Fareham College

Fareham College on results collection day (The Local People Photo Archive)

History: The current college was formed in 1984 as a merger between an earlier technical and a sixth-form college.

Address: Main campus located on a 22-acre site outside Fareham town centre, just west of Portsmouth on the south coast.

Ambience: Purpose-built campus updated with salons, a construction centre at Fareham Reach, engineering workshops, laboratories, a training restaurant, theatre, art and drama studio, music and media suites. The main block is an open-plan mall.

Who's the boss? Nigel Duncan was appointed principal and chief-executive in 2012. He has worked in the further education sector for over 30 years in four different colleges.

Prospectus: 01329 815 200 or view it online here.

UCAS code: F50

What you need to know

Easy to get into? Yes - keen on widening participation. Students must complete an interview for a place on an HE course.

Foundation Degrees: Both a full-time and part-time foundation degree in early childhood, but the college's main focus lies in vocational courses. HNCs in journalism; music performance; sport and exercise sciences; and creative arts practice.

Vital statistics: Around 2,100 full-time and 2,000 part-time students. Offers the largest choice of courses available anywhere in Fareham & Gosport and surrounding areas, with over 100 courses from entry level to higher education.

Added value: Industry-standard vocational training facilities. Recently completed a £1m investment programme to improve disabled access. In September 2010 the college opened The Gosport College Skills Centre, dedicated to supporting young people in Gosport.

Teaching: A 'good' college with 'outstanding' features at the most recent Ofsted inspection.

Any accommodation? None provided by the college.

Cheap to live there? Rents in Portsmouth averaged at around £65 per week last year.

Transport links: Buses stop outside the college; on-site parking; Fareham station 10 minutes' walk away.

Fees: Vary widely between courses, with most students under 19 eligible to study FE courses at no cost to themselves. The early childhood foundation degree costs £2,000 per year.

Bursaries: The college's student support department deals with a range of financial support schemes for students, depending on personal circumstances. The College's Learner Support Fund or Hardship Fund offers students suffering extreme financial hardship assistance in areas such as travel costs.

The fun stuff

Nightlife: Two nightclubs in Fareham, two theatres and lots of pubs. Portsmouth and Southampton are seven and ten miles away respectively. Upmarket restaurants on Fareham's high street.

Price of a pint: £3 average in Portsmouth and slightly more expensive at £3.30 in Southampton. Tasty deals in Fareham pubs, including a burger, chips and a pint for £4.99 in The Hungry Horse.

Sporting reputation: No entry in the BUCS league. Regardless, Fareham has a big sports hall and a modern, well-equipped fitness centre. The Solent is nearby, one of the UK's prime watersports hotspots.

Glittering alumni: None as yet.