| Bedford College | |
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 Logo of the college | |
| Address | |
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Cauldwell Street , , MK42 9AH England | |
| Information | |
| Type | Further education |
| Established | 19 June 1959 |
| Department for Education URN | 130597 Tables |
| Head teacher | Yiannis Koursis |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Website | www |
Bedford College is a further education college located in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. It is the principal further education provider in the Borough of Bedford.
Further Education courses have been provided on Bedford College's Cauldwell Street campus under some name since World War II, although its roots can be traced to the founding of Bedford Training College for Teachers in 1882. [1] Following construction of the college's six-storey tower block, opened on 19 June 1959, the college became known as Mander College of Further Education. The college was named after Sir Frederick Mander, who was Chairman of Bedfordshire County Council at the time of the tower's construction. The tower was erected at a cost of £282,510, plus £4,085 for external works. [2]
In 1976 the college combined with two teacher training institutions to form the split-site Bedford College of Higher Education . The college remained in this form until 1992, when Further Education colleges achieved independent status from local education authorities. Bedford College was formed as a Further Education Institute to concentrate on provision within this sector, remaining at the Cauldwell Street campus. The Higher Education areas of the college separated in 1994 to become the Bedford campus of the De Montfort University, but later merged with the University of Luton to form the University of Bedfordshire. [1] Bedford College retains some Higher Education provision, and provides a number of foundation degrees and select teaching qualifications in association with the University of Bedfordshire. [3]
In January 2008 it was announced that Bedford College (with the Harpur Trust) intended to sponsor John Bunyan Upper School (a state comprehensive school in Bedford) thereby turning the school into an academy. This was confirmed by Bedfordshire County Council the following June. [4] Bedford Academy opened in September 2010.
In July 2009, the college was formally awarded Beacon Status by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The status means that Bedford College has been recognised as one of the best further education colleges in the United Kingdom. [5]
In August 2009, it was announced that Shuttleworth College had become part of Bedford College. Shuttleworth College had previously been part of Writtle College. [6]
In September 2012, Bedford College leased the site of the former Bedford High School for a campus in the north of Bedford town centre. Bedford High School closed over the summer of 2012. The college bought the old main school buildings, Trinity Church, and the Sports and Performing Arts (SPA) complex from owners, the Harpur Trust in March 2014. [7] The Bedford Sixth Form occupies the campus (Bedford College's branding of its sixth form provision). The SPA complex became Trinity Arts & Leisure, managed by Bedford College Services Ltd.
In August 2017, Bedford College and Tresham College merged to become The Bedford College Group which includes Shuttleworth College, and The Bedford Sixth Form, as well as campuses in Wellingborough, Kettering and Corby. [8] The Corby campus opened in 2023. [9] [10]
Bedford College offers a range of academic and vocational qualifications, apprenticeship, access to higher education courses, higher education qualifications and foundation education programmes. [11]
The areas of study include –
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The Bedford Sixth Form is a sixth form centre operated by Bedford College on the site of the former Bedford High School. Courses offered include GCSEs, A Levels and BTECs. [12]
Shuttleworth College located in Old Warden, Central Bedfordshire is operated by Bedford College. Shuttleworth College mainly provides courses and training related to agriculture and the natural environment.
Bedford College also operates four 'Learning Centres' located in the town centres of Bedford, Milton Keynes, Luton and Rushden which offer IT skills and courses.
Bedford College formed Bedford College Academies Trust in 2013. [13]
The Trust was the initial sponsor of Bedford Academy, located in the Kingsbrook area of Bedford, along with the Harpur Trust.
In April 2014, Bedford College became a new sponsor of UTC Central Bedfordshire in Houghton Regis, and worked on building a new centre for students with the highest levels of need. This was at the request of the Department for Education after the UTC failed an inspection. [14] However, the UTC closed in August 2016 after failing to attract a sufficient number of pupils. [15]
In October 2014, it was announced that Hastingsbury Business & Enterprise College at Kempston would convert to an academy in partnership with Bedford College. [16] The school was later renamed Kempston Academy, and after extending its lower age range in 2017 is now a secondary school. [17]
Today the trust is the sponsor of Wixams Academy and Wixams Tree Primary, both located in Wixams. [18]
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckinghamshire to the west. The largest settlement is Luton (225,262), and Bedford is the county town.
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of its urban area, including Kempston and Biddenham, was 106,940. Bedford is also the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford, a unitary authority that includes a significant rural area.
Bedford, or the Borough of Bedford, is a unitary authority area with borough status in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. The council is based in Bedford, the borough's namesake and principal settlement, which is the county town of Bedfordshire.
The Harpur Trust is a charity in Bedford, England. The stated aim of the charity is to help and support the people who live in and around Bedford, and to help them improve their lives by:
The University of Bedfordshire is a public research university with campuses in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England. The University has roots in further and higher education from 1882: it gained university status in 1993 as the University of Luton. The University changed its name to the University of Bedfordshire in 2006, following the merger of the University of Luton with the Bedford campus of De Montfort University.
Dame Alice Harpur School, known from 1882 until 1946 as Bedford Girls' Modern School, was a private girls school in Bedford, England, for girls aged 7–18. In September 2010 the junior department of the school merged with the junior department of Bedford High School. From September 2011 to September 2012 the senior schools also merged; the new school is known as Bedford Girls' School.
Biddenham International School and Sports College is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in Biddenham in the English county of Bedfordshire.
Cauldwell is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, England.
Harpur is an electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford, England.
Castle is an electoral ward and area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.
Bedford Academy is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in the Kingsbrook area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.
St John’s School and College is a mixed special school located in Kempston, Bedfordshire, England. The school educates pupils ages 2 to 19 from all over the Borough of Bedford.
Ridgeway School is a mixed special school for pupils with physical disabilities located in Kempston, Bedfordshire, England. The school accepts pupils from all over the Borough of Bedford.
Bedford Girls' School (BGS) is a private school for girls which opened in September 2010 located in Bedford, in the English county of Bedfordshire. The school is a result of a merger of Bedford High School and Dame Alice Harpur School, and is operated by the Harpur Trust. The school became fully operational in September 2012.
Bedford Free School is a mixed secondary free school located in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. The school opened in September 2012, and educates pupils from Bedford, Kempston and the wider Borough of Bedford. The school's roll grew yearly until it reached its 500 capacity of 11- to 16-year-olds. The school is now oversubscribed. The school is located on Cauldwell Street, Bedford.
UTC Central Bedfordshire was a University Technical College (UTC) in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire, England. The college opened in September 2012 and specialised in education for future engineers, product and games designers. It closed in August 2016.
The Bedford Sixth Form (BSF) is a state sixth form located in the centre of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. It is the only institution in Bedford solely dedicated to sixth form choices and, unlike most other sixth forms in England, it is not part of a secondary school. The institution offers a range of GCSEs, A-Levels and Technical Diplomas to 16- to 18-year-olds.
Wixams Academy is a co-educational secondary school and sixth form located in Wixams in the English county of Bedfordshire.
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