New College, Swindon

New College Swindon
Address
New College Drive Swindon , Wiltshire , SN3 1AH England
Coordinates	51°33′27″N1°45′30″W / 51.5575°N 1.7583°W / 51.5575; -1.7583
Information
Type	Further and higher education
Established	1983;42 years ago (1983)
Department for Education URN	130851 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Acting Principal	Leah Palmer
Gender	Coeducational
Enrolment	approx. 4,800
Website	www.newcollege.ac.uk

New College is a further and higher education institution in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. There are two main campuses, Queens Drive and North Star, as well as an Adult Learning Centre in Swindon town centre. The college offers qualifications for all ages: GCSEs, A Levels, T Levels, vocational qualifications, higher education and degree-level courses. ^[1]

History

In August 2020, New College merged with Swindon College. ^[2]

Leah Palmer was appointed interim principal and chief executive at the start of the 2023–2024 academic year, replacing Carole Kitching, who held those roles since 2018. ^[3]

Sites

Queens Drive campus

The Queens Drive campus is just outside the town centre, near Coate Water Country Park. Facilities include:

• The Phoenix Theatre.
• Studios for art and design; photography studio with darkroom. It also has a recording studio with hardware and sequencing software.
• Two dance studios and Sports Centre with a sports hall, fitness suite and exercise studio.
• Over 1500 computers, including tablets, Apple computers, Windows PCs and netbooks. The STEM facilities include nine science labs.

North Star campus

Formerly the site of Swindon College, the North Star campus is in the centre of Swindon near the railway station. Facilities include:

• Wellbeing Centre and a Learning Development Centre; some training workshops for automotive, engineering and construction.
• Gym and a construction centre with an outdoor, simulated construction site
• Bespoke facilities for animal care
• The Academy, a commercial hair and beauty salon
• A training restaurant, coffee shop and specialist teaching kitchens

Adult Education Centre

Located in the Focal Point building in the Town Centre, the Adult Education Centre provides a range of daytime and evening courses for adult learners. Courses include:

• Core functional skills in English, maths, and computing
• Support for getting employment or starting a business
• Workplace qualifications
• Support for mental health and wellbeing

Courses

New College has almost 40 A Level subjects – including options such as Ceramics, History (Tudors & Stuarts), Archaeology and Environmental Sciences – and a selection of vocational courses including Construction, Engineering, Hospitality & Catering, Hair & Beauty, Health Care, etc. College also offers numerous programs at Levels 1 and 2 as well as part-time qualification, leisure courses, and professional training for adults.

New College runs a football academy where students train and play, typically alongside an academic course. ^[4] Until 2020, they fielded New College Swindon F.C. (previously New College Academy F.C.). The college also offers a basketball academy ^[5] and a netball academy. ^[6]

Partnerships

New College Swindon has formed partnerships with the University of Gloucestershire, ^[7] Oxford Brookes University ^[8] and Bath Spa University to offer foundation degrees and degrees. ^[9]

Notable alumni

• Shelley Rudman – skeleton bob world champion and Olympic medallist
• Laura Halford – British champion in rhythmic gymnastics
• Debbie Palmer – speed skating and ice hockey
• Jaime King – swimming
• Jon Lewis – cricket
• Matt O'Dowd – athletics
• Louise Hunt – wheelchair tennis
• Anna Mayes – former England national netball team head coach

Achievements

New College was assessed as 'good' when last visited by Ofsted in November 2017. ^[10]

• A Level pass rate of 98%, with over 41% of grades at A*, A or B (Summer 2019) ^[11]
• Number one for College Achievement rates amongst local colleges ^{[11] [12]}
• The top performing state school/college for Level progress in Swindon and Cirencester (January 2020 performance tables) ^[11]

See also

• Education in Swindon

References

1. "About the College". New College Swindon. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
2. "Merger information - New College Swindon". www.newcollege.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
3. Forshee, Oscar (4 July 2023). "Principal of New College to retire". Swindon Link. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
4. "Football Academy". New College Swindon. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
5. "Basketball Academy". New College Swindon. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
6. "Netball Academy". New College Swindon. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
7. "UK academic partners". Knowledge Base. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
8. "Partner colleges". Oxford Brookes University. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
9. "University Partners - Higher Education". he.newcollege.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
10. Ofsted Communications Team (8 October 2020). "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
11. "OFSTED awards and accreditation - New College Swindon". www.newcollege.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
12. "National achievement rates tables 2018 to 2019". GOV.UK. Retrieved 24 August 2021.