Established 2012 Chair of Governors John Huggett Phone +44 800 056 7253 Founded February 2012 | Principal Kevin Hamblin DfE URN 139238 Tables Number of students 15,521 | |
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Type Further education college Location Filton AvenueBristolBS34 7ATEngland Notable alumni Similar City of Bristol College, Gloucestershire College, Hartpury College, University of the West of England, University of Gloucestershire Profiles | ||
This article is about South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS) made up of the former Filton and Stroud colleges.
Contents
- History
- Courses
- Campuses
- SGS Filton
- SGS WISE
- SGS Stroud
- SGS Bristol
- SGS Clifton
- Assessment
- Notable alumni
- References
South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, also known as SGS College is a college of further education based in South Gloucestershire and Stroud, England. It was established in February 2012 following the merger of Filton College and Stroud College. The college is made up of five campuses located in and around North Bristol and Stroud.
History
South Gloucestershire and Stroud College was formed when Filton College and Stroud College merged in early 2012.
Filton College was founded in 1960 as Filton Technical College. By 1965 the college had over 2000 students, many of whom were part-time. In 1990 the college officially changed its name to Filton College. The next major development for the college was in 2005 when the WISE Campus (West of England Institute of Specialised Education) was opened, at a cost of £17.5 million. It is dedicated to performing arts, fine art and sport.
Stroud College started in the School of Art in 1860. This was later renamed The Technical College, and was located in various buildings in Stroud. Only in the 1950s, after the town council was gifted Stratford Park, did the college relocate to the present campus on Stratford Road. The Art Department remained for many years in the Art School in Stroud. The Gloucestershire College of Art was created from the merger of the Stroud School of Art and the Cheltenham College of Art in 1959.
Courses
SGS provides a number of qualifications including GCSE and A-level, as well as a number of vocational courses leading to BTEC First and National Diplomas and other similar qualifications, and some higher education courses leading to HND and foundation degrees. It also runs EFL programmes for non-native speakers of English.
The college offers a range of higher education course such as HNC/HND, foundation degrees and full BA Hons courses as SGS are in partnership with the University of Gloucestershire.
The college is a Centre of Vocational Excellence in gas engineering in partnership with Centrica and is a partner in a CoVE in aeronautical engineering led by City of Bristol College.
Campuses
South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS) has five campuses, Filton, Wise, Bristol, Clifton and Stroud.
SGS Filton
The Filton campus of the college is located in Filton Avenue, Filton, Bristol. A-level Students attend classes at the main A-level Block (A-Block), adjacent to the main campus or in classrooms within the main site. At the A-level Block there is a small cafe selling hot drinks and a few hot meals. BTEC/National Diploma students attend classes in the main block or in the Arts block (F-Block). Media/Photography Students attend classes in F-Block, which is across the car park from the main site or at WISE. The campus has a refectory where hot food is served, a small sweet shop, and a Student Centre. CIC painted a mural in the canteen of the Filton campus, where Inkie and Felix Braun were students.
It has a workshop area known as "Construction Academy" (Formerly Bristol Construction Academy pre-SGS merger) which takes place in "R-Block". It does a variety of trades, including plumbing, brick laying, gas and engineering.
SGS WISE
The WISE (West of England Institute of Specialist Education) campus is located in New Road, Stoke Gifford adjacent to Abbeywood Community School and opened in 2005 at a cost of £17.5 million. It is the main site for sports activities and performing arts courses at the college. The Bristol Academy of Media Arts and Bristol Academy of Sport are based at this campus. The Academy of Sport provides sports coaching and college-level education to the college's learners.
The academy has partnerships with Bristol Flyers basketball team, Bristol Rovers, Bristol Rugby and Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, and the women's football team, Bristol Academy W.F.C., plays at the highest level in England, the FA WSL.
The WISE campus also home to the South West Academy of Dramatic Arts (SWADA), which offers BTEC Introductory, First, National and Higher National Diplomas, and Professional Diploma courses in Performing Arts. SWADA is also home to the Olympus Theatre that exhibits work from courses throughout the year, as well as being available for bookings to external theatre companies.
SGS Stroud
The Stroud campus is located in Stratford Road, Stroud. The campus has a remote education centre located in Dursley, Gloucestershire, and a co-operative sixth form site at Downfield Sixth Form with Marling School, Stroud High School and Archway School. The Stroud campus has a learning resource centre, construction workshops, learn IT centre, Envy hair and beauty salon, refectory, conference facilities as well as sports and leisure facilities.
SGS Bristol
The SGS Bristol Campus is located in the right wing of the Royal West of England Academy in Queens Road, Clifton, Bristol. The academy was Bristol's first art gallery and constructed in 1857. The campus' only department is the Bristol School of Art.
SGS Clifton
The SGS Clifton Campus is located at Bristol Zoo Gardens, Clifton, Bristol.
Assessment
Filton College was judged to be 'satisfactory' in its 2003 Ofsted inspection. A further inspection of Filton College in February 2008 found the college's provision to be 'good'.
In 2014 it was rated as 'good' for overall effectiveness.