West Suffolk College

The main campus is situated on Out Risbygate in Bury St Edmunds, while the Building Services and Construction facilities are at The Milburn Centre on Anglian Lane, a short walk from the main campus.

The college also has a number of local colleges throughout Suffolk.[3] These are located in: Haverhill, Ipswich, Mildenhall, Stowmarket, Newmarket, Thetford and Sudbury. In 2015/16, there were 2,915 students enrolled on adult education courses.[4]

Each summer, the college has an awards ceremony at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.[5]

In 2017-18 81% of students achieved a 1st class degree or a 2:1. This was achieved through a very rigorous marking and quality assurance process.[6] In 2017-18 85% of students progressed to a graduate job or post graduate study from Degree Studies at West Suffolk College.[6]

Graduation ceremonies are held every September/October at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.[7] The University of Suffolk at West Suffolk College is renowned for its state-of-the-art recording studios and music production courses, with students continuing to exclusively record live concerts by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO).[8]

In 1951, the Bury St Edmunds Technical Institute began offering Engineering, Building and vocational evening classes in the grounds of the Silver Jubilee School. In 1958, it decided to construct a new purpose built college on its own ground, at the Gibraltar Barracks site, where the West Suffolk College is today. It was officially opened on 29 May 1961.[9]

In the 1970s and 1980s, the college expanded; from 1970 to 1977, the Engineering, Construction and Motor Vehicle training centres were built.[9] In 1983, Australia House, a dedicated beauty, hair and hospitality school was opened. A year later, a purpose built facility for students with learning difficulties and disabilities was built.[9] The expansion continued into the 1990s; with Gibraltar House opening in 1999.[9]

In 2006, the college was awarded Grade 1: Outstanding by Ofsted and in 2011, Dr Ann Williams, the then Principal, was appointed an OBE for services to Further Education in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.[9] She was replaced by Dr Nikos Savvas in 2013.[9] In 2014, a new building, The Gateway, now the face of the college, was opened. The following year the college received confirmation of a £7m government grant to help pay for an £8m energy, engineering and manufacturing teaching centre.[10] In September 2015, the college began Animal Care and Management courses at the Newmarket Academy.[11] In 2016, the college was ranked in the top five per cent in the country for its achievement rates in Level 3 Vocational Diplomas, the best in the Eastern Region,[12] and the second best GCSE English resit results in the country.[13]

The college offers a range of Apprenticeships and in 2016, it enrolled over 1,000 people onto its apprenticeships,[14] with an achievement rate eight per cent higher than the national average at 78%.[14]

Following an inspection under new grading criteria, the college was graded as 'Good' by Ofsted.[15][16]

The college was named in July 2019 as a computing hub for the National Centre for Computing Education.

Dr Nikos Savvas has a doctorate in High Energy Particle Physics from Manchester University and has held senior roles in the further education sector for a number of years. He is a Board member for University of Suffolk,[17] ACER (Association of Colleges in the Eastern Region) [18] and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership for Norfolk and Suffolk.[19] He took up the role of Principal at West Suffolk College in September 2013.[20]

The college is a sponsor of the Suffolk Academies Trust, a collaboration with One, which was given permission by the Department for Education to build a new sixth form in Bury St Edmunds.[21] The sixth form will aim to cater for up to 1,700 pupils.[22] While the sixth form is built, Abbeygate Sixth Form College students are studying in The Gateway at West Suffolk College.[23]

• Nathaniel Warner - Helicopter Pilot
• Nick Pope - Footballer
• Toby Stuart - Hospitality Consultant to Albert Roux [24]
• David Starie - Former Professional Boxer
• Ben Jordan - Model