Brockenhurst College
Encyclopedia
Brockenhurst College, or colloquially known as Brock, is in the tertiary sector providing education in a wide range of courses for many different ages. The college is based in the village of Brockenhurst
in the New Forest
in Hampshire
, England
.
The college has over 2800 full time students and over 10,000 part time adult learners as far and wide as The New Forest, Bournemouth
, Poole
, East Dorset
, the Waterside area of Southampton
, South Wiltshire
, and the Isle of Wight
. Brock College has been an accredited Investors in People
since 1996, and in 2004 was awarded by the AoC Beacon Award
and is also rated one of the top ten colleges in the country and top in the south by Ofsted
.
The types of courses the college provides are professional, vocational and AS/A Level courses, Foundation Degree
s and Higher National Diploma
s (HNDs) and Higher National Certificate
s (HNCs). The college is also one of over 160 schools or colleges within the U.K to offer the International Baccalaureate qualification.
There is also the new CoVE
Building located between the sports centre and the smoking area for learners. The college also has adult learning centres in New Milton
, Lymington
and Totton.
M Block
M Block, standing for Main Building, is the oldest section of the college which includes the original hall, now called the SEC, used as a secondary room for exams and enrichment programmes. Also within the block, besides the main reception area, are much of the non-teaching staff at Brock as well as the main division offices and the Principal's offices. The offices are also used by Connexions and EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance
) attendants located at Student Services. Based also in this block is IT Support which is in charge of the college network system and maintenance of all college's IT equipment.
Many of the lessons held in this block are Music
courses with their own sound rooms and recording studios, Performing Arts
and Theatre
with their own Performing Arts Centre, Media
which also have sound rooms and digital editing suites, Philosophy, Politics
, Archeology, History
, and Business
which has over five computer suits for its study.
A and S Block
A Block contains the Specialist Art Centre and Mathematics building, and S is the Sciences Centre complete with three-story building of Biology
, Chemistry
and Physics
laboratories on the ground, first and second floor respectively. Both Chemistry and Biology have student accessible prep rooms frequented by staff. Alongside Physics, a GCSE in Astronomy
is also offered. On the bottom floor is the staff room used for morning meetings with the Principal and division heads.
B Block
The Beacon Technology Block, named after the college's Beacon Status, is the latest development in the college with new recording studios, media suites and a photo development lab. All top floor classrooms in the block are fitted with flat screens attached to PCs, and some classrooms are fitted with Apple Mac computers.
On the older floor of the building are the Training Kitchens and MJ’s Restaurant, which is open to the public. Tech facilities and workshops are based in the block, as well as the Graphic Design
rooms.
E Block
The Errington Block, which was named after an ex-governor of the college, holds additional classrooms for Language
, Sociology
, Psychology
, Business Studies
, Child Care, Key Skills and GCSE courses. Each room is fitted with digital projectors and computers.
Sports Centre
The sports centre holds all main functions regarding sports, and also contains a Fitness Suite which is opened to the public and college staff during the day and after college hours.
The Hard Brock Café
The Hard Brock Café is a main social attraction for many college students and also holds the offices of the Students’ Union. The café provides a wide variety of hot and cold meals, quick snacks, drinks and ice creams.
LRC (Learning Resources Centre)
The LRC was originally the college main hall and is now the main study area for students at Brock. The LRC has a large library containing a wide selection of course books and relevant course DVDs and CDs, as well as a wide selection of magazines from the NME
to The Economist
. As well as this on the top floor is a large ILT
Suite. In this building there is also reprographics
and private study rooms.
Brockenhurst College began its existence in 1909 as a Pupil Teachers’ Centre - a school where girls from age 13 learned to be teachers. The classes were held in the Wesleyan Church
Sunday School
, with only 18 children attending under the head mistress, Miss More. Although classes were first held in the church Sunday school, Brockenhurst never had any religious affiliation or received any funding from ecclesiastical authorities. It was always funded by the Hampshire Education Authority, and the Sunday school room was used simply because it offered suitable accommodation. Between 1913 and 1935 the school moved location twice and changed head mistress to Miss E C Ward. During this time the school increased further with more problems continuing for teaching space.
County School 1921-39
Taking in both boys and girls, the school was still expanding further with more pupils joining, by now numbering 150. Along with this the education board granted more funding and further building work; this was followed by a new hall, kitchen and a woodwork room. Miss Ward died in October 1935 to be replaced by the former head of Farnborough Grammar School, Mr R H May.
County High School 1939-50
The school by this time had grown even further to a High School
enrolling 400 students and as young as eleven.
Grammar School 1950-53
In 1950 the headmaster decided that the school should be turned into a Grammar School
and students would therefore have to pass the eleven plus
examination to join. At this stage the School was still taking in both sexes and was resisting the change wanted by the local community. It was also at this time that the Headmaster changed Brocks motto to what it is today without any warning to staff or pupils.
County High School (again) 1953-60
In 1953 the Headmaster made another unexpected decision changed the name back to a High School. The name remained for seven years until the Hampshire Education Authority sanctioned the change to a Grammar School.
Grammar School 1960-70
Finally the name of Grammar School remained for the following ten years after being reinstated by the Education Authority.
College 1970-
The School was converted into a college
in 1969 leaving all the surrounding schools to continue lower school education in the area.
Over subsequent years the college has seen many different changes in its structure depending on changes in courses that the college provides; the latest change being the construction of the Beacon Block.
which is elected every year in November. The union stays in place for one year and is then re-elected again. (Previous union executives cannot contend again).
The union itself participates in many different boards within the college, the most important being the board of governors of which the elected president is a member. As well as liaising with the Principal, the union puts together throughout their year in office many different events from which they raise money for their charity of the year. The most popular event is the annual Freshers' Event which has been held in Elements in Bournemouth
for a number of years, until it was moved to 'Lava Ignite' in 2009.
Brockenhurst
Brockenhurst is a village situated in the New Forest, Hampshire, England. The New Forest is a national park and Brockenhurst is therefore surrounded by woodland that attracts thousands of visitors all year round. The nearby towns surrounding Brockenhurst are Lymington and Lyndhurst. Brockenhurst...
in the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, 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...
.
The college has over 2800 full time students and over 10,000 part time adult learners as far and wide as The New Forest, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, East Dorset
East Dorset
East Dorset is a local government district in Dorset, England. Its council is based in Furzehill, near Wimborne Minster.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of Wimborne Minster Urban District with part of the Ringwood and Fordingbridge Rural District and the Wimborne and Cranborne...
, the Waterside area of Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, South Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, and the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. Brock College has been an accredited Investors in People
Investors in People
Launched in 1991 Investors in People is a business improvement tool administered by UK Commission for Employment and Skills and supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills ....
since 1996, and in 2004 was awarded by the AoC Beacon Award
AoC Beacon Awards
The AoC Beacon Awards Programme was launched in 1994 to recognises and promote the interdependence of further education colleges. The award is supported by the AoC short for the Association of Colleges which represents all FE colleges in England and Wales...
and is also rated one of the top ten colleges in the country and top in the south by 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 ....
.
The types of courses the college provides are professional, vocational and AS/A Level courses, Foundation Degree
Foundation degree
The Foundation Degree is a vocational qualification introduced by the government of the United Kingdom in September 2001, which is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
s and Higher National Diploma
Higher National Diploma
A Higher National Diploma is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom. This qualification can be used to gain entry into universities, and is considered equivalent to the first or second year of a university degree course....
s (HNDs) and Higher National Certificate
Higher National Certificate
A Higher National Certificate is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom.In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the HNC is a BTEC qualification awarded by Edexcel, and in Scotland, an HNC is a Higher National awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority...
s (HNCs). The college is also one of over 160 schools or colleges within the U.K to offer the International Baccalaureate qualification.
College mission statement
- To encourage support and enhance learning by responding to the needs and demands of individuals and employers through high quality provision, collaboration and innovative practice.
- To increase and widen participation and achievement in education and skills training for all our learners.
Campus
The College, with its many different buildings and uses, is divided up into A, B, E, M and S blocks. In addition to the Main Hall and Foyer, there are also other blocks given full names, such as the Sports Centre, the Hard Brock Café, the Learning Care Centre, and the LRC (Learning Resources Centre).There is also the new CoVE
Cove
A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often inside a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are often considered coves...
Building located between the sports centre and the smoking area for learners. The college also has adult learning centres in New Milton
New Milton
New Milton is a market town in south west Hampshire, England. The town has a high street and holds a market every Wednesday. Situated on the edge of the New Forest, the town is about 6 miles west of Lymington town centre and 12 miles east of Bournemouth town centre.-History:New Milton dates back...
, Lymington
Lymington
Lymington is a port on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town...
and Totton.
M Block, standing for Main Building, is the oldest section of the college which includes the original hall, now called the SEC, used as a secondary room for exams and enrichment programmes. Also within the block, besides the main reception area, are much of the non-teaching staff at Brock as well as the main division offices and the Principal's offices. The offices are also used by Connexions and EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance
Education Maintenance Allowance
Education Maintenance Allowance is a financial scheme applicable to students and those undertaking unpaid work-based learning in the Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland aged between sixteen and nineteen whose parents have a certain level of taxable income...
) attendants located at Student Services. Based also in this block is IT Support which is in charge of the college network system and maintenance of all college's IT equipment.
Many of the lessons held in this block are Music
Music
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...
courses with their own sound rooms and recording studios, Performing Arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
and Theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
with their own Performing Arts Centre, 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...
which also have sound rooms and digital editing suites, Philosophy, Politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, Archeology, History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, and Business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
which has over five computer suits for its study.
A and S Block
A Block contains the Specialist Art Centre and Mathematics building, and S is the Sciences Centre complete with three-story building of Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, Chemistry
Chemistry
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....
and 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...
laboratories on the ground, first and second floor respectively. Both Chemistry and Biology have student accessible prep rooms frequented by staff. Alongside Physics, a GCSE in Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
is also offered. On the bottom floor is the staff room used for morning meetings with the Principal and division heads.
The Beacon Technology Block, named after the college's Beacon Status, is the latest development in the college with new recording studios, media suites and a photo development lab. All top floor classrooms in the block are fitted with flat screens attached to PCs, and some classrooms are fitted with Apple Mac computers.
On the older floor of the building are the Training Kitchens and MJ’s Restaurant, which is open to the public. Tech facilities and workshops are based in the block, as well as the Graphic Design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
rooms.
The Errington Block, which was named after an ex-governor of the college, holds additional classrooms for 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...
, Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, Business Studies
Business studies
Business studies is an academic subject taught at higher level in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, as well as at university level in many countries...
, Child Care, Key Skills and GCSE courses. Each room is fitted with digital projectors and computers.
Sports Centre
The sports centre holds all main functions regarding sports, and also contains a Fitness Suite which is opened to the public and college staff during the day and after college hours.
The Hard Brock Café
The Hard Brock Café is a main social attraction for many college students and also holds the offices of the Students’ Union. The café provides a wide variety of hot and cold meals, quick snacks, drinks and ice creams.
LRC (Learning Resources Centre)
The LRC was originally the college main hall and is now the main study area for students at Brock. The LRC has a large library containing a wide selection of course books and relevant course DVDs and CDs, as well as a wide selection of magazines from the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
to The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
. As well as this on the top floor is a large ILT
ILT
-Information and Learning Technology :ILT or Information and Learning Technology describes the methods of using technology to enhance the learning experience within education...
Suite. In this building there is also reprographics
Reprography
Reprography is the reproduction of graphics through mechanical or electrical means, such as photography or xerography. Reprography is commonly used in catalogs and archives, as well as in the architectural, engineering, and construction industries....
and private study rooms.
History
Pupil Teachers’ Centre 1909-21Brockenhurst College began its existence in 1909 as a Pupil Teachers’ Centre - a school where girls from age 13 learned to be teachers. The classes were held in the Wesleyan Church
Methodist Church of Great Britain
The Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
, with only 18 children attending under the head mistress, Miss More. Although classes were first held in the church Sunday school, Brockenhurst never had any religious affiliation or received any funding from ecclesiastical authorities. It was always funded by the Hampshire Education Authority, and the Sunday school room was used simply because it offered suitable accommodation. Between 1913 and 1935 the school moved location twice and changed head mistress to Miss E C Ward. During this time the school increased further with more problems continuing for teaching space.
County School 1921-39
Taking in both boys and girls, the school was still expanding further with more pupils joining, by now numbering 150. Along with this the education board granted more funding and further building work; this was followed by a new hall, kitchen and a woodwork room. Miss Ward died in October 1935 to be replaced by the former head of Farnborough Grammar School, Mr R H May.
County High School 1939-50
The school by this time had grown even further to a High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
enrolling 400 students and as young as eleven.
Grammar School 1950-53
In 1950 the headmaster decided that the school should be turned into a Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
and students would therefore have to pass the eleven plus
Eleven plus
In the United Kingdom, the 11-plus or Eleven plus is an examination administered to some students in their last year of primary education, governing admission to various types of secondary school. The name derives from the age group for secondary entry: 11–12 years...
examination to join. At this stage the School was still taking in both sexes and was resisting the change wanted by the local community. It was also at this time that the Headmaster changed Brocks motto to what it is today without any warning to staff or pupils.
County High School (again) 1953-60
In 1953 the Headmaster made another unexpected decision changed the name back to a High School. The name remained for seven years until the Hampshire Education Authority sanctioned the change to a Grammar School.
Grammar School 1960-70
Finally the name of Grammar School remained for the following ten years after being reinstated by the Education Authority.
College 1970-
The School was converted into a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
in 1969 leaving all the surrounding schools to continue lower school education in the area.
Over subsequent years the college has seen many different changes in its structure depending on changes in courses that the college provides; the latest change being the construction of the Beacon Block.
Head masters/mistresses and principals
- Miss Moore 1909-1913 (Head Mistress)
- Miss M. A. Ward 1913-1935 (Head Mistress)
- Mr Green 1935 (Acting Head Master)
- Mr R. H. May 1935-1949 (Head Master)
- Dr L. R. Wood 1949-1970 (Head Master to 1969, then Principal)
- Mr A. J. Baker 1970-1989 (Principal)
- Mike Snell 1989-2006 (Principal)
- Di Roberts 2006- (Principal)
Notable former pupils
- Sir Raymond CarrRaymond CarrSir Albert Raymond Maillard Carr FBA FRHS FRSL , known as Raymond Carr, is an English historian specializing in the history of Spain, Latin America, and Sweden who was Warden of St Antony's College, Oxford, from 1968 to 1987....
(born 1919), historian - Ian WooldridgeIan WooldridgeIan Wooldridge, OBE was a British sports journalist. He was with the Daily Mail for nearly 50 years. He died from cancer...
(1932–2007), Daily MailDaily MailThe Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
sports journalistSports journalismSports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports... - Jonathan RabanJonathan RabanJonathan Raban is a British travel writer and novelist. He has received several awards, such as the National Book Critics Circle Award, The Royal Society of Literature's Heinemann Award, the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award, the PEN West Creative Nonfiction Award, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers...
(born 1942), travel writer and novelist - Dame Heather HallettHeather HallettDame Heather Carol Hallett, DBE , styled The Rt Hon. Lady Justice Hallett, is an English judge of the Court of Appeal...
(born 1949), judge of the Court of Appeal - Patrick HarversonPatrick HarversonPatrick Harverson is Communications Secretary and personal assistant to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.Harverson was born in 1962, and educated at Belmont Abbey, Hereford, Brockenhurst College, Hampshire, and the London School of Economics....
(born 1962), personal assistant to Charles, Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay... - Edward Woollard, sentenced to 32 months in a young offenders institution for throwing a fire extinguisher during the 2010 UK student protests2010 UK student protestsThe 2010 UK student protests were a series of demonstrations that began in November 2010 in several areas of the United Kingdom, with the focal point of protests centred in London. The initial event was the largest student protest in the UK since the Labour government first proposed the Teaching...
.
Students' union
The students of Brock also have their own students' unionStudents' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
which is elected every year in November. The union stays in place for one year and is then re-elected again. (Previous union executives cannot contend again).
The union itself participates in many different boards within the college, the most important being the board of governors of which the elected president is a member. As well as liaising with the Principal, the union puts together throughout their year in office many different events from which they raise money for their charity of the year. The most popular event is the annual Freshers' Event which has been held in Elements in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
for a number of years, until it was moved to 'Lava Ignite' in 2009.
See also
- List of further education colleges in Hampshire
- National Union of Students of the United Kingdom