Weston College is a further education college located in the Somerset coastal town of Weston-super-Mare and currently has over 7,500 students enrolled at its two campuses. As well as further education, the college runs some university-level courses.
Background and history
Weston College has its roots in private drawing and painting classes ran by Henry Stacy that began in 1859. This led to the School of Art being opened in 1865 where it existed with just one teacher and eighty pupils.Since 1993 the institution has been an autonomous public body.
In addition to a place of further educational learning, Weston College has provided a successful referral unit for Year 11 pupils unable to attend their own schools.
Location and accessibility
The main Knightstone Campus is located only a few minutes walk from the town centre. As well as being easily reachable by foot, it is served by public transport and can be accessed by road. The Skills Southwest Campus is located along the B3440 on Locking Road, a short drive from the city centre. It is also served by the West Milton train station. The University Campus can be found off the Bridgwater Road, past the Weston-super-Mare cricket ground and before the general hospital. All three campuses are well-served by local bus transport and discounted passes for students are available.
What's on offer?
The college offers courses covering A-levels, apprenticeships, BTECs, NVQs, as well as Foundation Degrees and BA/BSc honours degrees, across both full-time and part-time studies. The University Campus houses a specialised sixth form centre, a partnership with Bath Spa University, and dedicated Arts, Media and and Music centres. The Southwest Skills campus is home to the Construction and Engineering Centre of Excellence and the Business Enterprise Centre. The most recent Ofsted report ranked the college as 'Outstanding.'