Bury College is an institute of higher learning for ages 16 and above. It is located within the Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The college offers a wide range of subjects from the A-Level, BTEC and diploma format, among other subjects provided.
Bury College is a further education college that provides qualifications for school leavers pursuing A Levels, vocational qualifications and apprenticeships. It also provides a range of courses for adults, including university qualifications run in partnership with the University of Bolton.
Bury College began as Bury Technical College. From May 1940 to May 1946 Bury Technical College was occupied by the Royal Military College of Science (Fire Control Wing) to provide specialist courses in the use of fire control instruments during the war. Following Local Government reorganisation in 1974, the college merged with Radcliffe Technical College to form the Bury Metropolitan College of Further Education.
Bury College became as a tertiary college on 1 September 1987, as a result of Bury Council's decision to develop a tertiary education system for Bury. The college was formed by the merger of the then Bury College of Further Education premises in Bury and Radcliffe with Peel Sixth Form College, Stand Sixth Form College and a number of Youth Training Scheme units located in various parts of the borough.
In April 1993, Bury College was incorporated under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.
Bury College has invested over £40 million in recent years on new facilities and buildings for students. The college now has new facilities for construction and engineering, IT suites and computer aided design studios. The new Woodbury developments provide a new learning resource centre and library, industry standard art studios, a new outdoor courtyard to increase social space and classrooms.
Millennium Centre - This building provides a learning environment equipped with studios, laboratories, IT suites, Learning Resource Centres and classrooms. Student facilities are with indoor and outdoor social areas.
Beacon Centre - provides facilities for Performance Arts, Humanities, Languages, Health and Social Care, Childcare and Uniformed Services. A theatre, dance and rehearsal studios, together with a recording studio, language laboratory and coffee bar are situated here.
Woodbury Centre - houses facilities for hair, beauty and complementary therapy salons, catering facilities including the Three Seasons Restaurant and Bistro and art studios with Apple computer's technology.
Venture Centre - In 2012 a new development on the Woodbury site opened providing a new learning resource centre, landscaped courtyard, IT facilities and classrooms.
Prospects Centre - this is the electrical engineering centre of the college. It has specialist laboratories, workshops and IT suites to accommodate a wide range of technology based subjects.
The Innovation Centre - supports students studying Engineering and Technology courses, including the new Diploma in Engineering. The building incorporates an Engineering Workshop, IT suites, Computer-Aided Design Studio and Classrooms equipped with information and communications technologies.
The Aspire Centre - provides sports facilities for students, including exercise and fitness studios with sprung floors. In addition, the building houses the College’s assessment centre for examinations and on-line testing, providing specialist facilities for examinations candidates.
The Construction Skills Centre - is equipped with tools, equipment and machinery. It supports the college’s existing applied engineering and technology centres and provides further investment to develop and offer vital training to the construction industry.
Enterprise Centre - houses classrooms and IT facilities.
Bury College Nursery - a fifty-place nursery which opened in September 2004 and provides places for students with young children, and the local community.
Bury College results are consistently above the national average and in 2013 the College achieved an exceptional pass rate of 100% for 37 of its Advanced Level courses. The college saw exceptional results for Vocational A Level and National Diploma courses with 100% pass rates in many courses.
Whitefield Stand Grammar School
Tony Binns, Ron Lister Professor of Geography
Geoffrey Bullough, Professor of English Language and Literature from 1946 to 1968 at King's College London (1912–19)
Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, who became Lord Clive of Palassey. Major General Clive was a soldier who helped the British military and political supremacy in India in the 18th century.
Lol Creme, musician
Lawrence Demmy, 1950s ice-dancer (with Jean Westwood)
Barry Dixon CBE, Chief Executive from 2002–09 of the Greater Manchester County Fire Service (1962–67)
John Heilpern, drama critic, former husband of Joan Juliet Buck
Jack Howlett CBE, computer scientist and Director from 1961 to 1975 of the Atlas Computer Laboratory (produced many computer software innovations) (1923–30)
Paul Hughes, Director of Finance from 1971 to 1984 at the BBC (1928–33)
Howard Jacobson, author (1953–60)
Martin Kelner, radio broadcaster (1960–67)
Prof William Kershaw CMG, Professor of Biology from 1966 to 1976 at the University of Salford (1922–29)
Henry Livings, playwright (1941–48)
Philip Lowrie, plays Dennis Tanner in Coronation Street
Lawrence McGinty, medical and science correspondent (since 1989) for ITN (1959–66)
Norman McVicker, Leicestershire and Warwickshire cricketer
Frank Martin, Chief Executive from 2001-14 of Hornby Railways, and from 1995-2000 of Humbrol
Al Read, radio comedian
Audrey Slaughter (née Smith), journalist and former wife of Evening Standard editor Charles Wintour
Mark E. Smith, singer
John Spencer, snooker player
Julie Stevens, actress (1948–53)
Leslie Turnberg, Baron Turnberg, Professor of Medicine from 1973 to 1997 at the University of Manchester (1945–52)
Ivan Lewis, Labour MP since 1997 for Bury South
