Basingstoke College of Technology

Age: 63

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.

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 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 In 2004, the College became a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for Construction, now superseded by the award in full of the Training Quality Standard Part B for Construction.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 This has now been superseded in May 2009 by the award of a National Skills Academy Retail Skills Shop - one of the first in the UK.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.

Easy to get into? Varies from a good school report for basic courses to 120 UCAS points or equivalent for a BA in textiles for fashion.

Glittering alumni: Stephen Earl Rogers (artist); Petra Boynton (psychologist, author and agony aunt).

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.

Who's the boss? The principal is Anthony Bravo.

Teaching: Of the areas inspected by Ofsted in 2009, three were rated good and three satisfactory.

Foundation degrees: In partnership with the University of Winchester, the college offers management pathway foundation degrees in childhood studies, hair beauty and spar, and retail.

Nightlife: Basingstoke is brimming with more than 200 shops, 30 restaurants and cafes, a ten-screen cinema, nightclub and sports centre. The town also has a ten-pin bowling alley, ice rink, Aquapark and another ten-screen cinema situated just a short bus ride from the town centre.

How green is it? The college set up its Environmental Action Group in 2006 with the aim of making everyone there more environmentally aware.

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.

Fees: Varies by course. For 2011/2012, they range from £400 for entry level courses to £800 for level three courses, with degree-level courses costing more. Fees are yet to be set for 2012/2013.

Bursaries: None offered, but the colllege may be able to offer some financial help to students with low household incomes.

Prospectus: 01256 306 484; www.bcot.ac.uk

UCAS code: B15