Malvern Hills College

Malvern Hills College is a general college of further education in Malvern, Worcestershire, England. Known for a short while from 2009 to 2016 as South Worcestershire College (Malvern Campus), in August 2016 the college merged with Warwickshire College Group and reverted to its historical name. [1][2][3][4][5]

Malvern Hills College
Location
Worcestershire

England
,
United Kingdom
Information
School typeGeneral Further Education
Established2000 (merger); 2009 (renamed) 2016 Merged with Warwickshire College.
Statusopen
OfstedReports
Gendermixed
Age16 to 18
Enrolmentc.2,000 (full and part-time)
Education systemNational Curriculum
Communities servedSouth Worcestershire
Websitehttps://www.warwickshire.ac.uk/colleges/malvern_hills_college.aspx

The college, which also includes the Malvern School of Art, provides full and part-time vocational education for students aged 14–18 and a variety of courses and activities for adults. The total number of enrolled students for the Evesham and Malvern campuses of the former South Worcestrshire College, together with the outreach locations, was about 7,000 of which about 10% were students aged 16–18 pursuing full-time education.[6][7] The college was independently financed by the Worcestershire Local Authority which in turn was partly funded by a grant from the European Social Fund (ESF) to provide level 1 recognised national qualifications in Hairdressing, Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair, Engineering, Animal Care and Construction. The college had an Acquired Brain Injury Centre and also offered students NVQs and BTEC First, National and Higher National diplomas and certificates. and access to higher education programmes.[8] ESOL courses are provided for Migrant workers and students needing English language support.[9]

A 2006 Ofsted report accorded the school, under its former name of Evesham and Malvern Hills College, a Grade 2 (good),[7] while a 2007 follow up report disclosed the college's firm intention to purchase the Malvern site and extend the facilities. Many of the suggestions in the 2006 report had also been addressed.[9] The Evesham campus, now returned to its former name of Evesham College following the 2016 merger with the Warwickshire College Group and is located in Davies Road, Evesham.[1]

Malvern Hills College main building. Built 1928

The Malvern campus, now also returned to its former name, is located in Albert Road North, Malvern, Worcestershire. It was first constructed as Malvern Technical College and School of Art in 1928, and has been known as Malvern College of Further Education, (around 1965) then Malvern Hills College, until merging with Evesham College in September 2000 to become the Malvern campus for Evesham and Malvern Hills College in 2000, renamed South Worcestershire College in 2009.[2] The college was operated by the Wyvern Trust, which was formed 1982 to manage and maintain the existence of Malvern Hills College when the site was purchased by Malvern Hills District Council following an unsuccessful attempt by the council of the former Hereford and Worcester county to sell the land and buildings. The trust was dissolved on the merger with Evesham College.[2] The complex contains special teaching facilities and salons for hair and beauty therapy, art and crafts studios, workshops and the Malvern Community Learning Centre for adults.

Closure

In November 2020 it was announced that the school would close down in the Summer of 2021.[10][11] A covenant on the buildings requires the site to be used for educational purposes, and there is a proposal to transfer the site to the local community. [12]

Some of the courses were relocated to a new campus of the Warwickshire Colleges Group, Malvern Hills Centre for Digital & Cyber Technology, on the Malvern Hills Science Park specialising in a limited offer of IT courses for adults. The centre opened in September 2021.[13]

In December 2021 Malvern Hills District Council reaffirmed it commitment to uphold the covenant to continue education facilities at the Albert Road site.[14] [15]

References
  1. "South Worcestershire College". Archived from the original on 23 February 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  2. "New chapter opens as colleges merge". Worcester News. Newsquest Media Group. 1 September 2000. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  3. "Proposed Merger with South Worcestershire College". Warwickshire College Group. 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  4. "Merger". Warwickshire College Group 2016. 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  5. "South Worcestershire College merges with Warwickshire College Group". Midlands Business News. Midlands Business News. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  6. Malvern School of Art Retrieved 7 June 2017
  7. "Evesham and Malvern Hills College: Inspection Report" (PDF). Ofsted. May 2006. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
  8. "Profile of Evesham and Malvern Hills College". UK-Universities.net. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  9. "Evesham and Malvern Hills College: Annual Assessment Visit" (PDF). Ofsted. 13 June 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  10. "Leader disappointed by Malvern Hills College closure". Malvern Hills District Council. Malvern Hills District Council. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  11. University and College Union (UCU) (27 April 2021). "UCU to hold public meeting on fighting Warwickshire College Group closures". Further Education News. FE News - Further Education College & Training Provider News Channel.
  12. "Harriett Baldwin MP discusses Malvern Hills College closure with Department of Education". Malvern Gazette. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  13. "Malvern Hills Centre for Digital & Cyber Technology". WCG. Warwickshire Colleges Group. 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  14. "Malvern Hills District Council will continue in its efforts to secure college's future". Malvern Hills District Council. MHDC. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  15. Harris, Tristan (3 December 2021). "Councillors vote overwhelmingly in favour of using covenant to save Malvern Hills College". Malvern Observer. Bullivant Media. Retrieved 21 December 2021.

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