Carshalton College

Carshalton College

Age: 54

History: The College was opened in October 1954 as Carshalton Technical Institute, offering courses in areas as diverse as Engineering to "Women's Subjects". It was originally constructed to teach around 800 students, but today it's a modern vocational institution.

Address: Situated in the village of Carshalton, Surrey, close to Sutton and Croydon.

Ambience: Best of both worlds. The college maintains a peaceful, rural atmosphere, with its buildings surrounded by ponds, but it's only a couple of miles from the busy urban centres of Sutton and Croydon.

Vital statistics: Medium-sized further education college with 7,000 students, 60 per cent of whom are over the age of 19. Two-thirds study part-time. Strong on vocational courses and work-based learning. New developments in 2004 included a new Learning Resource Centre and a new £2m Care Academy, which houses classroom facilities together with the college nursery. A new building for students with learning difficulties and disabilities opened earlier this year, specialising in foundation skills and supported learning. A new power and gas teaching centre has also recently opened.

Added value: One of the largest providers of apprenticeships in the South East.

Transport links: Good for buses and rail. One-minute walk to Carshalton train station, whilst buses from Sutton, Croydon and Morden stop outside the college. From Morden you can get the tube into London.

Who's the boss? Dr David Watkins is the principal, who can justly claim to be a veteran of the FE circuit, as he has been involved at all levels since 1972.

Teaching: Higher education courses offered in Accounting, Early Years, Childcare and Education, Care, Teacher Education, Educational Administration, Teaching and Learning Support and Professional and Management.

Foundation Degrees: Early Years Childcare and Education; Educational Administration and Teaching and Learning Support.

Nightlife: Quiet in Carshalton, so students tend to head to the busy nightspots in Sutton, Croydon and Kingston.

Any accommodation? None provided by the college.

Cheap to live there? Not too bad for the South East. A room in a shared flat will set you back around £100 per week.

Prospectus: 020 8544 4444; www.carshalton.ac.uk

UCAS code: C24