West Kent College (2014)
 | |
| Established | 1 August 2014 |
|---|---|
| Type | Further Education, Higher Education |
| Principal | Paul Hannan |
| Location |
Tonbridge Kent England  51°11′12″N 0°15′47″E / 51.186805°N 0.263076°ECoordinates: 51°11′12″N 0°15′47″E / 51.186805°N 0.263076°E |
| Local authority | Kent County Council |
| DfE URN | 130727 Tables |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 16–99 |
| Website | College homepage |
West Kent College is a further education and higher education college in Kent, England founded in 2014 as a result of the split of K College and run by Hadlow College Group. It has campuses in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells and offers numerous courses and qualifications at many levels, from GCSEs and A-levels to vocational routes such as BTEC or NVQ/VRQ Diplomas to work-based Apprenticeships and Degree programmes, validated by the University of Kent, University of Greenwich and Canterbury Christ Church University.
The College's facilities include a 300-seat theatre, fine art, fashion, graphic design and photography studios and darkrooms, television and radio studios, music recording studios, professional training and demo kitchens and purpose-built motor vehicle engineering and construction workshops.
History
The original West Kent College institution operated in Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Crowborough and Sevenoaks.[1] The Tonbridge campus was redeveloped in the 2000s. Crowborough and Sevenoaks closed in 2006.
It merged into K College in 2010. K College operated across 6 campuses, at Jemmett Road and Henwood in Ashford, Dover, Folkestone, Tonbridge and Royal Tunbridge Wells.[2]
It was subsequently split in 2014, after sustaining a large amount of debt. It was split into two units from 1st August that year:
- Hadlow College Group took over the Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells campuses as "West Kent College" and Ashford campus as "Ashford College" [3]
- East Kent College took over Folkestone and Dover.[4]
Courses
The college offers a range of Foundation, Extended and BTEC Diplomas, A Levels, Higher Education programmes and NVQs, in subjects such as:
- Electronic Engineering
- Catering and Hospitality
- Construction: Bricklaying, Electrical Installation, Carpentry and Joinery, Plumbing
- Performing Arts, Music, Media and Photography
- Art and Design, Graphic Design, Fashion and Clothing
- Motor Vehicle Engineering
- Information Technology
- Beauty Therapy, Hair Design
- Early Years and Health and Social Care
- Business and Admin
- Applied Science (including Forensic Science Pathway)
- Sport
- Travel and Tourism
- ESOL
Also offered are Apprenticeships, A-Levels and Access to Higher Education courses.
Notable alumni
- Marcus Dillistone Royal premiered film director and Music Producer Athens 2004 Olympic Ceremonies.
- Jonathan Shaw (politician), British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chatham and Aylesford, now CEO of Policy Connect
- Mark Sargeant, Michelin starred chef and restaurateur
- Ron Thornton, Emmy-winning visual effects designer, supervisor, producer and co-founder of Foundation Imaging, whose work featured in Dr. Who, various Star Trek series, Blakes 7, Babylon 5, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and films including Real Genius, Commando (1985 film), Critters (film) and Spaceballs
- Chris Tanner, chef
- Jake West, film director
- Mo Abudu, talk show host, media proprietor
- Sophie, Countess of Wessex
- Jilly Goolden, wine critic, journalist and presenter
- Tim Garland, jazz saxophonist who has collaborated with Chick Corea and Bill Bruford
- Hazel Crowney, actress, model
- Nicki French, singer, actress
- Emily Walder, film editor, known for her work on the Oscar-winning film The Silent Child
- Andrew James Spooner, puppeteer, actor, voiceover artist, known for his work on Muppets Most Wanted, Muppet Treasure Island and The Furchester Hotel.