Nottingham College

Nottingham College
Address
Map
Adams Building, Stoney Street, Nottingham

,
England
,
United Kingdom
Information
Former namesNew College Nottingham
Central College Nottingham
TypeGeneral further education college
Established8 June 2017 (by amalgamation)
Local authorityNottingham
Department for Education URN130776 Tables
OfstedReports
Chair of GovernorsCarole Thorogood
CEOJanet Smith[1]
Staff1,500
GenderMixed
Age14+
Enrolment~15,000 (full-time);
~40,000 (total)
WebsiteNottingham College
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
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3km
2miles
Adams Building
Wheeler Gate
Stapleford
London Road
Highfields
High Pavement Sixth Form
City Hub
Basford
.
25 Stoney Street
Registered address at the Adams Building in Nottingham city centre and surrounding education centres

Nottingham College is one of the largest further education and higher education colleges in the United Kingdom. Based in the city of Nottingham in England, it provides education and training from pre-entry through to university-degree level at its 10 centres in the city and around Nottinghamshire.

History

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Nottingham College is an amalgamation of two former further education colleges — New College Nottingham and Central College Nottingham.[2][3]

New College Nottingham

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New College Nottingham (often stylised as ncn or NCN) was formed from Arnold and Carlton College, which opened in 1960; Basford Hall College of Further Education, which opened 1969; Clarendon College of Further Education, which was founded in 1919 and became a further-education college in 1948 whose current campus opened in 1960; and the High Pavement Sixth Form College, which was founded as a school in 1788 and has offered sixth form education since 1975; the current campus opened in 2001.

In December 2015 New College Nottingham underwent its new inspection framework Ofsted inspection and received a Grade 2 (Good) overall, having been rated Good in all individual categories.[4]

Central College Nottingham

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Central College Nottingham was a further education college based over ten sites in Nottinghamshire. The college was formed from the merger of Castle College Nottingham and South Nottingham College. South Nottingham College was founded in 1970 in West Bridgford, while Castle College Nottingham was founded on 1 June 2006 from the merger of Broxtowe College and The People's College in Nottingham. The People's College was the oldest further education college in England, having been founded in 1847. Following a public consultation, which ran from December 2010 to January 2011, it was decided that Castle College Nottingham and South Nottingham College should merge. The colleges officially merged on 1 July 2011. The merged college was renamed 'Central College Nottingham' in November 2012.[5]

2017 merger

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On 8 June 2017, New College Nottingham merged with Central College Nottingham to form Nottingham College, one of the largest colleges in the UK, with around 40,000 full-time and part-time students.[2][3]

The college today

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The college is a general further and higher education college and offers a range of courses corresponding to the ISCED band 4 and 5.

  • Vocational Courses
  • Apprenticeships
  • A-Levels
  • Access Courses
  • Higher Apprenticeships
  • Foundation Degrees (Higher Education) (level 5)[6] Bachelor degrees and top-up degrees. (level 6)

2019 Industrial Action

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In 2019, after a ballot where 96% of lecturers agreed to uphold strike action, the college experienced a strike by members of the University and College Union (UCU) which lasted for 15 days during September and October.[7][8][9]

The strike began with a boycott of the college's development day - Festival of Learning - on 1 July 2019. In protest, the UCU branch organised its own Festival of Yearning gathering outside of the Clarendon campus.[10]

The strike was a response to the college's intention to impose new staff contracts involving a potential reduction in pay, sick leave and holidays, with the threat of dismissal for those who refused to sign.[11] Prior to the dispute-end in November 2019, a further 14 day period of action was planned and the college had asked Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) to mediate.[9][12]

An online pamphlet was later created by retired union members which examines the dispute in context of the recent history of further education in the city, and gives an account of the dispute background before and during the strike action.[13] The pamphlet title – containing the word "revolution" – is a reference to the then-CEO, John van de Laarschot's claim in a 2017 speech at the Local Enterprise Partnership D2N2 annual conference, partially published in local press, that under his leadership, "Nottingham College will lead a revolution" in the further education sector that would include "tough love" for youngsters without the skills employers wanted.[14] In November 2021, John van de Laarschot announced his intention to leave the college "at the end of the year".[15]

Courses

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GCSEs

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Students can take or retake a GCSE subject with the college. A pass at Grade C is usually needed to progress to A-level and University level courses.[16]

A-level courses

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A-levels are the traditional entry route to universities, and a sixth-form college has been the option chosen by students that want, at 16, to leave the security and restrictions of a secondary school. There are entry requirements to each course, students must have evidence of success at GCSEs, and normally have a pass of Grade C or above in a related subject. They will study 3 or 4 subjects. Nottingham College offers over 20 popular subjects, including a limited range of languages and more specialised subjects. All the academic subjects are studied at High Pavement Sixth Form, though Art and Textiles at Stoney Street and Photography at the Adams Building.[6]

University-level courses

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Nottingham College offers a range of university-level courses at undergraduate level recognised by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) in partnership with higher education institutions including Nottingham Trent University, The Open University and Edexcel.[17] [18] [19]

Locations

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Nottingham College currently has ten centres around the city.[20] Former key centres include Beeston, Clarendon, Clifton and Maid Marian Way. These were removed from the college's estate to help fund and build the "City Hub" on disused brownfield land next to the Broadmarsh Centre and tram overpass at the foot of Lace Market Cliff.[21]

Adams Building

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The Adams Building – illuminated – February 2012

The Adams Building opened in 1998 with a focus for the College's Higher Education provision as well as art and design, fashion and textiles, business, digital media and GCSEs courses.[22]

Much of the provision is delivered in the Grade II listed seven-storey Adams Building, a converted lace factory on Stoney Street in the historic Lace Market, and at the nearby School of Art and Design. Specialised facilities include a three-camera TV studio, a radio broadcasting station, and fashion design/manufacturing studios.

Basford

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The Basford centre off Stockhill Lane, on the north-western edge of the city, focusses on construction technologies with an emphasis on vocational courses. The centre has specialist facilities for bricklaying, plumbing, gas, painting and decorating, carpentry and joinery, plastering, refrigeration, tiling, welding, heating and ventilation and electrical services.

In September 2015 the centre was refurbished. The £27m rebuilding project followed a £9m investment by the Skills Funding Agency.[23]

City Hub

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The College's estate includes a purpose-built state-of-the-art 'City Hub' in Nottingham city centre.[24] The City Hub offers new facilities and resources for students, plus community facilities such as a new training restaurant (Fletchers Restaurant), café and performing arts centre.[25] Building work started on the £58 million project in May 2018 and was originally set to be completed by September 2020,[26] but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions, construction work was delayed. The new opening date was January 2021 to coincide with the start of the Spring Term.[27][28]

It is a six-storey building designed by the Sheffield architectural practice of Bond Bryan.[29] Constructed by Wates, it provided training and employment opportunities including 24 work placements, 16 new jobs, 13 apprentice placements and training for 11 NVQs.[30]

The City Hub is part of the wider Broadmarsh regeneration plans, led by Nottingham City Council.[31]

Highfields

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Highfields is located on University Boulevard. Created in association with Toyota,[32][33] the centre has ten workshops, a car showroom and a learning resource centre.

High Pavement Sixth Form

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High Pavement is a dedicated A-Level centre on Chaucer Street in the heart of the City's academic district. The £6.3 million building was designed by Ellis Williams Architects;[34] it has six floors with classrooms and computer suites, a Learning Resource Centre and a café.

High Pavement history

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The Sixth Form College was previously the 11–18 'High Pavement Grammar School', first established in 1788 as the 'Unitarian Day Charity School' behind the High Pavement Chapel on High Pavement, in the Lace Market area. From 1895 until 1955, the school was in Stanley Road in Forest Fields, then moving to the Bestwood Estate.

High Pavement Grammar School competed in Top of the Form on the BBC Light Programme against Wyggeston Girls' School (it became Regent College, Leicester) on Monday 14 November 1950; the programme had been recorded on 18 October 1950.[35][36] The school team made it to the semi-final of the England section (with four sections for each nation) on Monday 11 December 1950, where the team was beaten 35-28 by Woking County Grammar School for Boys, who next competed against Manchester High School for Girls in the England final.[37]

Later a boys team took on a team from Northampton High School for Girls, in heat 5, on Sunday 17 October 1965 at 6pm on the Light Programme.[38]

The headmaster Harry Davies appeared on a discussion programme on the BBC Home Service on Thursday 29 August 1957 at 9.15pm entitled The Leicestershire Experiment, about a scheme in parts of Leicestershire for early comprehensive schools starting September 1957. The Director of Education for Leicestershire, who featured in the discussion, described the 11 plus as 'an offence against reason and public conscience' - he most disliked the 'segregation' of children. The host of the discussion was Stuart Maclure, later the editor of the Times Educational Supplement. [39].On Wednesday 16 July 1958 on the Home Service, Harry Davies appeared in a discussion programme entitled Should the grammar school go?, with Ronald Bielby, the headmaster of Huddersfield New College, and Dame Margaret Miles, the headmistress from 1952 to 1973 of Mayfield School, a girls' grammar school on West Hill, Wandsworth in Putney, (and a well-known strong advocate for comprehensive schools; but Mayfield School as a comprehensive never lasted, and had to close in 1986)[40] The headteacher appeared on a radio programme on Wednesday 30 January 1963 at 8pm called The Universities and Higher Education: Signposts for Expansion on the Third Programme (since 1967 Radio 3)[41] and on Monday 15 May 1961 at 7.30pm, he appeared on a Network Three on the radio programme Starting a Career, a radio series of twelve programmes, in an episode called What does it lead to?, with the host Brian Groombridge, part of a collection of radio series called Listen and Learn.[42] The programme was repeated on the Home Service on Wednesday 27 December 1961.[43]

With the introduction of comprehensive education in Nottingham, the grammar school became High Pavement Sixth Form College in 1975, and in 1999 merged into New College Nottingham.[44] It moved to its current site on Chaucer Street in 2001.[34]

London Road

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The centre, which is five minutes from Nottingham station and tram terminus, is the college's technology centre. It has three automotive workshops with 32 ramps as well as general engineering facilities.

Ruddington

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This centre is home to Emtec Colleges Limited as well some of the industry's training providers. Training takes place in facilities in Ruddington where automotive training in conjunction with motor manufacturers has been taking place for over 15 years.

Stapleford

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The centre provides specialist facilities for students with a range of physical and learning difficulties and disabilities as well as for other Foundation Learning courses.

Wheeler Gate

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Your Look Hair and Beauty Salon, located on Wheeler Gate (just off Old Market Square) is a modern industry-standard commercial salon dedicated to hair and beauty courses and open to the public. The salon was originally completed in September 2014 and was officially opened in November 2014 under the name Salon Central by British hairdresser Beverly C MBE.[45]

NILA

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The New College Nottingham International Lifestyles Academy (NILA) opened its campus in Gurgaon, India on 22 January 2013 in partnership with the Batra Group.[46][infringing link?] NILA was NCN's first overseas campus and offered British higher-education qualifications (BTEC Higher National Diplomas) in Hospitality Management, Interactive Media, Retail Management and Fashion Management. Programmes were designed by the college in consultation with employers, in line with Indian National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) priorities. The college in 2014 decided to withdraw from the project.[why?]

Notable alumni

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Former students of the college include:[47]

High Pavement Grammar School

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Forest Fields Grammar School

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Nottingham College appoints new CEO and Principal". 24 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Central College and ncn merge to become Nottingham College". nottinghamcollege.ac.uk. Nottingham College. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Two colleges merge in 'radical' transformation". 8 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  4. ^ Baidoe-Ansah, William; Cutting, Simon; Pearson, Alastair; Russell, Claire; Farrier, Sylvia; Gay, Susan; Sanders, Nick; Owen, Stella; Brompton, Ralph; Merry, Ken (6 January 2016). "Inspection report: New College Nottingham, 1–4 December 2015". ofsted.gov.uk. Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  5. ^ "275 colleges in England" (PDF). Association of Colleges.
  6. ^ a b Full-Time Courses 2019/20
  7. ^ "Punishing strikes at Nottingham College officially end". UCU.org.uk. University and Colleges Union. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  8. ^ Nottingham College staff to strike for 14 more days TES, 8 October 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2022
  9. ^ a b Nottingham College strike suspended at the eleventh hour Nottinghamshire Live, 4 November 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2022
  10. ^ Jarram, Matt (1 July 2019). "Nottingham College staff strike over pay cut fears - with more to come". Nottinghamshire Live. Nottingham Post. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Strike ballot opens as Nottingham College threatens to impose new contracts". UCU.org.uk. University and Colleges Union. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  12. ^ Punishing strikes at Nottingham College officially end FE Week, 15 November 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2022
  13. ^ "From FE Revolution to FE Revolt: 16 Days that Shook the Sector: The 2019 Nottingham College Strike" (PDF). UCU East Midlands Retired Branch. East Midlands UCU Retired Members Branch.
  14. ^ Van de Laarschot, John (28 July 2017). "Our students need tough love, says boss of Nottingham's biggest college". Nottinghamshire Live. Nottingham Post.
  15. ^ Brigstock, Jake (15 November 2021). "Nottingham College chief executive to step down as he recovers from 'serious' heart attack". Nottinghamshire Live. Nottingham Post. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  16. ^ "GCSE English Language - Part-time".
  17. ^ "University Level". 24 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Nottingham College | Related courses".
  19. ^ "Nottingham College joins forces with The Open University in a new era for university level training at College". 3 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Locations". nottinghamcollege.ac.uk. Nottingham College. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  21. ^ "City Hub". www.nottinghamcollege.ac.uk. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Adams Building". nottinghamcollege.ac.uk. Nottingham College. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  23. ^ "Basford Hall college campus: £27m plans gets cash boost". BBC News. 20 November 2013.
  24. ^ "City Hub website". Nottingham College. 24 March 2022.
  25. ^ Robinson, Dan (30 October 2017). "Here's what new £58m City Hub campus for Nottingham College could look like". Nottingham Post. Local World. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  26. ^ "Work to start on new £58m City Hub campus for Nottingham College". Nottingham Post. Local World. 31 May 2018.
  27. ^ "Delay to the City Hub". Nottingham College. 25 March 2022.
  28. ^ "'Disappointment' as opening of new £58m Nottingham College city hub delayed". Nottingham Post. 19 June 2020.
  29. ^ Layout Plans & Elevations Nottingham City planning, 24 February 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2021
  30. ^ "New City Hub set to inspire students at Nottingham College - Scape Group". Scape Group. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  31. ^ "Broadmarsh Area Transformation". nottinghamcity.gov.uk. Nottingham City Council. 2020. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020. The redevelopment of the whole Broadmarsh area will drastically improve the city centre once completed, with a new Broadmarsh Car Park and Bus Station, Central Library, Nottingham Castle visitor experience and Nottingham College City Hub and reimagined public realm, along with a new intu Broadmarsh development, currently paused due to the impact of COVID-19.
  32. ^ Highfields Automotive and Engineering Training Centre
  33. ^ Toyota collaborates with Castle College Highfields Automotive and Engineering Training Centre, 25 June 2008
  34. ^ a b Powell, Kenneth (2006). Nottingham Transformed: Architecture and Regeneration for the New Millennium. London: Merrell. p. 168. ISBN 1-85894-335-3.
  35. ^ Nottingham Evening Post Tuesday 10 October 1950, page 1
  36. ^ Nottingham Evening Post Wednesday 8 November 1950, page 5
  37. ^ Nottingham Evening Post Tuesday 12 December 1950, page 6
  38. ^ Top of the Form 1965
  39. ^ The Leicestershire Experiment 1957
  40. ^ Home Service 1958
  41. ^ Third Programme 1963
  42. ^ Network Three 1961
  43. ^ Home Service 1961
  44. ^ "The High Pavement Sixth Form College, Nottingham (Dissolution) Order 1999".
  45. ^ Gibson, Rachael (17 November 2014). "Beverly C opens Central College Nottingham Salon". Hairdressers Journal International. London: M Squared Media. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019. Beverly C, officially opened the Central College Nottingham Salon on Monday 10 November.
  46. ^ "Touchstone New College Nottingham's Newsletter: ncn's principal joins PM in landmark India visit". yumpu.com. Summer 2013. p. 3. Retrieved 10 April 2021.[infringing link?]
  47. ^ Kind (9 April 2021). "Alumni". Nottingham College. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  48. ^ a b c d e f g h "Nottingham College". wearehomesforstudents.com. Homes for Students. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  49. ^ Lindsay, Robert (October 2009). "Biography". robertlindsay.net. Buckinghamshire. Archived from the original on 31 October 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2020. Robert enrolled on a drama course at Clarendon College in Nottingham
  50. ^ "Obituary: Michael Breheny". The Guardian. 21 February 2003. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023.
  51. ^ Ray, Essen; Salsbury, Colin; Gubbins, Noel (May 2015). Salsbury, Colin (ed.). "Louis Essen: inventor of atomic timekeeping" (PDF). The Pavior. Loughborough: The High Pavement Society. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2020. Louis Essen DSc FRS was one of our most distinguished Old Paviors ... I have published a book about my father-in-law to coincide with the 60th Anniversary of the invention of the atomic clock. The book is called The Birth of Atomic Time and includes the memoirs of Louis Essen. It is available on Amazon. One of the chapters from the memoirs includes Louis' recollections of his time at High Pavement ... Louis was in Wollaton House and I think he may have attended High Pavement from 1920 onwards
  52. ^ Salsbury, Colin; Olisa, Ken (May 2015). Salsbury, Colin (ed.). "HPS member Ken Olisa to be the next Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London" (PDF). The Pavior. Loughborough: The High Pavement Society. p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2020. The High Pavement Society is proud of its illustrious member and Old Pavior (1963–70, an alumnus of the Gainsford Crescent Era) and we offer Ken Olisa our heartiest congratulations.

Bibliography

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52°57′10″N 1°08′37″W / 52.9529°N 1.1435°W / 52.9529; -1.1435