Peterborough Regional College

Infobox_University
name = Peterborough Regional College


established = 1946
principal = Don Lawson BSc (Hons) MA
city = Park Crescent, Peterborough
country = Cambridgeshire PE1 4DZ

Peterborough Regional College, established in 1946 as Peterborough Technical College, is a major college of further and higher education in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. It is currently ranked in the top five per cent of colleges in the United Kingdom. [Nasta, Tony [http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/pdf/?inspectionNumber=265202&providerCategoryID=524288&fileName=\school\130\s3_130613_20061017.pdf Statutory Inspection under Section 3 of the School Inspections Act 1996] Office for Standards in Education and Adult Learning Inspectorate, 17 October 2006]

History

Engineering firms Peter Brotherhood and Baker Perkins relocated to Peterborough just after 1900and by the 1930s the BTH Electrical Company (which became Hotpoint), Newall Engineeringand the Mitchell Engineering Company were well established. Peterborough was already animportant railway centre providing a great deal of work for the populace, but with all thisindustry there was no local provision for training.

In 1903 the County Technical School was set up in a small building in Broadway in the citycentre with boys studying mathematics, science, technical drawing and some technologicalsubjects. Girls studied a programme for employment in commerce. This was closed in 1926 tosave money. Some technical classes did continue but were held as evening classes at
Deacon's Grammar School, other schools and the Broadway building.

With the onset of the war in 1939 the major engineering firms had to expand to produce munitions and other vital military equipment. The demand for skilled men, and also now for women, escalated but there was nothing in the education or training field to cope with this demand. The industrial expansion continued but it wasn't until 1944 that the Soke of Peterborough Education Committee established Advisory Committees for Engineering and Building and reorganised courses into the Senior Evening Institute of Commercial and Technical Students, Junior Evening Institute and Adult Institute. Classes were held all over the city but in 1946 temporary premises were erected on land in Garton End Road to provide space for engineering subjects. Pressure from local firms with education and training policies resulted in the Education Committee supporting a plan for Peterborough Technical College, initially at the Garton End Road site. [McIntyre, J.A. "The Story of Peterborough Technical College 1952 - 1977"]

The separate Adult Education Institute became Peterborough College of Adult Education in 1970 when it moved to its own premises on Brook Street. [ [http://www.pals.ac.uk/index.php?page=3 About us: A brief history] Peterborough College of Adult Education (retrieved 18 August 2007)]

In 1952 the first instalment of the new, purpose built Eastfield site opened. In the following years four more building instalments were made and the developments were the result of an almost unique collaboration between the firms of the area, the county council and the Principal and Governors of the College. ["Official Opening of the Fifth Instalment Peterborough Technical College", Huntingdon and Peterborough County Council, 10 July 1969]

In 1982 "The Tech" was renamed Peterborough Regional College and in 1993 it became aCorporation under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, with new branding and a range of degrees validated by leading universities. [ [http://www.peterborough.ac.uk/newsevents/pdf/pastpresentfuture.pdf Peterborough Regional College – 60 years in business] Peterborough Regional College (retrieved 18 August 2007)]

Today

Peterborough Regional College now welcomes through its gates around 3,500 full time and 12,000 part time students, encompassing the widest range of courses in the Greater Peterborough area. The College has long experience of providing full and part time courses, with a degree programme being started in 1993.

The College offers a range of qualifications including GCSEs,Ordinary and Higher National Diplomas, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, City & Guilds, NVQs and professional qualifications. [ [http://www.dfes.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/dfe2x1_05.pl?Code=&No=874&Type=&Mode=&Lsc=26&School=8748011&back= School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables 2005] Department for Education and Skills (retrieved 18 August 2007)] The College also offers courses for international students, including IELTS English language proficiency testing. The Corn Exchange Learning Centre in the city centre runs computing courses for those trying to get back into employment or wishing to update skills, together with a range of literacy and numeracy classes. [ [http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/page-11887 City council buys Peterborough Corn Exchange] Peterborough City Council, Ref. 07/07/ML, 05 July 2007] Hightrees Media Centre on Eastfield Road is adjacent to the main site, but will be moving to new modern facilities on Broadway in the City Centre in late 2008.

The city is currently without its own university, since Loughborough University closed its Peterborough campus in 2003. [ [http://www.eera.gov.uk/Documents/About%20EERA/Policy/Planning%20and%20Transport/PlanHome/PlanTranStud/GeoStud/Pete/Stage1/PeteFin/finalreport.pdf Peterborough Sub-Regional Study: Final Report] 3.2.3 Improving further and higher education provision (p.19) Llewelyn Davies for the East of England Regional Assembly, November 2003] In 2006 however, Peterborough Regional College was in talks with Anglia Ruskin University to develop a new university campus for the city. [ [http://www.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/news/archive/peterborough.html Major step towards university for Peterborough] Anglia Ruskin University, 22 February 2006] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/6168128.stm New university plan moves closer] BBC News, 21 November 2006 11:10 GMT] [ [http://www.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/news/archive/peterborough_10m.html £10 million boost for university facility in Peterborough] Anglia Ruskin University, 11 December 2006] The plans have moved a step closer as the college and the university officially completed the legal contracts for the creation of a new joint venture company at a special signing ceremony at the college. The formation marks the culmination of legal negotiations and securing of funds required in order to build the new higher education centre. The joint venture company, limited by guarantee, will be managed by an equal number of directors from both partner institutions who will be responsible for the academic and operational running of the new centre. [ [http://www.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/news/archive/Peterborough_signing.html Legal deal signed and sealed facilitates the 'emergence' of new University Centre in Peterborough] Anglia Ruskin University, 03 April 2007] [Old, David [http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news?articleid=3116403 Video: Students can now take university route in city] Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 16 August 2007]

References

ee also

*Further education
*Learning and Skills Council

External links

* [http://www.peterborough.ac.uk/ Peterborough Regional College]
* [http://www.pals.ac.uk/ Peterborough College of Adult Education]