Colleges often have better links with employers, offer more independence and are more closely connected to the world of work. We have a network of over 450 employers who offer work experience, set commercial projects, consult on our study programmes, mentor our students or come to college as guest speakers. 

This means our students are plugged into the world of work from day one, making valuable contacts and learning about different industries and gaining skills and experience to boost their CV. 

You’ll also be treated like an adult; you don’t have to wear a uniform, you’ll call your teachers by their first names and you may have more independence and a more flexible timetable rather than the 9am to 3pm school day. 

Yes. Many of our students from both our A level, T Level and vocational study programmes progress to university.

No. We expect all our students to work hard, but we’ll help you every step of the way. You’ll have regular one to ones with your teachers to set targets, track your progress and talk about extra support if you’re struggling. 

And we’ll work hard for you too. We’ll do everything we can to inspire you, motivate you and help you to succeed. 

We offer courses from Level 1 to Level 3. Each level of programme has different entry requirements, which are the different GCSE grades you need to get on the course. You’ll find these on each course information page. 

Don’t worry if you don’t get great GCSE grades, we have Level 1 courses that don’t tend to have entry requirements. You can then work your way through the levels. 

It’s important to pick something that you enjoy and that you’re good at. If you’re not sure, come along to an enrolment event or Say Hello taster session where you can meet our teachers, have a look around and speak to some of our students.

Don’t worry if  you change your mind after you’ve applied. Our friendly staff can help you to switch to a course that you prefer. 

It’s completely normal to be worried about making a big change in your life, like starting college. But we’ve got lots of things in place to make the move as easy as possible.

During your application process, you’ll be invited to Say Hello taster sessions to introduce you to your teachers, meet your new classmates, find your way around the building and get a taste of college life.

During the first two weeks of September, you’ll go to our Freshers Fair and have a course induction, packed with lots of fun activities to help you find your feet. Plus our teachers and dedicated support teams are always on hand for a friendly chat to make sure everything is going OK.