Bridgend College () is a

further education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is additional education to that received at secondary school that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. It ...

college based in

Bridgend Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. Founded in 1928 as the Bridgend Mining and Technical Institute, the college today has four campuses in Bridgend,

Pencoed Pencoed (also Pen-coed); ) is a town and community in the county borough of Bridgend, Wales. It straddles the M4 motorway north east of Bridgend and is situated on the Ewenny River. At the 2011 census it had a population of around 9,166. Etymo ...

, Queens Road and

Maesteg Maesteg (; ) is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2011, Maesteg had a population of 20,612. The English translatio ...

. The college currently delivers provision for over 6,000 students and employing over 700 members of staff across its four campuses. It was named the

Times Educational Supplement ''TES'', formerly known as the ''Times Educational Supplement'', is a British weekly trade magazine aimed at education professionals. It was first published in 1910 as a pull-out supplement in ''The Times'' newspaper. Such was its popularity th ...

FE College of the Year in 2019.

Campuses

* Bridgend Campus () * Pencoed Campus () * Queens Road Campus * Maesteg Campus

Operations

In 2017, Bridgend College entered into a partnership with Pencoed Comprehensive School to create Penybont Sixth Form College. Through the partnership, 29.3% of students received an A*- A grade while 83.8% secured A*-C results. The grade received for A* – E was 99.4%. In January 2019 Bridgend College unveiled plans designed by Rio Architects for a new STEAM Academy to be built on the Pencoed Campus, due to open September 2021. The academy will be a new building to accommodate teaching, learning and support facilities for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. In July 2019 the college cut 34 jobs and closed its loss-making Cardiff Arts Academy due to "financial challenges". In July 2020 it was announced that Bridgend

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

s would retain their

sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

s, rather than opening one sixth form centre for the county. Instead, a centre of excellence is being considered at the Pencoed Campus of Bridgend College.

Courses

Bridgend College offers Diplomas, sub Diplomas, extended Diplomas, Certificates, A levels, Awards, Professional qualifications and

NVQ National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are practical work-based awards in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland that are achieved through training and assessment. The regulatory framework supporting NVQs was withdrawn in 2015 and replaced by th ...

s. The college also offers

higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

courses, including HNCs, HNDs, Foundation Degrees and Degrees awarded through the University of South Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University, CMI and Pearson.

Performance

The college has recently been verified as the Best Performing FE College for all qualifications in the whole of Wales. The information comes from a study conducted by the Welsh Government which puts Bridgend College at the top of the league table for all qualifications, with a success rate of 90.4%. In April 2018, Bridgend College was voted the Best FE College in the WhatUni Student Choice Awards, as well as being proud winners of the RSM Award for Leadership and Governance from the Association of Colleges’ Beacon Award in 2017. In September 2018, Bridgend College launched a partnered internship programme at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, alongside national organisations DFN Project SEARCH, Engage to Change and Elite Supported Employment Agency. Project SEARCH Supported Internship aims to deliver a full-time programme that supports a cohort of learners with additional learning needs (ALN) to get a taste of full-time employment. The programme is based within the premises of a host employer with interns undertaking three work placements across the year. In 2018, Bridgend College's Queens Road Campus was named Apprenticeship Training Provider of the year for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Leadership

The college is led by its Principal and Chief Executive, Simon Pirotte, and Deputy Principal Viv Buckley. In 2018 Priotte was named Director of the Year - Public/Third Sector at the

Institute of Directors The Institute of Directors (IoD) is a British professional organisation for company directors, senior business leaders and entrepreneurs. It is the UK's longest running organisation for professional leaders, having been founded in 1903 and inco ...

' National Director of the Year Awards. Buckley was named ''Leading Wales''' Leadership in the Public Sector award winner in 2018.

Honorary Fellows

Each year Bridgend College holds its Higher Education awards at Pencoed Campus and honours individuals who have made contributions to education, the community and to the college by awarding an Honorary Fellowship. Honorary Fellows include:

References

External links

Bridgend College Website
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Bridgend County Borough Further education colleges in Wales Education in Bridgend County Borough Educational institutions established in 1928 1928 establishments in Wales