Wiltshire College

Coordinates: 51°18′29″N 2°13′19″W / 51.308°N 2.222°W / 51.308; -2.222

Wiltshire College

Established	2002
Type	Further education
Principal	Di Dale
Location	Trowbridge, Chippenham, Lacock, Salisbury Wiltshire UK
Staff	300 teaching
Students	3000+ (full-time)
Gender	both
Ages	16+

Wiltshire College is a tertiary college of education founded in 2002 by the merger of Chippenham Technical College, Lackham College and Trowbridge College.^[1] Consolidation will be completed with the merger of Salisbury College, which commenced in January 2008. The college has over 3000 full-time students and 300 teaching staff.^[2]

Constituent colleges

• Wiltshire College Chippenham was founded as North Wilts College of Further Education and later changed its name to Chippenham Technical College, and again to Chippenham College in 1993.^[1] It offers a wide range of vocational courses and qualifications specialising in engineering, commerce and construction trades. Its buildings are in Cocklebury Road, close to the town centre and railway station. Its most recent OfSTED report assessed it as generally satisfactory.^[3]
• Wiltshire College Lackham is based close to Lacock and opened in 1946 as a purely agricultural college.^[4] It has a 400-acre (1.6 km²) working farm to allow students hands-on experience of the rural economy, and also hosts a Museum of Agriculture and Rural Life.^[4] The college offers a number of extramural courses to non-students and also has a full programme of public events throughout the year, such as flower shows, equestrian, and related events. In 2005, the problems caused by foot and mouth disease resulted in the creation of a Virtual Farm to enable students to continue their studies.^[5] The college holds an annual Lambing Weekend where local children can see at first hand lambs being born.^[6]
• Wiltshire College Trowbridge, in College Road, offers a wide range of vocational courses for school-leavers, and is associated with the Arc Theatre.

Main Building, Wiltshire College Trowbridge

• Wiltshire College Salisbury was formed in 1992 as the merger of the College of Art & Design & the Technology College.^[7] Situated in Southampton Road, it offers degree courses in association with Bournemouth University as well as A-level courses for sixth-form students and vocational courses for school leavers.

Courses

• The Chippenham and Trowbridge divisions offer a similar range of courses to various levels including NVQ, BTEC and C&G in a wide range of subjects: Administration, Art and Design, Beauty Therapy, Business, Catering, Childcare, Computing, Construction, Engineering & Motor Vehicle, Hairdressing, Health & Social Care, Media, Performing Arts, Public Services, Sport, and Travel & Tourism. Photography is offered as a BTEC course at Trowbridge only.^[2]
• Lackham campus tends to specialise in its traditional curriculum, offering courses in Agriculture, Animal Care, Animal Management, Countryside & Environment, Countryside Management, Farm Mechanisation, Floristry, Horse Care/Management, Horticulture, Land & Environment, Land Based Technology, Motorsport Engineering and Sport. A pre-entry course for the Army is also offered.^[2]
• Salisbury division offers A/AS level courses, typically lasting one or two years, in Accounting, Art, Business Studies, Chemistry, Critical Thinking, English (Language & Literature), Film Studies, Geography, History, Mathematics, Media Studies, Photography, Physics, Psychology and Sociology. Vocational courses leading to BTEC & C&G qualifications are offered in Art & Design, Beauty Therapy, Business, Catering & Hospitality, Working with Children & Young People, IT at Work, ICT, Construction (including specialisms in Bricklaying, Carpentry & Joinery, Electrotechnical Technology, Painting & Decorating and Plumbing), Hairdressing, Health & Social Care, Motor Vehicle Maintenance, Media, Popular Music & Music Technology, Performing Arts, Public Service, Skills for Work & Life, Sport & Exercise Science, and Travel & Tourism.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "The Chippenham, Lackham and Trowbridge Colleges (Dissolution) Order 2000". http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2000/uksi_20002728_en.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-20. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Full-time Prospectus 2008/09. 2008. 
3. ^ [http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxedu_reports/download/%28id%29/111375/%28as%29/132779_317040.pdf OFSTED Report, 2007
4. ^ ^{a b} "Wiltshire College Lackham celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2006". http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/content/articles/2006/07/24/timeline_lackham_feature.shtml. Retrieved 2008-03-20. 
5. ^ "Cyber Cows and Virtual Sheep at Lackham Farm". http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:GjboysICenMJ:www.equal-works.com/resources/contentfiles/593.pdf+%22Lackham+College%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=45&gl=uk. Retrieved 2008-03-20. 
6. ^ "Lambing in Lackham". http://archive.gazetteandherald.co.uk/2008/3/15/372386.html. Retrieved 2008-03-20. 
7. ^ "Salisbury College". The Independent (London). 2007-07-27. http://www.independent.co.uk/student/into-university/az-uni-colleges/salisbury-college-459049.html. Retrieved 2008-03-22. 

External links

• Wiltshire College website