City College Norwich

City College Norwich

Established	1891
Type	Further Education College
Location	Ipswich Road Norwich Norfolk NR2 2LJ  England 52°37′05″N 1°17′13″E / 52.618°N 1.287°E / 52.618; 1.287Coordinates: 52°37′05″N 1°17′13″E / 52.618°N 1.287°E / 52.618; 1.287
DfE URN	130764
Gender	Coeducational
Website	City College Norwich

City College Norwich is a college of Further and Higher Education in Norfolk, England. It is one of the largest colleges in the country.^[1] Paston College in North Walsham became part of the college in December 2017 following a merger with Paston Sixth Form College. ^[2][3]

Overview

City College Norwich has over 11,000 students on a wide range of full and part-time courses for young people and adults. These include around 1,000 students on higher education courses and 1,500 learners on Apprenticeships.

The College can trace its origins back to 1891 when the first Technical School in Norwich was opened.^[4] City College Norwich moved to its current site on Ipswich Road, in Norwich, Norfolk, England, in 1953.^[5] The college also has a site at Norfolk House in Norwich city centre, which is home to its School of Higher Education. ^[6]

The College is part of Transforming Education in Norfolk, also known as the TEN Group,^[7] a federation of schools and colleges in Norfolk which was established in 2012.^[8]

In its most recent inspections, in 2013 and 2017, City College Norwich was graded as 'Good' by Ofsted. Its provision for learners with high needs is rated as 'Outstanding'.^[9]

In 2009 the College won a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for its work with students with Asperger's Syndrome.^[10] The College's RUGroom^[11] provides a safe haven and a social and study space for students with AS and other Autistic Spectrum Disorders. The unique ingredient has been the involvement of the College's AS learners – who named themselves "The Really Useful Group" – in the design of an AS friendly physical environment which developed into the RUGroom. The RUGroom was opened in February 2008 by Charles Clarke, a member of parliament at the time.^[12]

In 2010, the College's Students' Union was a runner-up in the NUS Further Education Union of the Year award.^[13]

Campuses

The College's main campus in Norwich is located close to the city centre on Ipswich Road.^[14] The Norwich Building was opened in 1953 and other buildings have been opened at various times since. A planned redevelopment of the entire Ipswich Road site did not go ahead due to mismanagement of a college building programme by the Learning and Skills Council in 2009.^[15] Despite this setback, the college site has undergone substantial redevelopment in recent years, with a new £5.7M Creative Arts Building^[16][17] and the redevelopment of Broadland Drive which included a new centre for learners with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities.^[18]

The Ipswich Road campus is also home to the Debut Restaurant,^[19] based within the College's Hotel School, which is open to the public during term time. Members of the public can also visit the College's Solutions Hair Salon^[20] and Beauty Salon^[21] and Solutions Gym^[22]. There is also a theatre on campus, Platform Theatre,^[23], which stages regular productions by music, musical theatre, dance and acting students.

The College also has a site at Norfolk House in the centre of Norwich, where University of East Anglia-validated degrees and other Higher Education programmes are taught.^[24] Courses in Aviation Engineering, and a degree in Professional Aviation Engineering Practice, are taught at the International Aviation Academy Norwich (IAAN)^[25], at Norwich Airport. A shop "Ego", staffed by the College's retail students, opened in 2011, giving retail students the opportunity to experience the full range of roles within a real working environment.^[26]

Provision at Paston College in North Walsham is based on two sites in the heart of the town, the Griffons and the Lawns.

Principal

The principal of City College Norwich is Corrienne Peasgood. Ms Peasgood worked as a lecturer, senior lecturer, director, vice principal, deputy principal and acting principal, before taking over as principal of the college from Dick Palmer in 2012. ^[27] Mr Palmer went on to lead the TEN Group as its Chief Executive from 2012 to 2017.^[28]

Notable alumni

• Tom Aikens – professional and Michelin starred chef
• Richard Bainbridge – professional chef, restaurateur and winner of the Great British Menu 2015
• Sam Claflin – actor
• Stephen Fry – comedian and actor
• Rodolfo González – motor racing driver
• Alfie Hewett – wheelchair tennis player
• Matthew Le Motteee – magician
• Jon McGregor – novelist and short story writer
• Derek Rayner, Baron Rayner – former CEO of Marks and Spencer

References

External links

• City College Norwich website
• Paston College website