Priestley College
| Priestley College | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
Loushers Lane Wilderspool, Warrington , , WA4 6RD | |
| Information | |
| Type | Sixth form college |
| Established | 1979 |
| Local authority | Warrington |
| Department for Education URN | 130624 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Principal | Mike Southworth |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age | 16+ |
| Enrollment | 2,588 (at March 2007) |
| Colour(s) | Medium Blue and White |
| Website | http://www.priestley.ac.uk |
Priestley Sixth Form and Community College is a sixth form college located on Loushers Lane, Warrington, England. It also offers adult courses, professional training on another site, and is an associate college of the University of Salford.
Pass Rates
Priestley College has a pass rate of over 99%. This figure includes A-E grades and the proportion of students that achieve A-C grades vary from subject to subject. The College boasts a 100% pass rate in all BTEC National Diploma and Certificate programmes, with over 61% of grades being awarded at either Merit or Distinction level. Results vary from year to year but are generally consistent. A breakdown of results are is available on the College's website.
Namesake
Priestley College is named for Joseph Priestley (March 13, 1733 - February 8, 1804), a clergyman, chemist and educatorwho was a pioneer in teaching modern history and the sciences. He discovered oxygen in 1774, although was not responsible for naming the element. Priestley was a Protestant dissenter who help establish the reputation of Warrington Academy in 1751, for a generation a leading educational centre and one of the first in Britain that was non-sectarian. A statue of Priestley now stands inside the main entrance of the college. Warrington, at the time of Priestley, was noted for its scientific academic work. In modern times, much scientific work still takes place in the (former) north Cheshire area, specifically at Daresbury (just outside the borough).
Admissions
Priestley offers AS/A2 Levels, BTECs, Advanced Diplomas, GCSEs resits, the International Baccalaureate, functional skills and pre-University foundation courses. However, being a sixth form college, not everyone will be accepted on to A level courses as it is simply not an ultimately viable course of action.
It is situated on Loushers Lane, just off the A49, and is located in the parish of St James, Latchford, Warrington.
History
The College opened in 1979, however it was the site of the Warrington Girls' High School (a grammar school also known later as Warrington High School for Girls), administered by Warrington Education Committee until 1974. It was addressed as being on Menin Avenue until 1998, when it became administered by Warrington borough, previously being under Cheshire Education Committee from 1974.
Structure
It is a single campus college with seven buildings,
- The Priestley building (rooms prefixed with P) holds the administrative facilities (finance and personnel), social facilities (the "Wicked Café" Bar and Mezzanine), History, Graphics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Performing Arts, ICT, and Modern Foreign Languages.
- The Adamson Centre (rooms prefixed with A) is a semi-permanent building which provides classrooms for a range of teaching departments.
- The Art and Design centre (rooms prefixed with D) holds 3D-Design, Woodwork, Art and Textiles.
- The Sports Centre (rooms prefixed with S) holds Sports and Physical Education.
- The Learning Resource Centre (AKA The LRC or library) (rooms prefixed with L) holds Offices, the Library, communal computers and some small teaching areas.
- The Crescent Building, which was completed in September 2007,(rooms prefixed with C). The Crescent building now holds a Reception, Student Sservices, Humanities department as well as Public Services, Law, Business Studies, Religious Studies, Accounting, Geography and Geology.
- The LC building (rooms prefixed with LC), completed at the start of 2011, is adjacent to the learning resource centre and holds rooms for the subjects Maths and Psychology.
Transport connections
The college is close to the town centre of Warrington.
[1]. Buses serving the college are routes 5, 6, 6A, 7, 7A, 8, 8A, 8X, 9, 45, 46 and 62. These busses serve the Wilderspool Causeway entrance. Routes 11, 11A, 12, 12A, and 95 (contract) serve the Loushers Lane entrance. A walk from the centre of the town to the college is approximately 15 minutes. The X30 serves Chester Road for those who travel from Runcorn.
Academic performance
In March 2007 the college was inspected by a team Ofsted inspectors and achieved "outstanding" status making it a leading centre of education in the North West of England.
At A level it gets the second best results in Warrington, with well-above average results, second to Bridgewater High School (in Appleton). The other FE college in Warrington is Warrington Collegiate, which is the further education part of what was North Cheshire College.