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Your support makes all the difference.History: Basingstoke College of Technology (BCOT) was built in 1948 to support the local engineering industry in Basingstoke. Nowadays students can find a relevant course at the college for most occupations.
Address: The main site is in Worting Road in the modern, prosperous town of Basingstoke.
Ambience: There are a large number of students, but classes are small and friendly. The college is located in the heart of Basingstoke, Hampshire, just a short walk from the town centre.
Who's the boss? The principal is Anthony Bravo.
Prospectus: 01256 306 484; look at the prospectus here.
UCAS code: B15
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Easy to get into? Varies from a good school report for entry level courses to 120 UCAS points or equivalent for a BA in textiles for fashion. The majority of full-time learners come in at Level 3 with at least 5 GCSEs at grade A* to C.
Foundation degrees: In partnership with the University of Winchester, the college offers management pathway foundation degrees in childhood studies, hair and beauty, engineering, art and design, business and travel and tourism. Part-time HNCs are also offered in computing, construction, engineering, media, music and sport.
Vital Statistics: Most of the 2,000 full-time and 7,000 part-time students come from the area surrounding Basingstoke to study from entry plus to degree level in subjects that include animal management, business, construction, hospitality, engineering, computing, art and design, sport and hairdressing. The college also has an excellent business and apprenticeship department, which delivers training and education to companies across north Hampshire. The college is one of a few in England to be awarded in full the Training Quality Standard (the national kitemark for training providers).
Added value: BCoT has received local and national recognition for the training and education it provides. In 2004, the college became a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for Construction, now superseded by the award in full of the Training Quality Standard Part B for Construction. A second CoVE was awarded for Retail and Associated Logistics in 2006. This has now been superseded in May 2009 by the award of a National Skills Academy Retail Skills Shop - one of the first in the UK. The college has also received national recognition for its Skills for Life training programmes for industry.
Teaching: In 2013 the College was deemed 'good with outstanding features' by Ofsted. The hospitality and catering department and the leadership and management team were amongst those graded 'outstanding'.
Any accommodation? None provided by the college, but most students come from within a 15-mile radius and live at home.
Cheap to live there? Private accommodation in town costs in excess of £60 per week.
Transport links: Basingstoke has excellent train, bus, and coach services. London Waterloo is 48 minutes by train (seven trains an hour off-peak) and junction six of the M3 is only a mile away.
Fees: Varies by course. Find individual course costs by clicking here.
Bursaries: None offered, but the college may be able to offer some financial help to students with low household incomes.
THE FUN STUFF
Glittering alumni: Mark Kempson, Michelin star chef; Stephen Earl Rogers, artist; and Petra Boynton, psychologist, author and agony aunt.
Nightlife: Basingstoke is brimming with more than 200 shops, 30 restaurants and cafes, a ten-screen cinema, nightclub, bars and sports centre. The town also has a ten-pin bowling alley, ice rink, Aquapark, indoor ski centre, indoor sky-diving and another ten-screen cinema situated just a short bus ride from the town centre.
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