Newham College of Further Education

History: Established as a college on the current site by London Borough of Newham in 1985, the result of a merger between East Ham and West Ham technical colleges with the aim "to better serve the needs of the people of Newham".

Address: Two main campuses in East London at East Ham and Stratford.

Ambience: Mix of mainly modern buildings built in the 60s. Strong community atmosphere, as many students live close by. Newham is one of the most diverse communities in England, with 63 per cent of students from ethnic minority groups, adding a rich cultural mix to the college.

Who's the boss? Martin Tolhurst is principal.

Prospectus: 020 8257 4000 or visit the website here.

UCAS code: N31

What you need to know

Easy to get into? Yes. The college operates an open policy that guarantees suitable places for all applicants - through an extensive range of courses, spanning from entry level for beginners, to higher education and university standard qualifications.

Foundation Degrees: Foundation degrees are currently offered in business.

Degrees: Counselling studies, education studies, English, law, professional development, psychology, religious studies and sociology

Diplomas: Construction and the built environment, creative & media, engineering, information technology, society, health & development, hospitality, business, administration & finance and hair & beauty studies.

Vital statistics: One of the largest further education colleges both nationally and in the Greater London area, with nearly 12,000 full and part-time students. Around 6,500 are taking Progression Employability Framework courses which are accredited by the National Open College Network (NOCN),. The college has close links with many local universities and recently opened its own University Centre in Stratford, where various degrees are offered to students from all over the world.

Added value: £15m investment over the last decade means the college now boasts vast new computer centres, over 200 interactive white boards, complete with sound systems, an e-learning development centre, and a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), The investment also extends to a commercial and training hairdressing salon, a commercial and training retail outlet, fashion museum and other industry-standard facilities for construction and engineering students.

Teaching: No recent Ofsted inspections.

Any accommodation? None provided by the college.

Cheap to live there? The cost of renting locally is around £100 per week on average for a room in a shared flat.

Transport links: Several local buses reach both campuses. East Ham tube and Stratford underground, plus DLR and mainline trains provide rail alternatives.

Fees: Home students pay £4,500 per year for higher education courses while overseas students pay £7,200.

Bursaries: Full-time students aged over 19 may be eligible for help from the college's Access Fund - contact the Student Advice Service for further information.

The fun stuff

Nightlife: All of London at your doorstep, what more could you want?

Sporting facilities: Scope to join sports teams outside class but not much in the way of facilities.

Glittering alumni: None as yet.