New College is a further and higher education institution in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. There are two main campuses, Queens Drive and North Star, as well as an Adult Learning Centre in Swindon town centre. The college offers qualifications for all ages: GCSEs, A Levels, T Levels, vocational qualifications, higher education and degree-level courses.[1]
Leah Palmer was appointed interim principal and chief executive at the start of the 2023–2024 academic year, replacing Carole Kitching, who held those roles since 2018.[3]
Sites
Queens Drive campus
The Queens Drive campus is just outside the town centre, near Coate Water Country Park. Facilities include:
The Phoenix Theatre.
Studios for art and design; photography studio with darkroom. It also has a recording studio with hardware and sequencing software.
Two dance studios and Sports Centre with a sports hall, fitness suite and exercise studio.
Over 1500 computers, including tablets, Apple computers, Windows PCs and netbooks. The STEM facilities include nine science labs.
North Star campus
Formerly the site of Swindon College, the North Star campus is in the centre of Swindon near the railway station. Facilities include:
Wellbeing Centre and a Learning Development Centre; some training workshops for automotive, engineering and construction.
Gym and a construction centre with an outdoor, simulated construction site
Bespoke facilities for animal care
The Academy, a commercial hair and beauty salon
A training restaurant, coffee shop and specialist teaching kitchens
Courses
New College has almost 40 A Level subjects – including options such as Ceramics, History (Tudors & Stuarts), Archaeology and Environmental Sciences – and a selection of vocational courses including Construction, Engineering, Hospitality & Catering, Hair & Beauty, Health Care, etc. College also offers numerous programs at Levels 1 and 2 as well as part-time qualification, leisure courses, and professional training for adults.
New College runs a football academy where students train and play, typically alongside an academic course.[4] Until 2020, they fielded New College Swindon F.C. (previously New College Academy F.C.). The college also offers a basketball academy[5] and a netball academy.[6]