SUPPORTING YOU

At Weston College, we understand how daunting it can be starting something unfamiliar, so we want to ensure you feel as supported as possible when you start with us in September.

Click the buttons below to find out more about the support available to you when you start Weston College:

Learning Support

Our college is committed to supporting you no matter your course or background. We offer personalised learning support across all campuses to tailor to individual needs, delivered by specialist staff with expertise in areas such as autism, ADHD, mental health, SpLD, hearing loss, and sight loss. Using a graduated response and the Assess–Plan–Do–Review process, we provide support in and out of the classroom. This may include assistive technology, learning adjustments, or wellbeing support, helping students progress towards their future goals.

Welfare

At Weston College, we have a friendly Welfare and Wellbeing Team who will provide support and guidance about any concerns or issues you face throughout your time at college.

Financial Support

To ensure you have equal opportunities throughout your time at college, we offer financial support to students who are eligible depending on your individual circumstances, providing you with bursaries for essential kit, required equipment, and trips to further your learning.

Travelling to College

At Weston College, we have excellent transport links to all three main campuses. Each site is accessible by road, train, and bus, with two train stations in Weston-super-Mare and nearby bus stops serving all campuses. As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, we encourage staff and students to choose more eco-friendly travel options, helping to reduce environmental impact and benefit both the college community and the wider area.

Support with Careers

Our Careers and Employability Team provide you with guidance on university, apprenticeships, CV writing, and next steps. They support industry placements, including T Level work placements, helping you find, prepare for, and reflect on opportunities. The team also ensures that you gain valuable experience, skills, and confidence for future careers.

Important Dates

Getting Ready for College, from: April 2026
Discovery Day: 3rd July 2026
GCSE Results Day: 20th August 2026
Enrolment Week*: 24th – 28th August 2026

*Your enrolment appointment will take place at the College in the week beginning 24th August 2026. This is when you’ll come in with your GCSE results, collect your student ID and complete your final enrolment steps. You will receive an invite nearer the time.

Your Student Experience

At Weston College, we have many extra-curricular activities for you to involve yourself in outside of the classroom.

Whether you are interested in joining the Students’ Union (SU), taking part in a club or society that interests you, or joining the Sports Academy, we have opportunities for everyone.

Every student deserves to feel like they belong here. Whether it’s mental health resources, cultural representation, or financial accessibility, I will work tirelessly to make our campus a place where no one is left behind – regardless of background, identity, or circumstances.

If you are a full-time student, you will have many opportunities to go on trips throughout your time at Weston College. We encourage you to apply your classroom knowledge to real-world settings, meet industry professionals, and create memories and experiences that last beyond your college years.

Not only do you have opportunities to go on trips within your course, but Weston College has also been awarded a bursary through the Turing Scheme for next year to provide students with international opportunities. This is a global programme for studying and working abroad which enables students—especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds—to gain the confidence, skills, and international experience that employers value.

The funding will support placements this academic year in Canada, the USA, Indonesia, and Thailand, giving students the chance to immerse themselves in new cultures, develop global citizenship skills, and gain hands-on industry experience.

Last year, students had the opportunity to go to fantastic countries such as New York, Nashville, and Canada, providing them with unforgettable memories and developing their skills both personally and professionally.

The Students' Union (SU) is made up of Student Representatives and Student Executives to help drive improvements across the college, putting students first when important decisions are made and representing the student body.

This elected team of students work together to create a diverse and inclusive community, encouraging engagement in trips, events, clubs & societies.

Find Out More

Niya Thomas

SU President, Loxton Campus

Every student deserves to feel like they belong here. Whether it’s mental health resources, cultural representation, or financial accessibility, I will work tirelessly to make our campus a place where no one is left behind – regardless of background, identity, or circumstances.

student about to kick football on astro turf

We offer high quality provision in four main sports; these sports provide our learners with coaching and games programmes in the following sports:

Netball
Football
Rugby
Cricket

Find Out More

Each faculty at Weston College has their own Career Excellence Hub (CEH), meaning that you will take part in a study programme with lots of career boosting benefits, all with the aim of giving you the opportunity to become career ready!

We have so many employer partnerships that you can work with to excel in your career, build your skills, and get your name into the industry. Not only this, but we also have many great trips, guest lectures, and workshops that take place throughout your course.

Each faculty works closely with several key employers, including:

Upcoming Events

As part of our recruitment process, we’d love to invite you in to an open evening so you can see the facilities and meet the lecturers ahead of starting in September. We want to give you the opportunity to ask questions, get to know the course in more detail, and discuss any other issues that you might have when starting.

Register now to attend Open Evening or book a Campus Tour with our friendly School Liaison Team to take a tour of the facilities and ask any questions that you may have.

OPEN EVENING SCHOOL LIAISON TOURS DISCOVERY DAYS - coming soon Parent Learner Info Evening (PLIE)

Latest News

There is always so much going on across our various campuses and courses. Stay up to date on our latest news.

26 Feb 2025

UAL Extended Diploma Art and Design final project designs

The <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank">UAL Foundation Diploma (Pre-Degree)</a> Level 3 and 4 is an exciting course, aiming to help students find their creative medium and experiment with different art-based subjects before university. This could be to gain the experience required to complete a specific degree course, or simply to develop their skills and build on their existing knowledge, creating a portfolio for the future.  The course is aimed at developing individuality and encourages creative and visual thinking through to Level 4 with a variety of materials and approaches. This gives learners the chance to pursue a creative focus, developing a more in-depth understanding of a subject to determine which area of study they may want to specialise in. This often leads to our students studying at the most prestigious art-based universities to further their careers and passions. Our current <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank">UAL Foundation Diploma</a> learners have been working hard on a project in which the students were given two randomly generated words which they had to base their project on. This gave the learners creative freedom, allowing them to develop a theme using their own artistic individuality with a medium of their choice. We interviewed 4 students who have completed this project to find out how they have found the course so far, as well as how it has benefitted them to make sure students are well informed about their options before making decisions about their future. <o:p></o:p>SIENNASienna, a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank">UAL Foundation Diploma</a> student, was recommended this course by her Sixth Form lecturers as it gave her the opportunity to develop new skills and further her knowledge of the subject. The theme of her final piece was about past societal opinions and what was classed as peculiar, and comparing this idea with the diverse and accepting society nowadays. This project gave her a better understanding of her preferred medium which she plans to develop within a Fine Art degree at university.<drupal-entity alt=""Sienna standing next to her final project"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="70b3e329-460b-4752-ac04-e0650b048fd5" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity> AMYAmy, a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; target="_blank">UAL Extended Diploma student in Art, Design and Communication</a>, chose this course due to the advanced equipment available and the specialist workshops that vary in skill and ability, adding “I have loved it so much so far! The tutors have both been extremely supportive, helping me to further adapt and expand my ideas to produce well thought out and compositional work.”Amy’s two randomly generated words were ‘deficient’ and ‘abrasive’, and after much research, she decided to base her final project on the negative opinions surrounding homelessness. She explored Maslow’s Law of Needs theory and determined that homeless people lack the same opportunities because of their status in society due to preconceptions of their background. With this in mind, Amy created a suit jacket, playing into the idea of employment for the homeless to symbolise that they deserve the same opportunities in life.After this course, Amy plans to progress to university to either complete a Fine Art course or an Art Sculptural course.<drupal-entity alt=""Amy standing next to her her project: a paper mache suit jacket"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e3b58c01-f52f-4e31-bf22-622437b8f888" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity> EDENEden, a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/art-d…; target="_blank">UAL Extended Diploma student in Art, Design and Communication</a>, chose this course as she wanted to explore different processes and techniques to build her skills, adding, “I wasn't sure exactly what area of Art and Design I wanted to go into so this course allowed me to experiment and figure out what I liked best.”Eden’s two randomly generated words were ‘curvilinear’ and ‘inferior’ where she decided on the theme of afro hair, creating a dress that included designs that she screen-printed onto fabric.“I drew inspiration from my own experiences of having afro hair as well as the history of hair in African culture. The designs I screen-printed came from various Afro hairstyles. The shape was inspired by African dresses and the bright colours and patterns were inspired by tignon headscarves.”After this course, Eden plans to go to university to study Textile Design.<drupal-entity alt=""Eden standing next to her final project: a printed dress"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="156551ce-a7b7-401f-b94d-39d23e8cc7fb" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity> MOLLYMolly, a <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank">UAL Foundation Diploma</a> student, chose this course as she was undecided of what she wanted to do after leaving Sixth Form and wanted to give herself another year to find what she enjoyed doing. This course has allowed her to explore different techniques and where she discovered her love for screen printing on textiles which she hadn’t previously attempted.Molly’s words were ‘voluminous’ and ‘quincunx’. She discovered that quincunx relates to a repetitive pattern which she created and transferred onto a silk screen, and voluminous related to the excessive silhouette shape of the garment that she created.After this course, Molly plans to apply to a BA Hons Fashion and Textiles degree.<drupal-entity alt=""Molly standing next to her final project: a printed blouse"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="444865d6-a294-4672-b682-34532e5e49d6" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity> Overall, it is evident that this course allows students to explore different artistic techniques that they may not have previously had the chance to try. Whether you are progressing from an Arts and Design course or another subject, anyone is welcome to build up their portfolio and express their creativity on the UAL Extended Diploma courses.<a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-adults/art-design-gra…; target="_blank">If you’re interested in applying to the UAL Foundation Diploma course, click here.</a>

Hearing from our UAL Foundation Diploma Students

24 Feb 2025

Last month, a group of Year 1 learners from the <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport…; target="_blank">Level 3 Sport Coaching</a> course and <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport…; target="_blank">Level 3 Sport and Exercise Science</a> course had the opportunity to visit the University of South Wales (USW) to gain insight into what sports science and coaching within higher education would entail. The visit provided them with hands-on experience in key aspects of the field while allowing them to explore potential pathways for their future careers and studies.The day began with a visit to the Glyntaff campus, where learners participated in a VO2 max test. This involved one student taking on the role of the test subject on an exercise bike while the rest of the group acted as the research team. They were responsible for monitoring the test, handling the equipment, and collecting data. After the test, the group analysed their findings to measure the oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) exchanged during the experiment, ultimately determining the participant's VO2 max.<drupal-entity alt=""Student on a bike while other students measure his oxygen"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e1b8e8ab-e638-4bbb-9c70-d655b5f35c35" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity> Following this, the learners moved to the USW Sports Park, where they engaged in a strength and conditioning session. Here, they underwent pressure plate testing to assess their lower-body power and identify any potential muscle imbalances. This hands-on session gave them valuable insights into performance assessment and injury prevention strategies.<drupal-entity alt=""Student jumping in the air"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6888b69f-90bf-4856-8961-c42a58ea2b70" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity> The day continued with a physiotherapy session that focused on CPR training in a sports context. The learners participated in a role-play scenario where they had to respond to a player collapsing during a match, giving them the chance to practice administering CPR on a dummy and using a defibrillator. This activity showed the students the importance of emergency response in sports settings and the necessary training required for the role.Overall, this trip to USW was a fantastic opportunity for our learners as it allowed them to explore the various sports courses, career pathways and opportunities available to them after completing their Level 3 qualifications. It also gave the learners the chance to network and interact with university lecturers and industry professionals. Additionally, the hands-on experience allowed them to envision what their future roles might entail, providing them with a clearer perspective on their potential career paths.These opportunities are essential in helping students make informed decisions about their futures while developing their practical knowledge in real-world scenarios.Thank you to USW for hosting our students and showing them the amazing opportunities available to them in higher education.<a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport…; target="_blank">If you are interested in applying to one of our Sport and Fitness courses in September, click here.</a>

Sport and Exercise Students Visit the University of South Wales

24 Feb 2025

Esports students and lecturer group photo with their new dragon plushies from the tournament

On January 28th, our <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/compu…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/compu…; target="_blank">Esports</a> learners took an exciting trip to Sky Guild Gaming Centre where our Weston Waveriders team competed against 3 teams in the Viper’s Chamber Tournament: London Legion from the College of Esports, Conel Cyphers from the Capital City College, and City from the University of London.This amazing tournament not only gave our learners the chance to play up against fantastic teams from across London in a Local Area Network (LAN) event, but it also raised money for the Great Ormond Street Hospital charity who give seriously ill children the best chance and the best childhood possible.<drupal-entity alt=""Students competing in the tournament on the computer"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="041392bb-e947-498a-ab20-34a7c4cfa544" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity> During the tournament, our learners first went up against the London Legion team where they fought hard, however they unfortunately lost as they couldn't find an answer to their competitors attacking side. Once the following matches were determined, our learners went up against City University where they played the best they could, almost making a late comeback but unfortunately lost and were eliminated with a final score of 13-7.<drupal-entity alt=""Up-close photo of student playing on the computer"" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a5cc1df8-a7d9-4ce4-9342-bce3d7828a28" data-embed-button="file_browser" data-entity-embed-display="image:image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"max_500x500","image_link":"","image_loading":{"attribute":"lazy"}}"> </drupal-entity> Although they didn’t win, their performance was fantastic and they fought hard against their opponents! This was a chance to not only meet with like-minded individuals with a passion for Esports, but also network with industry professionals like Nik Turner and Adrian Liu, and gain further experience at an in-person tournament.Will Price, one of our Esports lecturers, added, “this trip greatly benefitted our learners as they got to interact and experience a LAN event that was managed to a professional level, as well as get to interact with some top industry leaders in the Esports space in the UK.The experience of competing against other university teams gives them a taste of what Esports at University looks like, with some positive experiences for the future and a fun filled trip as a core memory for them to leave the college with.”The SCL College students assisted in the event organisation and did an excellent job in everything they did, from production and hosting to administration and referees, they demonstrated fantastic skills and acted as a template for our learners of what to do when it comes to the Events project that all Esports students complete during their course.Overall, it was a very successful day that not only gave our learners the chance to improve their skills in a physical tournament, but also raise money for the Great Ormond Street Hospital charity. They walked away with a better understanding of alternative game tactics which will help develop their overall performance, as well as some goodies including MSI baseball caps and an adorable collection of plushies!Thank you to Sky Guild Gaming Centre for hosting our learners and holding such an amazing event. We’d also like to congratulate the opposing teams for playing extremely well: London Legion, Conel Cyphers, and City University!<a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/compu…; rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/compu…; target="_blank">If you are interested in applying to one of our Computing and Digital Technologies courses in September, click here.</a>

Esports Students Compete at the London Sky Guild Gaming Centre