Lakes College West Cumbria

Age: 95

History: Based in Park Lane Workington from 1916 until 2001, when it moved to a brand new purpose-built £11m campus at Lillyhall Business Park.

Address: The Lillyhall campus is located on Hallwood Road, just outside Workington.

Ambience: The school's site is modern, although settled in a picturesque area of the country, with beautiful views of the fells. The college boasts a learning resource centre, a hair and beauty salon, a gym, a sports hall, various outdoor sporting facilities and a training restaurant that is often fully-booked out.

Vital statistics: The college currently has over 3,000 students, with around 1,500 of these being full-time. It is the only institution in the country to offer a foundation degree in nuclear decommissioning, in association with the University of Central Lancashire.

Added value: Well-equipped learning resource centre with broadband internet access and more than 25,000 books. The purpose-built construction department is just round the corner from the main site. Over the years, Lakes College has built up strong links with industry, providing training for employees of major companies in the area, including Sellafield, Alcan, the Cumbria Tourist Board and the local Primary Healthcare Trust. HE qualifications are offered in conjunction with the University of Lancashaire, the University of Central Lancashire and the University of Cumbria.

Easy to get into? The general minimum entry requirement will be one A-Level or 6-unit GNVQ, or equivalent qualifications. Relevant industrial experience is also acceptable.

Transport links: Lakes College main campus is at Lillyhall on the junction of the A595 and the A597. There is good road access and plenty of free parking, and direct buses stop right outside the front door from Workington, Whitehaven, Egremont, Maryport and Cockermouth. Cyclists can use cycle paths to get to college and there are plenty of bike racks when you do arrive. The nearest train station is Harrington, two miles away.

Who's the boss? Local girl Cath Richardson is the principal.

Teaching: The college was graded as good in the latest Ofsted inspection, and was deemed to be outstanding in 10 out of 23 areas.

Foundation Degrees: Business management, computing, engineering, health and social care, integrated education and care of children and young people, nuclear commissioning, and teaching and learning.

Nightlife: There are numerous bars, restaurants and nightclubs in Whitehaven, Workington and Cockermouth.

Any accommodation? None provided by the college.

Cheap to live there? Yes, the average is just £50 per week for a room in a shared house.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time HE students starting in 2011, or £925 per year for those studying part-time. Fees for 2012 are yet to be released.

Bursaries: Full-time HE students are entitled to a means-tested grant of up to £600 per year.

Prospectus: 01946 839 300; www.lcwc.ac.uk

UCAS code: L05