International Prospectus 2010 Wakefield College 05 Wakefield & Surrounding Area Wakefield College was founded in 1868 and has a long tradition of providing top quality education and producing excellent examination results. The College consists of three modern, well- equipped campuses, in and around the Wakefield area. Wakefield is situated in Yorkshire, in the north of England and has excellent bus and train links. It is a very easy place to get to, and is only two hours by train from London. The city is surrounded by wonderful places to visit - cosmopolitan Leeds is just 15 minutes away by rail, with all the shops that students could ever need, and the historic city of York, only 40 minutes away by train, is popular with tourists and students for the many social and cultural activities it has on offer. The Manchester and Leeds/ Bradford international airports can be reached within 1 hour, and travel from Heathrow Airport is easily arranged by air or car. Useful sources of further information: Culture & Leisure - www. wakefield. gov. uk/ CultureAndLeisure/ Pictured left: Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield City Centre and below, Wakefield City by night. The Wakefield District is famous for its sporting traditions and offers opportunities to witness the rivalry between the local rugby league teams or sample watersports, golf or racing, athletics, fishing, even snowboarding, skiing and other extreme sports at the Xscape leisure complex. Or simply stroll through one of the District's many country parks. The city commands a position in the centre of the country. It is easy to reach by bus or road and regular intercity rail services operate through Wakefield's mainline station, allowing easy access from all points of the country, with the journey to London or Edinburgh taking just over two hours. A warm, Yorkshire welcome is assured, in a District which offers an exceptional range of facilities to suit every need.

06 Wakefield College International Prospectus 2010 The College offers excellent facilities such as: learning centres with IT provision on all three Campuses; Gaskells training restaurant; a working travel agency; food court style ' refectories'; a state- of- the-art multimedia suite; engineering workshops; CAD/ CAM facilities; hair and beauty therapy salons and on- site facilities for sports, including an indoor heated swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, fitness testing and climbing wall. Wakefield College has approximately 3,000 full- time and 10,000 part- time students, and a huge variety of programmes on offer. As a state- funded College we are regularly inspected by Ofsted, the Government body responsible for standards within schools and colleges in the UK. At our last inspection the College was judged to be ' outstanding' in many key areas. College English Language programmes are accredited by the British Council and are regularly inspected for their quality. Our students gain places at the best UK universities. The College also has strong links with regional universities such as, Leeds Metropolitan and Sheffield Hallam, allowing students excellent opportunities for progression. About Wakefield College Academic Strengths Students' results at Wakefield College are excellent. The A level pass rates are consistently over 97% which is above the national average, and one third of students regularly achieve the top A and B grades. Over 50% of students following BTEC National Diplomas have gained the highest distinction and merit grades, enabling them to move onto higher level courses at university. 100% of students who successfully completed the AQA* Accredited International Foundation course progressed to good UK universities. * AQA is the UK official qualification validation body Facilities Each Campus has its own Learning Centre. Each Learning Centre offers all the resources students need to succeed. Our flexible opening hours reflect the diverse needs of all our students. Our Learning Centres offer integrated study and research facilities. The Learning Centres, incorporating many of our customers' recommendations, ensure that they are welcoming, well equipped and accessible by all. Members of the various student committees help us to exchange news, views and ideas. The open access computers harmonise with the study areas and quiet study facilities. We aim to encourage and support independent and lifelong learning to set you up for your future success. Supporting your study - Learning Centres