Weston College has a wide range of courses to suit all learning styles
Weston College is an award-winning college of further and higher education in Weston-super-Mare. It provides education and vocational training to nearly 30,000 learners across the country.
We put the learner first and are entrepreneurial in our approach and innovative in our thinking. As a college, we are ambitious and aspirational and are responsive to the needs of students, staff, businesses, and the community.
Latest News
There is always so much going on across our various campuses and courses. Stay up to date on our latest news.
September is arguably one of the most exciting times of the year as we welcome an entire new group of young people into the Weston College family.
During the first few weeks of term, we’re offering students the chance to come together and contribute towards creating a piece of artwork that will make your first week at college a memorable one…
For those who get involved, we’ll be randomly selecting one lucky winner to receive a Love 2 Shop gift voucher valued at £100!
This can be spent online and in store at numerous shops such as Alton Towers, HMV, New Look, River Island, Top Shop and many more!
How will it work?
- Take a photo of yourself during your first week at College
- Caption it with why you’re excited about starting at Weston College
- Post your photo online with #WeAreWeston
We will then search the hashtag and use your photo as part of a digital collage spelling “WE ARE WESTON” in order to display and proudly show off the incredible community that this College creates.
This community continues to thrive thanks to our students’ positive attitude and involvement. We look forward to seeing all the excitement as you start the next chapter in your lives!
Weston College is officially a Further AND Higher Education establishment following a successful bid to the Government.
The move towards offering more degrees at the College ties in with North Somerset Council’s strategy for the regeneration of Weston-super-Mare and will lead to an eventual aim of having a ‘University Centre’ in the town.
Although Weston College already offers degrees, its new status means it will be able to expand its provision significantly, leading to many more new jobs for the town and surrounding area.
Welcoming the news, Dr Paul Phillips, Weston College Principal and Chief Executive, said the College’s new status tied in with the continuing development of its South West Skills Campus (SWSC) on Locking Road, extensions to Loxton Campus on Locking Road, the development of the North Somerset Enterprise and Technology College at Junction 21and improvements at its Knightstone Campus.
He said: “The time was right to go for this bid, particularly when the town of Weston-super-Mare will be seeing major regeneration in the very near future in the form of Junction 21 and the Dolphin Square development. I am jointly working through the Local Enterprise Partnership and North Somerset Council so that the idea of regeneration in Weston-super-Mare leans towards a ‘town centre urbanisation project’ with HE a major feature of this.”
Mike Jackson, Chief Executive of North Somerset Council, said: “This is excellent news for North Somerset, and Weston-super-Mare in particular. We work very closely with the College and I am delighted that their bid to Government has been successful. Weston College already plays an extremely important role in Weston-super-Mare’s economy. As we look to the future, Higher Education should play a significant role in delivering development and investment in the town centre, which is a priority for the council.”
HE provision at Weston College has grown rapidly, with around 800 students now on HE courses with partners Bath Spa University and the University of the West of England. It is hoped that a new centre may easily double this number in the next few years.
Weston College’s aspirations tie in with a speech made recently by Universities Minister David Willetts, who said that HE provision should focus on economic ‘cold spots’.
The minister said that he hoped the removal of controls on student numbers from next year would result in more campuses being set up. He added: “There are no barriers to setting up a higher education campus. If this is your town’s dream we want you to pursue it.”
Weston College is officially a Further AND Higher Education establishment following a successful bid to the Government.
Changes to Advanced Learner Loans mean adult and part-time education at Weston College is more accessible and affordable than ever.
For people who want to get new qualifications or retrain, but are worried about the cost, the Advanced Learner Loan is the answer.
These loans have previously only been available for people aged 24 or over but from the 2016-17 academic year they will be available to learners aged 19 or over.
Ceri Forsdike took out a loan to pay for a Level 3 Hairdressing course at Weston College, and now runs her own mobile hairdressing business.
She said: “I would not have been able to progress onto my Level 3 course without having an Advanced Learner Loan – it allowed me to complete my learning to the best possible level.
“This has given me the confidence to set up my own business, which I wouldn’t have been able to do without my qualifications.”
The loan covers tuition and exam fees and does not have to be paid back until a person is earning more than £21,000 per year. Even then repayments are automatically deducted from a person’s salary at a rate of 9%, so if someone earns £22,000 their monthly repayment is just £7.50.
If you take out an Advanced Learner Loan for an Access to Higher Education course and then go on to complete a Higher Education course the loan is written off completely and you will never have to pay a penny back.
The provision has also been expanded to not only cover Level 3 and 4 courses, but also some Level 5 and 6 courses.
James Moodhoo was a self-employed builder who wanted to retrain to become a fully-qualified electrician.
He said: “Funding was my biggest issue when I was considering furthering my studies.
“I was a new father, and we didn’t have a lot of money. Self-funding the course just wasn’t an option.
“Weston College provided fantastic advice and the Advanced Learner Loan has really opened doors for me.”
A new short film has been produced about the Advanced Learner Loan scheme; it can be viewed via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PJQTvnhZes
There is also a dedicated section, with some helpful FAQs, here: www.weston.ac.uk/supporting-you/financial-support/advanced-learner-loans
CAREERS NOT COURSES
We know it’s not about the course you take, but the career you’ll start your journey towards. Your study programme is built from the ground up with your future in mind, focussing on employability and developing the skills you need to have a successful career within your chosen industry, making connections and gaining experiences through local and national employers we work with:
As a Weston College student, you will become part of one of our exciting new Career Excellence Hubs.
This means our courses aren't just courses... your study programme is built from the ground up with your future in mind, focussing on employability and developing the skills you need to have a successful career within your chosen industry...
LECTURERS WITH REAL INDUSTRY EXPERIENCES
COURSES ENDORSED BY EMPLOYERS
INDUSTRY STANDARD FACILITIES
INCREDIBLE WORK-BASED OPPORTUNITIES
AMAZING GUEST LECTURES
COURSES ENDORSED BY EMPLOYERS
VIEW OUR PROSPECTUS
"The college organised lots of amazing experiences for us with specialist guest lectures on sepsis, home care, nutrition and bee therapy"
Chloe
Health and Social Care, Level 2 & 3
