996, plans were put through to merge the Afan College and Neath College as one. In 1997 this was achieved under the name of Neath Port Talbot College.
Between the 1950s to the 1990s there was a Neath College and an Afan College; each college had their own administration and staff. Both colleges independently offered O levels, A levels, National Diploma
s and other qualifications. When the boroughs of Neath
and Port Talbot
merged to form a unitary Authority in 1996, the two colleges decided to merge as one also. Instead of each campus being called Neath College and Afan College, it became Neath Campus and Afan Campus.
. In 2004, it was widely reported that the college was in financial turmoil and needed to save £1 million from its budget by cuts in staff. Since 2007, the college is the only place in Wales
where the training in the installation of solar-powered systems takes place. On October 16th 2008, a double decker bus carrying Neath Port Talbot College students crashed into a bridge too low for the bus to pass under, fifteen students received minor injuries and six required hospital treatment, First Cymru
, the bus company at fault ordered an investigation into the incident. In December 2008, the college students were paid a visit from local Labour
MP Peter Hain
, who delivered a talk about the slave trade and Wales
role in the trade.
In 2009, staff and students protested about a £1.6 million cut in the colleges budget. In Novermber 2009, it was announced that the college would offer the Open University
foundation degree in financial services, the college is the first in the UK to offer this degree. It was described by Vice-Principal of the college Keith Brooker as "Another first for the college, and we are delighted to be working with the Open University in this callaboration".
In June 2010, it was announced plans for a £6 million sports arena to be built next to the Llandarcy campus, it is expected to open in September 2011 to coincide with the colleges 80th year anniversary. The arena is being developed between the college, Llandarcy Park and the Ospreys. In November 2010 it was reported that the Ospreys rugby team would launch a college rugby scheme in Neath Port Talbot College, Bridgend College
and Gower College Swansea
. These colleges will work with the Osprey's Elite Youth Development Team, to provide unrivalled rugby programmes at each of these colleges campuses. In the same month the college announced it was appointing an adviser to help blind students through education at the college, a launch event was held to inform people about the new callaboration between the college and the RNIB.
In 2011, Neath Port Talbot College was awarded more than £400,000 to carry out building improvements, the cash will be used on essential maintenance work, Disability Discrimination Act work and legislative work. In August 2011 the college was subject to praise from education chiefs following the great results achieved at the college, with Welsh Education Minister, Leighton Andrews
leading the praise. In October 2011, the college celebrated its 80th year of operation, opening its doors in 1931, it has built itself up to becoming one of the largest educational providers in Wales. The college kicked off celebrations with the opening of its new state of the art sports facility, which cost £6 million, with the help of Swansea City
players, Angel Rangel
, Tom Butler
and Andrea Orlandi
. Also in this month, local MP Peter Hain paid the college a visit to speak about his life in South Africa
to the students of the college in the Nidum Arts Centre on the Neath campus.
The college also has an outpost at Queen Street in Neath
Town Centre, where the ECDL
is offered and other part time courses are available too. Further facilities are situated at Margam Country Park in Twyn Yr Hydd House from where the college runs its Management Training Centre, Horticulture Training Centre and Parc-Gro plant nursery. The Neath, Afan and Pontardawe campuses are all Learndirect
learning centres and offer a range of courses for adult learners to improve their basic skills. The Queen Street Centre is also a learning centre.
district of Port Talbot, it offers a large range of AS/A level courses and vocational programmes. A day nusery for staff, students and the local community is available on site.
The Canolfan Gelf Nidum Arts Centre is located on the Neath campus, it was opened recently and cost £2 million to construct. It includes a 170 seat auditorium with cinema screen.
campus is a purpose-built sports facility, used for practical and theoretical studies. It is located off junction 43 of the M4 Motorway
.
campus offers vocational courses and is mainly used for adult learners. It is located on the Alloy Industrial Estate near the town centre.
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
: Coleg Castell Nedd Port Talbot) is a further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
institution established as two campuses in Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
and Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The college allows study of many courses including GCSE's, AS Level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
/A levels, AGCE
AGCE
Advanced General Certificate of Education is a vocational qualification that replaced the AVCE in September 2005. The modular structure of each course available is also different from that of the AVCE...
's, AVCE
Avce
Avče is a settlement on the left bank of the river Soča in the Kanal Municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia.The Parish Church in the settlement is dedicated to Saint Martin and belongs to the Diocese of Koper. A second church built above the village in the Nadavče area is dedicated to Our...
's, Adult Lifelong Learning Services, GNVQs at both Foundation and Intermediate levels.
Neath Port Talbot College also offers higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
courses or HND
Higher National Diploma
A Higher National Diploma is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom. This qualification can be used to gain entry into universities, and is considered equivalent to the first or second year of a university degree course....
/Cs
Higher National Certificate
A Higher National Certificate is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom.In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the HNC is a BTEC qualification awarded by Edexcel, and in Scotland, an HNC is a Higher National awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority...
in various subjects related to their AVCE/AGCE courses, notably in Computing, Health & Social Care, Hospitality and Childcare.
After the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot was formed in 1996, plans were put through to merge the Afan College and Neath College as one. In 1997 this was achieved under the name of Neath Port Talbot College.
Early History
The original Neath College opened in October 1931 as a mining institute, with only two classrooms. By 1949 it became Neath Technical College.Between the 1950s to the 1990s there was a Neath College and an Afan College; each college had their own administration and staff. Both colleges independently offered O levels, A levels, National Diploma
OND
OND may refer to on network download:* Omar NajmeDdine*BTEC ND, a vocational qualification in the United Kingdom*One Note Database, a Lotus Notes file*Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro, the leisure and recreational body of the Fascist Italy government...
s and other qualifications. When the boroughs of Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
and Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
merged to form a unitary Authority in 1996, the two colleges decided to merge as one also. Instead of each campus being called Neath College and Afan College, it became Neath Campus and Afan Campus.
Recent History
The college has its own Welsh Language Scheme, which since December 2004 has been accredited by the Welsh Language BoardWelsh Language Board
The Welsh Language Board is a statutory body set up by the UK Government as part of the Welsh Language Act 1993. It is now an Assembly Sponsored Public Body...
. In 2004, it was widely reported that the college was in financial turmoil and needed to save £1 million from its budget by cuts in staff. Since 2007, the college is the only place in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
where the training in the installation of solar-powered systems takes place. On October 16th 2008, a double decker bus carrying Neath Port Talbot College students crashed into a bridge too low for the bus to pass under, fifteen students received minor injuries and six required hospital treatment, First Cymru
First Cymru
First Cymru Buses Ltd. is a provider of public transport bus services in South Wales. First Cymru was formed from a number of privatised former bus companies, including South Wales Transport. Its headquarters are in Penlan, Swansea...
, the bus company at fault ordered an investigation into the incident. In December 2008, the college students were paid a visit from local Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
MP Peter Hain
Peter Hain
Peter Gerald Hain is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Neath since 1991, and has served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, firstly as Leader of the House of Commons under Blair and both Secretary of State for...
, who delivered a talk about the slave trade and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
role in the trade.
In 2009, staff and students protested about a £1.6 million cut in the colleges budget. In Novermber 2009, it was announced that the college would offer the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
foundation degree in financial services, the college is the first in the UK to offer this degree. It was described by Vice-Principal of the college Keith Brooker as "Another first for the college, and we are delighted to be working with the Open University in this callaboration".
In June 2010, it was announced plans for a £6 million sports arena to be built next to the Llandarcy campus, it is expected to open in September 2011 to coincide with the colleges 80th year anniversary. The arena is being developed between the college, Llandarcy Park and the Ospreys. In November 2010 it was reported that the Ospreys rugby team would launch a college rugby scheme in Neath Port Talbot College, Bridgend College
Bridgend College
Bridgend College is a further education college based in Bridgend, Wales. Founded in 1928 as the Bridgend Mining and Technical Institute, the college today has four campuses in Bridgend, Pencoed and Maesteg....
and Gower College Swansea
Gower College Swansea
Gower College Swansea is the name of the further education college in Swansea, Wales, which was formed on 20th August 2010 from the merger of Gorseinon College and Swansea College Nick Bennett, the current principal of Gorseinon College, has been offered the post of principal at the new...
. These colleges will work with the Osprey's Elite Youth Development Team, to provide unrivalled rugby programmes at each of these colleges campuses. In the same month the college announced it was appointing an adviser to help blind students through education at the college, a launch event was held to inform people about the new callaboration between the college and the RNIB.
In 2011, Neath Port Talbot College was awarded more than £400,000 to carry out building improvements, the cash will be used on essential maintenance work, Disability Discrimination Act work and legislative work. In August 2011 the college was subject to praise from education chiefs following the great results achieved at the college, with Welsh Education Minister, Leighton Andrews
Leighton Andrews
Leighton Andrews is a Welsh Labour politician, currently the National Assembly for Wales member for Rhondda since 2003...
leading the praise. In October 2011, the college celebrated its 80th year of operation, opening its doors in 1931, it has built itself up to becoming one of the largest educational providers in Wales. The college kicked off celebrations with the opening of its new state of the art sports facility, which cost £6 million, with the help of Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
players, Angel Rangel
Àngel Rangel
Àngel Rangel Zaragoza is a Spanish footballer who plays for Swansea City in the Premier League, as a right back.-Football career:...
, Tom Butler
Tom Butler
Tom Butler is a Canadian actor who has starred in movies and on television series and in many TV movies.He best known for his television role on the science fiction series Sliders as Michael Mallory, the father of Quinn Mallory in the pilot episode. Tom reprised his role as Michael Mallory in the...
and Andrea Orlandi
Andrea Orlandi
Andrea Orlandi Stabilin , known as Orlandi, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Swansea City in Wales, as a left winger.-Spain:...
. Also in this month, local MP Peter Hain paid the college a visit to speak about his life in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to the students of the college in the Nidum Arts Centre on the Neath campus.
The college also has an outpost at Queen Street in Neath
Neath
Neath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
Town Centre, where the ECDL
ECDL
ECDL is an acronym which may refer to:* El Canto del Loco, a Spanish pop group* European Computer Driving Licence, a computer literacy certification programme* European Conference on Digital Libraries, an international conference series...
is offered and other part time courses are available too. Further facilities are situated at Margam Country Park in Twyn Yr Hydd House from where the college runs its Management Training Centre, Horticulture Training Centre and Parc-Gro plant nursery. The Neath, Afan and Pontardawe campuses are all Learndirect
Learndirect
learndirect is the public-facing brand of Ufi Ltd, a not-for-profit organisation created in 1998 to take forward the UK Government's stated vision of a University for Industry in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
learning centres and offer a range of courses for adult learners to improve their basic skills. The Queen Street Centre is also a learning centre.
Afan Campus
The Afan campus is located in the MargamMargam
Margam is a suburb of Port Talbot in the Welsh county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, close to junction 39 of the M4 motorway.- History :...
district of Port Talbot, it offers a large range of AS/A level courses and vocational programmes. A day nusery for staff, students and the local community is available on site.
Neath campus
The Neath campus is located on Dwr-y-Felin Road just to the northwest of Neath town centre, it offers a large range of AS/A level courses and vocational programmes. A day nusery for staff, students and the local community is available on site.The Canolfan Gelf Nidum Arts Centre is located on the Neath campus, it was opened recently and cost £2 million to construct. It includes a 170 seat auditorium with cinema screen.
Llandarcy Campus
The LlandarcyLlandarcy
Llandarcy is a village near Neath in Neath Port Talbot county borough, southwest Wales, and formerly the site of the UK's first oil refinery. The village, which lies near the Junction 43 of the M4 Motorway, was originally designed as a garden village to house the workers for the refinery, built by...
campus is a purpose-built sports facility, used for practical and theoretical studies. It is located off junction 43 of the M4 Motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
.
Coleg Pontardawe
The PontardawePontardawe
Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales...
campus offers vocational courses and is mainly used for adult learners. It is located on the Alloy Industrial Estate near the town centre.
Awards and Results
In 2011 the A level results for Neath Port Talbot College were:- 99.2% pass rate, A*-E Passes (the sixth year in succession, the 99% barrier has been broken by NPTC)
- 51.1% pass rate, A*-B Passes
- 77.3% pass rate, A*-C Passes
Schools that link to NPTC
Nearly all the schools that link to Neath Port Talbot College are in the Neath Port Talbot area.- Brynteg Comprehensive SchoolBrynteg Comprehensive SchoolBrynteg Comprehensive School is one of the largest secondary schools in Wales. It is located on Ewenny Road in the town of Bridgend, Wales...
, BridgendBridgendBridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town... - Cefn Saeson Comprehensive SchoolCefn SaesonCefn Saeson is a mixed, English-medium comprehensive school located in Cimla, Neath, South Wales. It is located within the Neath Port Talbot County Borough. The school serves the population of 11-16 year olds living in Cimla, Tonna, Tonmawr, Pontrhydyfen and parts of Neath. Cefn Saeson is located...
, NeathNeathNeath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001... - Cwmtawe Comprehensive SchoolCwmtawe Comprehensive SchoolCwmtawe Community School is a modern, English-medium education comprehensive school situated in Pontardawe, South Wales....
, PontardawePontardawePontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales... - Cwrt Sart Comprehensive SchoolCwrt Sart Comprehensive SchoolCwrt Sart Community Comprehensive is a school located in Briton Ferry, Neath, Wales.It is one of the many schools in Neath Port Talbot.-Carreg Hir:...
, NeathNeathNeath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001... - Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive SchoolDwr-y-Felin Comprehensive SchoolDwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School is a comprehensive school in the town of Neath in South Wales.-Admissions:...
, NeathNeathNeath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001... - Dyffryn Comprehensive SchoolDyffryn SchoolDyffryn Comprehensive is a split site 11-16 years comprehensive school based in Neath Port Talbot, with the first two years being based in the 'lower' school, and the last three based in the 'upper'. They are around a mile apart from each other with the lower being in Port Talbot itself, and the...
, Port TalbotPort TalbotPort Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan... - Glan Afan Comprehensive SchoolGlan Afan Comprehensive SchoolGlan Afan Comprehensive School is a mixed comprehensive school, which has served the town of Port Talbot, Wales and its surrounding areas for over 110 years.-History:...
, Port TalbotPort TalbotPort Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan... - Llangatwg Community School, NeathNeathNeath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
- Sandfields Comprehensive SchoolSandfields, Port TalbotSandfields is a mainly residential district of Port Talbot, Wales. The area is located in South Wales on a narrow coastal plain between Mynydd Dinas and the sea. The M4 motorway, A48 trunk road and South Wales Main Line run nearby...
, Port TalbotPort TalbotPort Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan... - Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, YstalyferaYstalyferaYstalyfera is a former industrial village in the upper Swansea Valley, on the River Tawe, about north-east of Swansea. It is an electoral ward and a community in the unitary authority of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, comprising a resident population of just over 3,000 people, approximately 60% of whom...
External links
- Neath Port Talbot College (Official site)