Leicester College
Encyclopedia
Leicester College is a further education
College in Leicester
, England
. It is one of the largest and most successful colleges in the UK, with more than 26,000 learners, 1,600 staff, plus an annual budget of £51million.
It has three main campuses in the city centre, and more than 200 community venues across Leicester.
In July 2002, Maggie Galliers was appointed as Principal of Leicester College. In June 2009 she was appointed a CBE
in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to local and national Further Education.
The College entered the top 25% of colleges nationally, based on success rates, in 2004.
officially opened Leicester College’s flagship Abbey Park Campus on 12 May 2009.
The royal visit marked the culmination of an ambitious £48 million accommodation project which also saw the College complete extensive building works at its Freemen’s Park Campus, as well as refurbishment of St Margaret’s Campus.
facilities including a 140-seat drama
studio
, science
labs, dance studio
, music studios, language
lab, dental
and childcare
training facilities. It is also home to the College’s Technology
and Engineering
Centre which is based opposite the main campus buildings.
and Beauty salon
, working kitchens which supply a bistro
and silver service
restaurant and Construction
workshops where learners can hone their skills in plumbing
, brickwork
, woodwork, painting
and decorating.
A Food
Manufacturing
Innovation Suite was officially opened at Freemen’s Park on 3 November 2009.
and Footwear
, Computing
, Media
, Photography
and Print
take place.
In 2009 several projects were completed, including a new online testing room, refurbishment of the refectory
and the Media studio and Fashion rooms.
promoters, were successful in their bid for a five-year lease of the former Phoenix Arts Centre
, in the centre of the city.
Renamed Upper Brown Street, the venue is a showcase for live music
and performances.
both locally and nationally, with an OFSTED
rating of good overall and outstanding in a number of areas.
Its overall success rate in 2008/09 was 82%, maintaining its position in the top 25% of FE
colleges nationally.
The College’s role as a leader in training for Food and Drink Manufacturing, Retail and Materials Production and Supply was acknowledged with membership of the National Skills Academy (NSA) network in these areas. The College has also been awarded Founder College status of the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills.
It has achieved certification in the Training Quality Standard - an assessment framework designed to recognise and celebrate the best organisations delivering training and development solutions.
Its commitment to quality means the College is a regular award winner. Most notably Leicester College was recently awarded the Learning and Skills Improvement Service
(LSIS) Leading the Learner Voice Award for Community and Social Cohesion.
It has also received the Charter Mark
, the Government
’s national quality standard for customer excellence. The College has gained accreditation against the Matrix quality standard for information, advice and guidance services for Employer Engagement. When it comes to responsibility to the environment, Leicester College is leading the way, beating Cambridge University into second place to win the Green Gown Award in the Carbon
Reduction Category.
Leicester College has also been named as an Association of Colleges Beacon Award winner for its ‘striking’ efforts to encourage social integration
.
It won the Churches’ Award for Sustainable College Partnerships that Recognise Diversity
and Develop People and Communities for its community cohesion action plan.
and part of Leicester University’s College and University Liaison Network. The College works with these and other higher education institutions to provide routes to Degree
level in many subject areas, including Art & Design, Fashion, Business and Performing Arts, Construction, Care and Engineering.
Jane Stidever – Paralympic swimming gold medallist
Gok Wan
– celebrity stylist
Molly Smitten-Downes - recording artist
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
College in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is one of the largest and most successful colleges in the UK, with more than 26,000 learners, 1,600 staff, plus an annual budget of £51million.
It has three main campuses in the city centre, and more than 200 community venues across Leicester.
History
Leicester College was formed from the merger of Charles Keene College and Southfields College on 31 July 1999. Since then, more than 250,000 learners have studied with the College.In July 2002, Maggie Galliers was appointed as Principal of Leicester College. In June 2009 she was appointed a CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to local and national Further Education.
The College entered the top 25% of colleges nationally, based on success rates, in 2004.
Campuses and facilities
HRH The Princess RoyalAnne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
officially opened Leicester College’s flagship Abbey Park Campus on 12 May 2009.
The royal visit marked the culmination of an ambitious £48 million accommodation project which also saw the College complete extensive building works at its Freemen’s Park Campus, as well as refurbishment of St Margaret’s Campus.
Abbey Park Campus
The striking Abbey Park Campus features four floors of modern teaching and learningLearning
Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves.Human learning...
facilities including a 140-seat drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
studio
Studio
A studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
labs, dance studio
Dance studio
A dance studio is a space in which dancers learn or rehearse. The term is typically used to describe a space that has either been built or equipped for the purpose....
, music studios, language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
lab, dental
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
and childcare
Childcare
Child care means caring for and supervising child/children usually from 0–13 years of age. In the United States child care is increasingly referred to as early childhood education due to the understanding of the impact of early experiences of the developing child...
training facilities. It is also home to the College’s Technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
Centre which is based opposite the main campus buildings.
Freemen’s Park Campus
The vocational home of the College, Freemen’s Park boasts a professional HairHair
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....
and Beauty salon
Beauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and women...
, working kitchens which supply a bistro
Bistro
A bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Home cooking with robust earthy dishes, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet are typical...
and silver service
Silver Service
The Silver Service is a brand currently applied by Amtrak to two of its East Coast long-distance passenger trains operating between New York City and Miami:*Silver Meteor*Silver Star...
restaurant and Construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
workshops where learners can hone their skills in plumbing
Plumbing
Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...
, brickwork
Brickwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar to build up brick structures such as walls. Brickwork is also used to finish corners, door, and window openings, etc...
, woodwork, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and decorating.
A Food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
Innovation Suite was officially opened at Freemen’s Park on 3 November 2009.
St Margaret’s Campus
The creative heart of Leicester College, St Margaret’s Campus is where courses in Art and Design, FashionFashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
and Footwear
Footwear
Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for fashion, protection against the environment, and adornment. Being barefoot is commonly associated with poverty, but some cultures chose not to wear footwear at least in some situations....
, Computing
Computing
Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...
, Media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, Photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and Print
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
take place.
In 2009 several projects were completed, including a new online testing room, refurbishment of the refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
and the Media studio and Fashion rooms.
Outreach Centres
Leicester College provides training in 200 outreach venues, where education is taken into the heart of the city’s different communities.Upper Brown Street
In November 2009, the College, together with four local musicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
promoters, were successful in their bid for a five-year lease of the former Phoenix Arts Centre
Phoenix Arts Centre
Upper Brown Street is a theatre in the city centre of Leicester, England. The centre hosted live shows and films of the arthouse and world cinema genres. In 2010 it was reborn as an important music training and performance venue under a new name.- History :In the 1963 Leicester City Council ...
, in the centre of the city.
Renamed Upper Brown Street, the venue is a showcase for live music
Live Music
Live Music is a reggaeton company owned by DJ Giann.-Artists:* Jowell & Randy* Tony Lenta* Watussi* De La Ghetto* Guelo Star* Galante "El Emperador"-Producers:*DJ Blass*Dexter*Mr. Greenz*DJ Giann*Los Hitmen*Dirty Joe*ALX...
and performances.
Retail Skills Centre
Leicester College is home to the Retail Skills Centre Leicester. The centre is a dedicated Retail training facility and a founder member of the National Skills Academy for Retail – a government-backed network of training centres designed to increase productivity in the sector.Excellence
Leicester College has a reputation for excellenceExcellence
Excellence is a talent or quality which is unusually good and so surpasses ordinary standards. It is also an aimed for standard of performance.-History:...
both locally and nationally, with an OFSTED
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
rating of good overall and outstanding in a number of areas.
Its overall success rate in 2008/09 was 82%, maintaining its position in the top 25% of FE
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
colleges nationally.
The College’s role as a leader in training for Food and Drink Manufacturing, Retail and Materials Production and Supply was acknowledged with membership of the National Skills Academy (NSA) network in these areas. The College has also been awarded Founder College status of the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills.
It has achieved certification in the Training Quality Standard - an assessment framework designed to recognise and celebrate the best organisations delivering training and development solutions.
Its commitment to quality means the College is a regular award winner. Most notably Leicester College was recently awarded the Learning and Skills Improvement Service
Learning and Skills Improvement Service
The Learning and Skills Improvement Service is the sector-owned body supporting the development of excellent and sustainable Further Education provision across the learning and skills sector...
(LSIS) Leading the Learner Voice Award for Community and Social Cohesion.
It has also received the Charter Mark
Charter Mark
The Customer Service Excellence, is an accreditation for organisations and an independent validation of achievement.-History:...
, the Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
’s national quality standard for customer excellence. The College has gained accreditation against the Matrix quality standard for information, advice and guidance services for Employer Engagement. When it comes to responsibility to the environment, Leicester College is leading the way, beating Cambridge University into second place to win the Green Gown Award in the Carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
Reduction Category.
Leicester College has also been named as an Association of Colleges Beacon Award winner for its ‘striking’ efforts to encourage social integration
Social integration
Social integration, in sociology and other social sciences, is the movement of minority groups such as ethnic minorities, refugees and underprivileged sections of a society into the mainstream of societies...
.
It won the Churches’ Award for Sustainable College Partnerships that Recognise Diversity
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
and Develop People and Communities for its community cohesion action plan.
HE provision
Leicester College is an Associate College of De Montfort UniversityDe Montfort University
De Montfort University is a public research and teaching university situated in the medieval Old Town of Leicester, England, adjacent to the River Soar and the Leicester Castle Gardens...
and part of Leicester University’s College and University Liaison Network. The College works with these and other higher education institutions to provide routes to Degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
level in many subject areas, including Art & Design, Fashion, Business and Performing Arts, Construction, Care and Engineering.
Notable alumni
Aaron Patterson – Michelin-starred chef at Hambleton HallHambleton Hall
Hambleton Hall is a hotel and restaurant located in the village of Hambleton close to Oakham, Rutland, England. , the restaurant holds one star in the Michelin Guide....
Jane Stidever – Paralympic swimming gold medallist
Gok Wan
Gok Wan
Gok Wan is a British fashion consultant, author and television presenter of British Chinese heritage. He is known for his appearances on many television programmes , for providing fashion advice to celebrities and for contributing his views to fashion magazines published internationally.-Early...
– celebrity stylist
Molly Smitten-Downes - recording artist
External links
- Leicester College – Leicester College Official Website