Wakefield College is a
Further Education
Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is education in addition to that received at secondary school, that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. It ...
and Higher Education College in
Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...
,
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
. It has provided education in the city since 1868.
On 1 March 2022, the college merged with
Selby College to form the 'Heart of Yorkshire Education Group', with the college retaining its identity but with an updated logo.
History
In the 1950s, it was known as the Wakefield Technical College on Burton Street, becoming the Wakefield Technical and Arts College in the early 1960s and the Wakefield College of Technology and Arts in 1973.
In 1974, it became administered by the City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council.
Campuses
The higher education courses available are in specialist facilities at all three campuses. There are almost 40 university-level courses offered in conjunction with Huddersfield University, Leeds Beckett University and Bradford University.
Wakefield College has two main campuses in the Wakefield district:
Wakefield City Campus
This site is at Margaret Street in the city centre and houses the Sixth Form Centre for students studying for
AS and
A Levels
The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational au ...
. This campus offers also courses such as ICT and Computing, Office Skills, Hospitality and Catering, Travel and Tourism, Health Studies, Childcare, Animal Care and Languages.
The Wakefield City Centre campus underwent major re-development works, including the 2012 completion of a building designed to house the College's sixth-form, higher education provision and new library. The former Wakefield Museum on Wood Street is now its Performing Arts centre.
Castleford Campus
This is a purpose built site in
Glasshoughton which opened in 2008, described by the college as a 'distinctive, iconic structure'. The Castleford Campus was formerly known as the skillsXchange. This site houses courses for construction crafts, practical engineering, motor vehicle, hairdressing and beauty therapy, a foundation course, IT and care.
It replaced the Whitwood Campus, in
Castleford
Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the town centre the River Calder joins th ...
. This closed campus was the former Whitwood Mining and Technical School, which opened in the 1930s and closed in February 2009. The Whitwood Campus has been redeveloped for housing.
Former campus
Thornes Park Campus
This site was in the centre of
Thornes Park, Wakefield and offered courses such as Foundation Learning, Performing Arts and Music. Courses such as Art and Design, Media and Communications, Business and Management, Sport and Public Services moved to the Wakefield City Campus prior to the campus closing in 2019. The buildings are made up of the former Thornes House High School (also known as Thornes House Grammar School) which opened in 1921 as separate sex school. In 1941 it became a mixed school, and the school suffered a fire in July 1951. It was administered by the City of Wakefield Educational Committee.
It became a 13-18 comprehensive school in 1972 with 1,200 boys and girls. In 1981, it lost its
sixth form
In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for ...
and became a 13-16 school and, in 1992, merged with nearby Cathedral Middle School. The newly formed school re-located into Cathedral Middle's buildings on Thornes Road. In 1993, it became part of Wakefield College.
University Centre
The College has an established higher education provision, branded as the University Centre Wakefield. The college does have plans to significantly expand its HE provision, submitting its plans to
Wakefield Council for consideration in September 2012.
Collaboration with Crofton Academy
In 2012, Wakefield College announced it would be collaborating with
Crofton Academy
Crofton Academy (formerly ''Crofton High School)'' is an 11-16 state secondary school outside Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. The school is also an academy.
History
A school has been on this site for the past 200 years, with Richmal ...
, opening a sixth form centre at the Crofton Academy site, High Street, Crofton. The centre will offer a range of A Level and BTEC courses.
Alumni
* Sir Colin Sampson, Chief Constable from 1983-9 of
West Yorkshire Police
*
Amy Garcia,
BBC Look North
''BBC Look North'' is a name used by the BBC for its regional news programmes in three regions in the North of England:
*'' BBC Look North'' for the BBC North East and Cumbria region
*'' BBC Look North'' for the BBC Yorkshire region
*'' BBC Loo ...
newsreader.
Alumni of Thornes House School
Alumni of Thornes House School are known as Old Thornesians.
*
Victor Adebowale, Baron Adebowale
Victor Olufemi Adebowale, Baron Adebowale, (; born 21 July 1962) is the former Chief Executive of the social care enterprise Turning Point, current Chair of the NHS Confederation and was one of the first individuals to become a People's P ...
*
Clive Brooke, Baron Brooke of Alverthorpe
Clive Brooke, Baron Brooke of Alverthorpe (born 21 June 1942) is a British trade unionist, and Labour Member of the House of Lords.
The son of John Brooke and Mary Colbeck, Brooke was educated in Thornes House School, Wakefield. From 1964 to ...
, General Secretary from 1988-95 of the
Inland Revenue Staff Federation
*
Nick Gibb
Nicolas John Gibb (born 3 September 1960) is a British politician serving as Minister of State for Schools since October 2022, having previously held the office from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2015 to 2021. He has served at the Department for ...
, Conservative MP since 1997 for
Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (contemp. RP ) is a constituency in West Sussex represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Nick Gibb, a Conservative.
Boundaries and constituency profile
1997–2010: The District of ...
* Geoffrey Penrice, Chief Statistician at the
Central Statistical Office from 1964-8
*
Vardis
* Sir
Rodney Walker, Chairman from 1993-2002 of the Rugby Football League
Wakefield College Students' Union
Wakefield College Students' Union is the official students' union. Its role is to provide a representative channel between all students and the authorities of the college as well as to provide services and run events and campaigns.
Executive committee
The Unions Executive Committee are elected once every year; Usually at the end of the previous academic year and, if necessary, again at the start of the appropriate academic year to fill the remaining unfilled posts. The committee currently has 11 members.
The Executive Committee and certain members of staff are responsible for running the union as a whole.
References
{{Authority control
Educational institutions established in 1868
Further education colleges in West Yorkshire
Schools in Wakefield
Education in the City of Wakefield
1868 establishments in England