Birmingham Metropolitan College
Encyclopedia
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...
and higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
college with eight campuses distributed within Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England. The college was created in August 2009 as a result of the amalgamation of Matthew Boulton College and Sutton Coldfield College. The main campus is based at Lichfield Road in Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census...
, the former main buildings for Sutton Coldfield College.
In addition to the existing campuses and facilities, there are proposals for the construction of a new campus in Perry Barr
Perry Barr
Perry Barr is an inner-city area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Perry Barr ward and the wards of Handsworth Wood, Lozells and East Handsworth, and Oscott, which elect three councillors to...
, although these plans are currently on hold due to funding issues. The college is a member of the 157 Group
157 Group
The 157 Group is a group of 28 colleges of further education in England. The group was established in 2006 with an aim of promoting and maintaining high standards of education and management for this type of college...
of high performing schools.
Matthew Boulton College
The origins of Matthew Boulton College are related to the Municipal Technical School, which was located on Suffolk Street in Birmingham. Construction commenced on the college on 18 November 1893 and it was opened on 16 September 1895. The purpose-built premises were used by 34 staff and approximately 2,000 students. The classes available were ChemistryChemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Metallurgy, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Handicrafts and Typography and Drawing.
By the mid-1930s, a new site had been acquired in Gosta Green
Gosta Green
Gosta Green is an area in the city of Birmingham, England. It lies at the edge of the city centre, about three-quarters of a mile to the north-east of Birmingham New Street station via Corporation St or the High St....
and another college called the College of Technology, Commerce and Art was constructed, although construction was delayed by World War II. The Gosta Green site became the UK's first College of Advanced Technology (CAT), later Aston University
Aston University
Aston University is a "plate glass" campus university situated at Gosta Green, in the city centre of Birmingham, England.Established in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, Aston was granted its Royal Charter as Aston University on 22 April 1966...
, receiving its royal charter in 1966. In 1957, it was decided to rename the separate Suffolk Street building and in November 1957, it became the Matthew Boulton Technical College, named after Matthew Boulton
Matthew Boulton
Matthew Boulton, FRS was an English manufacturer and business partner of Scottish engineer James Watt. In the final quarter of the 18th century the partnership installed hundreds of Boulton & Watt steam engines, which were a great advance on the state of the art, making possible the...
, a prominent local industrialist of the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
.
During the 1950s and 1960s, a new college was constructed on Sherlock Street and the courses were moved there in a phased approach throughout the 1960s. By the late 1990s, these premises had become unfit for purpose and it was deemed uneconomic to refurbish them, so Matthew Boulton College sought a new location on Jennens Road in the Eastside
Eastside, Birmingham
Eastside is a district of Birmingham City Centre, England currently undergoing a major redevelopment project. The overall cost when completed is expected to be £6–8 billion over a period of ten years which will result in the creation of 12,000 jobs. 8,000 jobs are expected to be created during the...
area of the city in late 1999 close to the Aston University
Aston University
Aston University is a "plate glass" campus university situated at Gosta Green, in the city centre of Birmingham, England.Established in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, Aston was granted its Royal Charter as Aston University on 22 April 1966...
Campus. The 18000 square metres (193,750 sq ft) site was purchased by the college from Aston University
Aston University
Aston University is a "plate glass" campus university situated at Gosta Green, in the city centre of Birmingham, England.Established in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, Aston was granted its Royal Charter as Aston University on 22 April 1966...
in 2003 and a three month demolition programme on the site commenced in September 2003. Construction started in January 2004 and was completed by July 2005 to allow the building to be opened to students for the new academic year in September 2005. The project cost £37.9 million, £13.2 million was given by the Birmingham and Solihull Learning and Skills Council
Learning and Skills Council
The Learning and Skills Council was a non-departmental public body jointly sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families in England...
, the largest awarded in the Midlands and the second largest in the country to a college of further and higher education. Construction cost approximately £23 million. Bond Bryan Architects were commissioned to design the scheme whilst Davis Langdon were appointed to manage the construction and costs of the project.
The Sherlock Street buildings were purchased by the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands
Advantage West Midlands
-Advantage West Midlands – Regional Development Agency:Advantage West Midlands was established in 1999 as one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England. RDAs were created by the UK Government to drive sustainable economic development and social and physical regeneration through a...
and were demolished in late 2008.
Sutton Coldfield College
Sutton Coldfield College originated in 1896 as a technical school, then expanded in 1964 as a further education college. Preparations for the further education college began in the 1950s when its purpose-built facilities at Lichfield Road were constructed. In 2003, plans were submitted to the Government for North Birmingham College, formerly Brooklyn Technical College, to be merged with Sutton Coldfield College. The plans were laid before Parliament on 19 May 2003 and subsequently approved by Margaret HodgeMargaret Hodge
Margaret Hodge MBE MP, also known as Lady Hodge by virtue of her husband's knighthood, is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Barking since 1994. She was the first Minister for Children in 2003 and was Minister of State for Culture and Tourism at the Department...
. North Birmingham College was then dissolved with all of its property being transferred to Sutton Coldfield College on 1 August 2003, with the college buildings becoming the Great Barr
Great Barr
Great Barr is a large and loosely-defined area which straddles the boundaries of Birmingham, West Bromwich and Walsall , West Midlands, England...
campus (It is now known as BMC's 'James Watt Campus'). In 2006, plans were put before Parliament for the merger of Josiah Mason Sixth Form College and Sutton Coldfield College. They were approved by the Secretary of State and Josiah Mason College was dissolved on 1 August 2006, with its properties being transferred to Sutton Coldfield College.
A new Sixth Form Centre, designed by SMC Hickton Madeley Architects
SMC Hickton Madeley Architects
SMC Hickton Madeley Architects is an architects practice based in Telford, England. They were established in 1936. They have experience in designing prison buildings and have been partnered with Birmingham City Council on several projects....
, at the Lichfield Road campus was completed in 2001. Also recently completed is an Amenities Building and a new entrance to the Design Centre. The 1950s buildings at the Lichfield Road campus underwent an extensive refurbishment in 2008 which also saw the partial demolition of the Student Services building which was then reconstructed to become the Business Development Centre.
Merger
In 2008, Matthew Boulton College and Sutton Coldfield College collaborated in providing courses. In the same year, they applied to the Government to allow the two colleges to merge, and also applied for funding from the Learning and Skills CouncilLearning and Skills Council
The Learning and Skills Council was a non-departmental public body jointly sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families in England...
for the construction of a new £42 million campus on a former dairy site alongside the River Tame
River Tame, West Midlands
The River Tame is the main river of the West Midlands, and the most important tributary of the River Trent. The Tame is about 40 km from source at Oldbury to its confluence with the Trent near Alrewas, but the main river length of the entire catchment, i.e...
, in Perry Barr
Perry Barr
Perry Barr is an inner-city area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Perry Barr ward and the wards of Handsworth Wood, Lozells and East Handsworth, and Oscott, which elect three councillors to...
, named the 'Riverside'. To allow the merger of the two colleges, Matthew Boulton College was dissolved and all of its properties transferred to Sutton Coldfield College. The merger to create 'Birmingham Metropolitan College' was approved by the Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
in June 2009 and came into effect from 1 August 2009. Upon the merger, the new college had a combined student population of 27,000, making it one of the largest further and higher education institutions in the United Kingdom.
Campuses
Birmingham Metropolitan College manages eight campuses within Birmingham, most of them the result of previous college mergers. The main campus is the Sutton Coldfield Campus at Lichfield Road in Sutton Coldfield and is home to the college's administrative offices, a sixth form collegeSixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
and further education facilities. The buildings were mostly constructed in the 1950s as purpose-built structure although the college also obtained the Grade II* listed Moat House
Moat House, Sutton Coldfield
Moat House is a Grade II* listed building situated in Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. It is part of the Anchorage Road conservation area....
which was built in the 17th century by Sir William Wilson
William Wilson (architect)
Sir William Wilson was an English architect, builder and sculptor.Born in 1641 in Leicester, he was the son of a baker. In his early life, it is believed that he served an apprenticeship with a statuary mason. It is also claimed that he studied under Sir Christopher Wren at Oxford University where...
. They also obtained the Old Art School, further up Lichfield Road adjacent to Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School
Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. Founded in 1527, it is one of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom. The school was a day and boarding school until the 1880s, and retained a small number of boarders in the mid-20th century...
, which is now being used as a performing arts centre. On Sutton Coldfield High Street is the college's Media Centre which is based within the Emmanuel Court office complex. The college has a separate campus in the The Mall Sutton Coldfield, also known as the Gracechurch Shopping Centre, in Sutton Coldfield town centre that serves as the college's IT campus. Another campus in Sutton Coldfield is the Design Centre, a specially converted building on the periphery of Sutton Coldfield town centre.
There are two campuses in the Erdington
Erdington
Erdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
area of north Birmingham; Slade Road and Mason Road. The Slade Road campus was originally occupied by Josiah Mason College until it merged with Sutton Coldfield College. Josiah Mason College also occupied another campus in Castle Vale
Castle Vale
Castle Vale is a housing estate located near Erdington currently Castle Vale votes with Tyburn Ward which is part of Erdington constituency, northeast of Birmingham city centre in England...
that is now occupied by Birmingham Metropolitan College. The Castle Vale campus was completed as part of the C3 complex on the High Street in December 2005 at a cost of £3.7 million and shares the building with Castle Vale Library. The building was designed by Associated Architects
Associated Architects
thumb|right|Associated Architects' Offices at [[The Mailbox]], Birminghamthumb|right|RIBA Award Winner 2009, David Wilson LibraryAssociated Architects is a leading architectural firm based in Birmingham, England. The practice has a broad portfolio of work including arts, commercial offices, housing...
and was officially opened on 6 March 2006. The building received funding from the council, European Regional Development Fund
European Regional Development Fund
The European Regional Development Fund is a fund allocated by the European Union.-History:During the 1960s, the European Commission occasionally tried to establish a regional fund. Only Italy ever supported this, however, and nothing came of it. Britain made it an issue for their accession in...
and the Learning and Skills Council
Learning and Skills Council
The Learning and Skills Council was a non-departmental public body jointly sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families in England...
. There are 27 public computer terminals and an additional 60 study places in the 600 m² (6,458 sq ft) building. The distinctive building features a curved double-height corner feature, topped by a sharp Tecu Bronze-clad apex. The other campus, James Watt Campus, located in north Birmingham is the Great Barr
Great Barr
Great Barr is a large and loosely-defined area which straddles the boundaries of Birmingham, West Bromwich and Walsall , West Midlands, England...
facility that was formerly North Birmingham College, and before that Brooklyn Technical College.
Matthew Boulton campus, formerly the main Matthew Boulton College building, serves as the second largest campus for Birmingham Metropolitan College. The nine-storey building is located on Jennens Road in the Eastside district of Birmingham City Centre
Birmingham City Centre
Birmingham city centre is the business, retail and leisure hub of Birmingham, England. Following the removal of the Inner Ring Road, the city centre is newly defined as being the area within the Middle Ring Road. Birmingham city centre is undergoing massive redevelopment with the Big City Plan...
, adjacent to Aston University
Aston University
Aston University is a "plate glass" campus university situated at Gosta Green, in the city centre of Birmingham, England.Established in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, Aston was granted its Royal Charter as Aston University on 22 April 1966...
.
Riverside campus
Plans for a new campus for Sutton Coldfield College in the Perry BarrPerry Barr
Perry Barr is an inner-city area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Perry Barr ward and the wards of Handsworth Wood, Lozells and East Handsworth, and Oscott, which elect three councillors to...
area of Birmingham came to light in 2005. The site chosen was the former Express and Avonmore Dairy complex on Aldridge Road and the initial plans included the construction of a four storey building, which received approval from Birmingham City Council in November 2005. The services offered at the Great Barr and Mason Road campuses were to be consolidated into the single campus at Aldridge Road. The sale of the campuses would fund the construction and plans were put forward for the construction of 89 houses and 31 flats of two and three storeys on the Great Barr campus site.
The merger of Josiah Mason College and Sutton Coldfield College led to the plans being put on hold in 2006. Work towards the start of construction of the campus were due to commence in 2007 following the appointment of Christine Braddock as college principal from Matthew Boulton College. However, the college decided to change the plans following the merger so that the services at the Josiah Mason campus and Castle Vale campus could be incorporated onto the site. Tendering for a contractor commenced in March 2008. The new designs by Nicholas Hare Architects LLP for the campus were unveiled in mid-2008 and the project progressed with appointment of various companies to help manage the project. In August 2008, Concept were appointed as project managers whilst BAM Construction were appointed to construct the scheme and BAM Design were appointed as structural engineers. and the planning application was submitted on October 16, 2008. The planning application was approved by the city council on December 18, 2008. The approved designs included a six-storey building with 22000 m² (236,806 sq ft) of space on the 7.5 acres (30,351 m²) site. The scheme is estimated to cost £44 million. It was believed that construction would commence in April 2009 with completion due for the start of the new academic year in September 2010.
Construction of the campus was reliant on the college being able to obtain a £21 million grant from the Learning and Skills Council. However, in early 2009, the Learning and Skills Council announced that they were putting a freeze on capital programmes due to a lack of funds. LSC then announced that they would launch a cost-cutting programme. There were worries that the Riverside scheme could be classed as a "rebuild" by LSC, who had announced that a small number of "rebuild" projects would receive full funding. In July 2009, Sutton Coldfield College learned that it was not one of the thirteen shortlisted colleges to receive funding, placing the Riverside project in jeopardy as the college would only be able to apply for funding next in 2011.
Alumni
- Scott AdkinsScott AdkinsScott Adkins is an English actor and martial artist who is perhaps best known for playing Yuri Boyka in Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and Undisputed III: Redemption and Bradley Hume in Holby City and Ed Russell in Mile High...
† - David BensonDavid BensonDavid Benson is an English character actor, writer and comedian, most famous for his one-man show entitled 'Think No Evil of Us: My Life with Kenneth Williams' about the life and career of the late comedian, for which he won the Scotsman's Fringe First award in 1996, and for his television role as...
† - Ashley BlakeAshley BlakeAshley Blake is a former television presenter and newsreader. A well known personality in the English Midlands, he worked mostly for the BBC, where his credits include reporting and presenting on Midlands Today, the region's edition of Inside Out, and briefly on the TV series Watchdog...
† - Tim Lichfield†
- Nigel MansellNigel MansellNigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
* - Mike SkinnerMike Skinner (musician)Michael Geoffrey "Mike" Skinner is a British rapper, musician and record producer from Birmingham, United Kingdom, best known for the rap project, The Streets.-Early life:...
†
† - Sutton Coldfield College