Newcastle College is a Further Education

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

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

 in Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

, 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 the largest mixed economy College in the country and claims to offer more courses in more subjects than any of its geographical competitors.

In 2004, the College received a Grade 1 ("outstanding") Ofsted

Office for Standards in Education

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 ....

 inspection, placing it among the top three in England and Wales. This was followed in 2005 with the prestigious Learning and Skills Beacon Status award, only nine of which have ever been awarded to an FE college. The college maintained its outstanding grade in the 2008 Ofsted inspection

Campuses

The college has several campuses, with the main one, Rye Hill, being on Scotswood Road, opposite the Metro Radio Arena and a 10 minutes walk through the Life Science Centre

Centre for Life

The Centre for Life is a science centre located in the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is an educational charity which aims to promote greater interest and engagement in science as well as supporting scientific research...

 to Central Station

Newcastle Central station

Newcastle railway station , is the mainline station of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and is a principal stop on the East Coast Main Line. It opened in 1850 and is a Grade I listed building...

. Another is next to the Northumbria University

Northumbria University

Northumbria University is an academic institution located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England. It is a member of the University Alliance.- History :...

 city campus, a short walk from Haymarket

Newcastle Haymarket

Haymarket is an area in the north of the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.The area functions as a public transport hub with Eldon Square bus station, Haymarket bus station and Haymarket Metro station located next to each other....

. There are several other campuses in neighbouring towns. In addition, Newcastle College has a campus in Skelmersdale

Skelmersdale

Skelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the west of Wigan, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest of Preston. As of 2006, Skelmersdale had a population of 38,813, down from 41,000 in 2004. The town is known locally as Skem.The...

 and Ormskirk

Ormskirk

Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...

, Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

 following the merger with Skelmersdale & Ormskirk College in 2007 (Now renamed West Lancashire College).

Higher education

The main area of business for Newcastle college is its elite contact centre set up in 2005 to promote training in the workplace, with its highly trained members of staff.

Newcastle College offers HE qualifications as well as FE. These include bachelor’s degrees, foundation degrees, 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 and Diplomas

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....

. Because the College cannot issue higher education qualifications itself, its HE course are validated by Leeds Metropolitan, Newcastle, Northumbria and Sunderland

University of Sunderland

The University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, north east England. The university has more than 17,500 students, including 7,000-plus international students from some 70 countries....

 Universities.

The college has over 3,000 HE students. These students have access to HE-only facilities such as Space. These students also have access to the facilities of the university that is validating their qualifications.

The College Factfile

The College was founded in 1894 as "Rutherford College for boys only", in 1930 Charles Travelyn founded the Travelyn Building for girls. This was the year in which the college became "Newcastle Further Education College", shortened to "Newcastle College" in the early 60s.

In March 2008, Newcastle College bought the majority of the troubled training organisation Carter & Carter

Carter & Carter

Carter & Carter Group plc was a British based company that provided outsourced training services and apprenticeships on behalf of various international companies and UK government organisations, such as the Learning and Skills Council....

.

External links