Hull College

Last updated

Hull College
Hull College Apr23 Tower Block and Wilberforce Statue.jpg
Hull College's tower block and the Wilberforce Monument overlooking Queen's Gardens, April 2023
Address
Hull College

, ,
HU1 3DG

England
Coordinates 53°44′47″N0°19′57″W / 53.746280°N 0.332400°W / 53.746280; -0.332400
Information
TypeFurther Education College
Department for Education URN 130579 Tables
Ofsted Reports
CEODebra Gray MBE
GenderMixed
AgeMainly Post 16to No Upper Limit
Enrolment28,000
Website hull-college.ac.uk

Hull College is a Further Education and Higher Education establishment based in Kingston upon Hull, England.

Contents

It provides vocational courses, apprenticeships, Higher Education and adult learning courses, with a focus on equipping young people and adults with the skills needed for long-term career success. The college has approximately 2,100 adult learners, 1,600 learners aged 16 to 18, 1,000 apprentices, 167 learners aged 14 to 16, and 109 learners with high needs.

The college operates from three sites. Its main campus is located at Queen's Gardens, with satellite sites at Cannon Street and the Steve Prescott Centre.

The college was awarded a 'Good' Ofsted rating following a full enhanced skills inspection that took place in late October 2023. The organisation was also recognised for its exceptional contribution to meeting skills needs, earning the highest accolade of 'Strong'. [1]

In the report, inspectors rated a range of provision types with Personal Development and Adult Learning Programmes judged to be 'Outstanding' and Education Programmes for Young People, Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Provision for Learners with High Needs, Apprenticeships, and Leadership and Management all given a rating of 'Good'.

History

Hull College is operated by Hull College Group, which operates three centres in the city located in Queen's Gardens, Cannon Street, and the Steve Prescott Centre.

The main bulk of courses in Hull are run in an eight-storey tower block overlooking Queen's Gardens. Built in the 1950s, the block is an example of brutalist architecture. An £11 million extension housing a learning resource centre was opened in 2004 and financed jointly by Yorkshire Forward and the Learning and Skills Council. [2] During the construction of this in 2003, a time capsule was buried within its foundations. [3] There is also a smaller building situated next to the tower block, known as the Wilberforce. In 2012, this was converted into the Hull Studio School. Following the school's closure in 2014, the building was reverted into classrooms for further education courses. The site is also home to the Hull School of Art and Design, which was founded in 1861 and currently offers higher education courses. The school is housed in 1970s buildings, adjacent to the tower block. [4] Further education courses in Art and Design were previously offered at the college's former Park Street site until June 2016, when the building was sold off. [5] There is a monument dedicated to politician William Wilberforce, a 102-foot (31 m) Greek Doric column topped by a statue of Wilberforce stands in the Queen's Gardens grounds. [6] In 1967, the college took over the former Carthusian monastery known as the Charterhouse, converting part of the building into an annex of the college. [7] By 2015, the site had been relinquished. [8] In 2003, [9] the college unveiled a building known as the Horncastle as part of the Queen's Gardens site. Housing drama, media and musical courses, it has a 200-seat theatre allowing performing arts students to put on shows for the general public. Students also have access to drama studios, a radio suite and an operational television studio. [10] Architects DLA Interiors were responsible for the design of all public areas, including the refectory and classrooms. [11]

In June 2009, plans for an expansive £80 million rebuild of the college buildings were halted by the British Government. The Queen's Gardens site was one of a number of colleges expected to be given the go-ahead for building projects under the Building Schools for the Future programme. Plans included the demolition of the main tower block and the provision of modern facilities that would house workshops, laboratories, kitchens, salons and a sports centre. [12] The whole programme would eventually be terminated in July 2010.

In November 2014, the Hull College Group announced that they would be taking over the University of Hull Scarborough campus. The University of Hull had since 2000 offered higher education on its satellite campus in Scarborough. [13] In January 2016, it was revealed that the college had 'pulled out' of buying the campus for unknown reasons, [14] although it is suggested that very poor student recruitment was a factor.

A November 2015 Ofsted report rated Hull College as 'good' in terms of its overall effectiveness. [15] The college is a member of the Collab Group of high-performing further-education institutions. [16] In June 2017, the college was awarded a bronze rating by the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) according to their standard of undergraduate teaching. [17]

The Horncastle building at Hull College, January 2008 The Horncastle Building, Hull College - geograph.org.uk - 662799.jpg
The Horncastle building at Hull College, January 2008

In August 2019 Harrogate College transferred to Luminate Education Group (formerly Leeds City College Group). [18]

The College is currently under investigation for allegations of financial mismanagement and nepotism. [19]

Management

The chief executive of Hull College Group was Michelle Swithenbank. She was made the chief executive on a permanent basis in June 2017, having served the role temporarily from March 2017. [20] She took a leave of absence from the College to allow investigations into allegations of financial mismanagement and nepotism [21] but later resigned in December 2019 following these investigations. [22]

Before February 2017, the principal of Hull College was Graham Towse. Towse had joined the college in 1996 and took up the post as principal in April 2013, after an interim period as deputy principal at nearby Grimsby Institute. [23] On 10 October 2016, it was announced that Towse would be leaving the college in February 2017 due to 'personal reasons'. Leaving alongside him would be Antony Sutton, chief operating officer and former chief executive of Hull FC. [24]

In August 2021, Chris Malish, who was appointed principal in April 2021, resigned for personal reasons. [25]

In December 2021, Debra Gray MBE was announced as the new principal to take up the position on 4 April 2022. [26]

Under the management of Gray, the college achieved its first Ofsted 'Good' rating since 2015 following a full enhanced skills inspection in October 2023. [1]

Courses

The college offers courses in the following subjects: Art and Design, Business, Catering and Hospitality, Construction, Criminology, Digital Technology and IT, ESOL, Early Years, Electrical, Engineering, English and maths, Esports, Foundation and SEND, Hair and Beauty, Health and Social Care, Motor Vehicle, Music and Performing Arts, Science, Sport and Uniformed Protective Services, Travel and Tourism and Welding and Fabrication. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Hull</span> University in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England

The University of Hull is a public research university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hull York Medical School, a joint initiative with the University of York. Students are served by Hull University Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arts University Bournemouth</span> Art and media university in Bournemouth, England

Arts University Bournemouth is a further and higher education university based in Poole, England, specialising in art, performance, design, and media. It was formerly known as The Arts University College at Bournemouth and The Arts Institute at Bournemouth and is the home of Bournemouth Film School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Bristol College</span> Further education school in Bristol, England

City of Bristol College is a further education and higher education college in Bristol, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brockenhurst College</span> Further education school in Brockenhurst, Hampshire, United Kingdom

Brockenhurst College is a large tertiary college situated in Brockenhurst, Hampshire. Co-educational since the 1920s, Brockenhurst College accepts students over the age of 16 or year 12 students, whichever occurs first due to safeguarding policies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCG (college)</span> Further education college based in England

WCG is the managing body that administers several colleges of further education in the English West Midlands, namely in the counties of Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Its most recent acquisition concerned its August 2016 merger with South Worcestershire College of which the two campuses then reverted to their historical names of Evesham College in Evesham and Malvern Hills College in Great Malvern. The merger makes it the largest group of further and adult education institutions in the country and one of the five colleges in the United Kingdom empowered by the Privy Council with the authority to award Foundation Degrees

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Sussex College</span> College in East Sussex, UK

East Sussex College or East Sussex College Group is the largest higher education college in East Sussex, providing education and training from foundation to degree level. The college educates almost half of the county's young people and over 8,000 adults each year at campuses in Lewes, Eastbourne, Hastings and Newhaven, and in the workplace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aylesbury College</span> College in Buckinghamshire, UK

Aylesbury College is a general further education college in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It educates students in a broad range of vocational fields, including Creative Arts, Health and Social Care, Hair and Beauty, Hospitality and Catering, Construction, Business and IT in addition to A Level and GCSE in its Sixth Form Centre. In September 2021, a new qualification, which is known as T Level was introduced for the first time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle of Wight College</span>

Isle of Wight College is a general college of further and higher education in Newport on the Isle of Wight.

City College Norwich is a college of further and higher education in Norfolk, England. It is one of the largest colleges in the country. The College has expanded in recent years following mergers with Easton College in 2020 and Paston College in North Walsham in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weston College</span> College in England

Weston College of Further and Higher Education is a general college of further and higher education in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England. It provides education and vocational training from age 14 to adult. The college provided education to approximately 30,000 enrolled learners. It is regarded as one of the top FE colleges in the UK, often winning high profile national awards. The college is part of the 9th largest college group in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrow Sixth Form College</span> Part of Furness College, in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England

Barrow Sixth Form College, part of Furness College, is in the outskirts of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Barrow Sixth Form College was established in 1979 to fulfil the role of the main A level provider in Barrow following the merger of the two Barrow Grammar Schools and their change to deliver education to only 11 to 16 year-olds. It is the only sixth form college in Cumbria. A levels and Cambridge Technical qualifications are taught in buildings that have been specially designed for students over the age of sixteen. It includes facilities for physically disabled students and is a satellite campus for Beaumont. The college primarily educates students within the age range of 16–18 years, as well as courses for adult learners.

The College of North West London (CNWL) is a large further education college in north-west London, England. It was established in 1991 by the merger between Willesden Technical College and Kilburn Polytechnic in the London Borough of Brent. Today there are two campuses in the borough, in Willesden and Wembley Park, while a smaller training centre also exists in King's Cross in the borough of Camden. Over 11,000 students were enrolled at the college as of 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doncaster College</span> School in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England

Doncaster College and University Centre is a further and higher education college based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It is an operating division of the DN Colleges Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Westminster College</span> Further education school in London, England

City of Westminster College is a further education college in the City of Westminster, Greater London, England, founded originally as Paddington Technical Institute in 1904 and gaining its current name in 1990. The college has two centres in central London, located in Paddington and Maida Vale. It also includes the Cockpit Theatre, a fully operational studio theatre used for training and performances, and a range of outreach centres. Since 2017, it is legally merged with the College of North West London (CNWL) although remains publicly distinct; together the United Colleges Group has more than 9,000 enrolled students as of 2019, most in young or adult study programmes and some in apprenticeships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College of West Anglia</span> College in England

The College of West Anglia is a four-campus college of further and higher education in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, England. The college has three campuses, located in King's Lynn, Milton and Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, as well as a sports campus at Alive Lynnsport in King's Lynn. The college has approximately 7,400 students and 750 staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wyke College</span> Sixth Form College in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Wyke Sixth Form College is a sixth form college in Kingston upon Hull, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prior Pursglove and Stockton Sixth Form College</span> Sixth form college in Guisborough, North Yorkshire, England

Prior Pursglove and Stockton Sixth Form College is a sixth form college with sites in Guisborough and Stockton-on-Tees. The college is a result of a merger between Prior Pursglove College and Stockton Sixth Form College in May 2016. The college is led by the Principal who is accountable to the board of governors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Suffolk College</span> School in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England

West Suffolk College is a Further Education college in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The college delivers a range of courses, including vocational and technical courses, apprenticeships, and an array of higher-apprenticeships and bachelor's degree courses accredited by the University of East Anglia. Over 12,000 students are enrolled at West Suffolk College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Riding College</span>

East Riding College is a further education college located in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Totton College</span> Further education college in Totton, Southampton, Hampshire, England

Totton College is a further education college located in Totton, Hampshire, providing courses for mainly 16- to 19-year-olds as well as adult education courses. These include BTECs, NVQs, GCSEs and Access courses. Courses are also available to students aged 14 and above who would benefit from additional hands-on experience and training in addition to their mainstream learning. A range of accredited professional and leisure courses are available to adults both in the daytime and evening.

References

  1. 1 2 "Inspection of Hull College". reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Ofsted. 24–27 October 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  2. "Queen's Gardens – Hull College". www.hull-college.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  3. "College's time capsule memento". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  4. "Hull School of Art and Design – Hull College". www.hull-college.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  5. "Hull College to close and sell Park Street campus". Hull Daily Mail. Archived from the original on 15 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  6. "The Wilberforce Monument" . Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  7. "Charterhouse Conservation Area (2010), section 6.2.3" (PDF). Hull City Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  8. "04/12/2015 Homes for Heroes in Hull". Breakfast – BBC Radio Humberside. BBC. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  9. "Hull College Riverside Theatre | Mandy Theatre Professionals". Mandy Theatre Professionals. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  10. "Creative Arts – Hull College". www.hull-college.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  11. "DLA Interiors – Projects – Education – Hull College". www.dla-interiors.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  12. "Hull College will not get new building". Hull Daily Mail. 26 June 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  13. "Hull College set to take over University of Hull's Scarborough campus". Hull Daily Mail. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  14. "Yorkshire Coast Radio – News – Hull College Group Pulls Out of Scarborough". Yorkshire Coast Radio. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  15. "Hull College Group: College inspection report" (PDF). Ofsted. 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  16. "Collab Group". Archived from the original on 17 June 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  17. Sellgren, Katherine (22 June 2017). "Leading universities rated 'bronze'". BBC News. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  18. "Troubled Hull College Group to de-merge one of three colleges". FE Week. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  19. "Revealed: The spend being investigated at Hull College". FE Week. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  20. "Hull College announce new full-time chief executive officer". Hull Daily Mail. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  21. "Hull College principal Michelle Swithenbank takes 'leave of absence'". Hull Daily Mail. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  22. "Hull College principal quits following financial wrongdoing investigation". Hull Daily Mail. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  23. "Principal of Hull College: Graham Towse – Hull College". www.hull-college.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  24. "Hull College senior managers leaving for 'personal reasons'". Hull Daily Mail. 10 October 2016. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  25. "Hull College principal resigns after five months in job". BBC News. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  26. "Hull College announces sixth leader in just two years will join next April". Hull Daily Mail. 23 December 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  27. "Courses Offered at Hull College". www.hull-college.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2022.