Warwickshire College
Encyclopedia
Warwickshire College is a large further
and higher education
college in England. It provides National Curriculum courses and vocational education in a broad range of subjects to students aged 16 and over. Through a series of mergers over a period of 12 years, it has over 35,000 students enrolled on courses in six locations, with a wide network of outreach centres throughout Warwickshire
and one in Worcestershire
, making it one of the largest GFE colleges in the country. It was formed in 1996, when the Mid-Warwickshire College in Leamington Spa
and the Moreton Morrell Centre in Moreton Morrell
merged. In a further expansion the college merged with Rugby College in 2003, followed shortly by a new campus opening in Warwick
called the Trident Centre. It then merged with a fifth site at Henley-in-Arden
. In August 2007, Warwickshire College merged with Pershore College, Centre of Horticultural Excellence, in Worcestershire, spreading Warwickshire College across the two counties. The college has Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) awards in engineering, equine, farriery, maintenance and construction, and leadership and management. Following a March 2008 inspection, an Ofsted report accorded the college an overall Grade 1 (outstanding) for its performance. The college is a member of the 157 Group
of high performing colleges.
centre focusses on sports related studies, health and beauty, fashion and textiles and offers courses from further education right through to postgraduate qualifications. The centre has a £2 million sports centre and sports academies. The college is affiliated to British Colleges’ Sport (BCS) and takes part in the full range of competitions covering team and individual sports.
, the nine-times World Professional Darts champion, taught carpentry and joinery at the college until 2005.
, Worcestershire
(though close to the Warwickshire border) and offers courses in Horticulture, Floristry, Animal Welfare, Veterinary Nursing, Food and Drink Agriculture, Equine, Environmental Conservation, Countryside Management and Motor Vehicle. The unrivalled resources include a commercial plant nursery, organic unit, plant centre, specialist plant unit, fruit unit with fruit juice production facilities, extensive amenity grounds and commercial glasshouses. The College also manages several national plant collections in the popular and much visited College gardens. The College is home to the Royal Horticultural Society
Regional Centre and the Alpine Garden Society. There is also the specialist resource of an animal unit.
Pershore College was originally an independent institution founded in 1954 to train horticultural
workers in the Vale of Evesham. It began offering higher education courses in 1993 and was merged into Warwickshire in August 2007.
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...
and 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...
college in England. It provides National Curriculum courses and vocational education in a broad range of subjects to students aged 16 and over. Through a series of mergers over a period of 12 years, it has over 35,000 students enrolled on courses in six locations, with a wide network of outreach centres throughout Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
and one in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, making it one of the largest GFE colleges in the country. It was formed in 1996, when the Mid-Warwickshire College in Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
and the Moreton Morrell Centre in Moreton Morrell
Moreton Morrell
Moreton Morrell is a village and civil parish in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is part of the historic hundred of Kington and is located about three and a half miles north west of the village of Kineton. The settlement was first mentioned in the Domesday Book as Moreton. From at least...
merged. In a further expansion the college merged with Rugby College in 2003, followed shortly by a new campus opening in Warwick
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
called the Trident Centre. It then merged with a fifth site at Henley-in-Arden
Henley-in-Arden
Henley-in-Arden is a small town in Warwickshire, England. The name is a reference to the former Forest of Arden. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 2,011....
. In August 2007, Warwickshire College merged with Pershore College, Centre of Horticultural Excellence, in Worcestershire, spreading Warwickshire College across the two counties. The college has Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) awards in engineering, equine, farriery, maintenance and construction, and leadership and management. Following a March 2008 inspection, an Ofsted report accorded the college an overall Grade 1 (outstanding) for its performance. The college is a member of the 157 Group
157 Group
The 157 Group is a group of 28 colleges of further education in England. The group was established in 2006 with an aim of promoting and maintaining high standards of education and management for this type of college...
of high performing colleges.
Henley-in-Arden Centre
The Henley-in-ArdenHenley-in-Arden
Henley-in-Arden is a small town in Warwickshire, England. The name is a reference to the former Forest of Arden. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 2,011....
centre focusses on sports related studies, health and beauty, fashion and textiles and offers courses from further education right through to postgraduate qualifications. The centre has a £2 million sports centre and sports academies. The college is affiliated to British Colleges’ Sport (BCS) and takes part in the full range of competitions covering team and individual sports.
Leamington Centre
The main campus for Warwickshire College is located in Leamington Spa. It lies to the west of the town centre, near the join of Warwick to Leamington Spa. It offers courses including A Levels, business, health care, hair and beauty, construction, travel and tourism and supported learning programmes. The Centre has a comprehensive range of facilities, including a state of the art learning centre and library, a lecture theatre, hair and beauty salon, sports hall and gym, a travel centre, a shop selling stationery, art and design equipment, confectionery and newspapers, and a children's nursery. The Leamington Spa centre is also the current home to Warwickshire School of Arts, which until 2005 was separate from the main campus. The school of arts offers foundation diploma in art and deign and extended/national diploma in fashion and clothing. Trina GulliverTrina Gulliver
Trina Gulliver is an English professional darts player. She is the nine-time Women's World Professional Darts Champion of the British Darts Organisation. Her nickname is the 'Golden Girl' and has been sponsored by the leading Global Darts Brand Winmau for over 10 years...
, the nine-times World Professional Darts champion, taught carpentry and joinery at the college until 2005.
Moreton Morrell Centre
Located in the Warwickshire countryside, the Moreton Morrell centre offers courses in Equine, Farriery and Blacksmithing, Agriculture, Countryside, Arboriculture, Environment, Horticulture, Floristry, Animal Welfare and Veterinary Nursing. The resources include a 345-hectare commercial farm with a large dairy herd, beef and sheep, wildlife habitats including woodlands, grasslands and wetlands. The College also has equine facilities, with stabling for over 100 horses, an indoor school, a covered school and large outdoor riding arenas. There are 3 forges, purpose-built centres for horticulture and veterinary nursing, as well as a large animal welfare centre housing a wide range of animals and facilities.Pershore College
Pershore College is situated on a 60 hectare site near EveshamEvesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
(though close to the Warwickshire border) and offers courses in Horticulture, Floristry, Animal Welfare, Veterinary Nursing, Food and Drink Agriculture, Equine, Environmental Conservation, Countryside Management and Motor Vehicle. The unrivalled resources include a commercial plant nursery, organic unit, plant centre, specialist plant unit, fruit unit with fruit juice production facilities, extensive amenity grounds and commercial glasshouses. The College also manages several national plant collections in the popular and much visited College gardens. The College is home to the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
Regional Centre and the Alpine Garden Society. There is also the specialist resource of an animal unit.
Pershore College was originally an independent institution founded in 1954 to train horticultural
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
workers in the Vale of Evesham. It began offering higher education courses in 1993 and was merged into Warwickshire in August 2007.
Rugby Centre
The Rugby centre's new building opened in 2011. It houses the innovative Power Industry Academy, to train people in power generation manufacture. The centre also includes a Learning Resource Centre, sports hall and fully equipped gym, astroturf pitch, meeting and conference facilities, purpose-built art, design and craft workshops, hair and beauty salons and college nursery.Trident Centre
The Trident Business and Technology Centre in Warwick is a relatively new building. It houses a conference suite on the top floor with excellent catering facilities. There is also a Learning Resource Centre with an open learning area and internet enabled PC's. There are also a number of computer suites for classes around the building. Many companies, including Alstom, Cable and Wireless, Jaguar Landrover, Rolls Royce and Telent, send their apprentices to this centre. There is a large workshop area for the Motor Vehicle courses with vehicles donated by manufacturers for use by the college and students to repair and maintain. There is an extensive traditional engineering workshop, equipped with lathes, milling machines and grinding machines. There is also a materials lab along with electrical/electronic and pneumatics labs. The courses studied here are mainly Engineering and Motor Vehicle based. There is also a 3D design area which has facilities for model making.Alumni
- Broadcaster Chris BeardshawChris BeardshawChris Beardshaw is an award winning UK gardener who is perhaps best known for his work on the BBC's long running television series Gardeners World. He is formally trained and holds an MA in Landscape Architecture from the University of Gloucestershire...
, who has hosted gardening programmes on the BBC and Channel 4, and is famed for his work on Gardeners' WorldGardeners' WorldGardeners' World is a long-running BBC television programme about gardening that continues to this day. Its first episode was filmed in 1968, presented by Ken Burras and came from Oxford Botanical Gardens. The magazine BBC Gardeners' World is a tie-in to the programme. Most of its episodes have...
, attended Pershore College. - Michael Burston (WürzelWürzelMichael Burston commonly known by the stage name Würzel, was an English musician and formerly a guitarist in the British heavy metal band, Motörhead....
), guitarist of the group Motorhead, attended Pershore College in the mid 1990s. - Hussein ChalayanHussein ChalayanHussein Chalayan MBE is a British/Turkish Cypriot fashion designer who graduated from Central Saint Martins in 1993.- Biography :...
and Luella BartleyLuella BartleyLuella Dayrell Bartley MBE is an English fashion designer, magazine editor and former journalist based in the UK.A onetime journalist and fashion editor of British Vogue and Canada's Evening Standard newspaper, Luella Bartley first attended the prestigious further education arts college,...
both studied for a National Diploma in Fashion and Clothing at Warwickshire College. Both went on to study at Central Saint Martins, and both have won British Fashion Designer of the year.