Life at St Brendan's Sixth Form College
Facilities
St Brendan's Sixth Form College was almost entirely rebuilt in 2009 to provide university standard resources in world class accommodation. We are fortunate to be located on one site, within an historic landscape, with very pleasant grounds, which are used and enjoyed by students throughout the year. These have been extensively landscaped to reflect our historic surroundings. As part of the capital investment, the College has ensured that its provision of technology is at the 'cutting edge'. Equipment and software provided is the same as that used by higher education and industry. All areas of the College are accessible to wheelchair users. This focus on providing specialist facilities, dedicated to meeting the needs of post 16 students, applies to all the College accommodation. This makes St Brendan's an ideal and enjoyable place to study.
Examples of the facilities include:
- Extensive IT facilities throughout the College, including our own virtual learning environment, the internet, College email and a range of specialist software. Wireless provision enables students to bring their own laptops on site, if they wish. We have a computer ratio of at least one computer to every two students providing access throughout the College, much of which is available in open access areas.
- New Art and Design and Photography studios; fully equipped for fine art, sculpture, printmaking, graphics, fashion, textiles and digital photography
- Newly built Library and Information Centre carrying a comprehensive range of relevant specialist journals and magazines, in addition to the impressive book, DVD and CD stock
- A purpose built music and performing arts building, augmented by a new dance studio and theatre. These cater for a wide range of performing arts specialisms, including Music, Dance , Drama and Music Technology
- A chapel at the heart of the new College, incorporating our historic 'stations of the cross'
- New county standard sports hall, catering for a very wide range of sports and incorporating a fully equipped industry standard fitness suite
- New classrooms, fully equipped for 21st century teaching and learning, covering all classroom-based subjects
- Dedicated IT suites for many subjects, such as Computing, ICT, Media & Film Studies and Business Studies
- New Design and Technology design studio and workshop equipped with 21st century machinery, such as laser cutters and a 3D colour printer
- Light, airy, open, social space offering a variety of food outlets, providing a good range of nutritious meals, snacks and drinks, including gourmet Fair Trade coffee
All buildings have been designed to minimise the College's impact on the environment, utilising the earth's natural resources, such as sunlight and rainwater.They are designed to minimise the carbon emissions whilst providing a very comfortable place to work and study.
Accessibility
All areas of the College are accessible for wheelchair users.
Safety
The College is a very safe site and we work hard to ensure that it remains so. In assisting with this, it is vital that no head coverings are worn that prevent easy identification.This means for example, that motor cyclists must remove helmets immediately after parking their bikes in the designated parking space.
Smoking policy
The College actively works to discourage smoking. However, some members of the community are smokers and, in order to keep students safe, a small outdoor area near the entrance has been identified as the only area where students may smoke on site.