Wirral Metropolitan College

Wirral Met College is a Further and Higher Education College situated on the Wirral Peninsula, in the north-west of England.

Wirral Met College
Twelve Quays campus with the Wirral Tramway, in front.
Address
Europa Boulevard

Birkenhead
,
Wirral
,
CH41 4NT

England
Information
TypeFurther and Higher Education
Department for Education URN130493 Tables
OfstedReports
PrincipalSue Higginson
GenderMixed
Age16+
Websitehttp://www.wmc.ac.uk

Overview

Wirral Met is the largest provider of post 16 learning on the Wirral and is divided into five, career-led Campuses:

  • Hamilton Campus in Hamilton Square, Birkenhead.

The college has invested millions of pounds in refurbishing and building the campuses, including the purpose built Oval campus, where it supports delivery of Public Services, Uniformed Services, Sports and Outdoor Education. The campus at Conway Park supports the Visitor Economy, English for speakers of other languages and is also home to the Independent Living curriculum that supports progression at 16 for students with complex and moderate learning needs. Twelve Quays Campus supports STEAM, Science, Technology, Engineering Art and Media and has a waterside location in Birkenhead. In September 2021, the new Hamilton Campus opened, in Hamilton Square when the historical building known as the Treasury previously, was completely renovated as the home of Business and Professional Studies, Trade Union Education and in keeping with its heritage as the Treasury, providing learning routes to Accountancy.

A further new build campus was completed at Tower Road in Birkenhead and opened in September 2015, the Wirral Waters campus, of approximately 35,000 square feet (3,300 m2), provides courses focusing on construction.[5][6]

Conway Park campus

Profile

Wirral Met College, located in the north-west of England, is a state-funded educational institute of further and higher education. It operates through five main campuses in Wirral, four of which are situated in Birkenhead, at a walking distance from the town centre. Its Twelve Quays Campus, which opened in September 2003, offers recreational facilities for students and comprises a state of the art Science and Engineering Centre, modern learning facilities, Animal Care, Transport Engineering, Health, Social Care and Childhood Education and aria home to the original Wirral Art School. The other campuses of the college are also equipped with state of the art facilities providing five, career led campuses and educational resources.

Further education at Wirral Met College is designed to prepare students for the world of work, thus included university level education to enable them to acquire necessary skills in their chosen areas, such as engineering, accounting, business, and tourism. Additionally, the college also offers a wide range of English language course for speakers of other languages ESOL.

The college has partnerships with the University of Chester, the University of Liverpool, and the University of Central Lancashire.

The current Principal and Chief Executive is Sue Higginson, who started her role as Principal in September 2012, having worked at Wirral Metropolitan College previously. Sue has had over 30 years experience in the Further and Higher Education sector, having decided to move from industry into a career in education.

History

The college's roots go back to 1855 when Birkenhead Arts School was launched. In the 1970s it merged with Birkenhead College of Technology on Borough Road, Carlett Park College and Withens Lane College in Liscard, which all originated in the 1950s. Wirral Met College was formed in 1982 when all the further education colleges in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral were amalgamated.

The Borough Road campus which included the Glenda Jackson Theatre of the college in Birkenhead, opened in 1983.[7] It closed in 2003, and was demolished by Wirral Council, to make way for a new housing estate, in 2004.[8]

Statistics

The college has c10,000 students each year with over 2,300 16- to 18-year-old, apprentices and 8,000 adults studying full and part-time. c500 students study degree and professional qualifications and the college provides a range of access courses for adults who need to prepare for university level study.

The English Language Unit is accredited by the British Council and is a member of the British Association for State English Language Teaching (BASELT).

Notable students

References
  1. 53.3967°N 3.0174°W / 53.3967; -3.0174
  2. https://www.wmc.ac.uk/the-college/about-wirral-met-college/college-campuses/wirral-waters-campus. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. 53.3967°N 3.0174°W / 53.3967; -3.0174
  4. https://www.wmc.ac.uk/the-college/about-wirral-met-college/college-campuses/the-oval-campus. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. "Students build their own future". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  6. "A new educational campus for Wirral Waters". Wirral Waters. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  7. Steve Grant, 'Spectrum: A talent to smoulder and chill / Times Profile of actress Glenda Jackson', The Times (15 January 1987).
  8. Murphy, Liam (17 July 2004). "College to be replaced by 125 town houses". Daily Post. Liverpool. p. 11. Retrieved 2 November 2015.

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