Brockenhurst College

Coordinates: 50°49′16″N 1°34′12″W / 50.821°N 1.570°W / 50.821; -1.570

Brockenhurst College
Motto inter silvas quarere verum (Latin for "To Search for Truth Among the Trees")
Type Further Education
Established 1909
Principal Di Roberts
Administrative staff
 190 teaching staff
Students 2,800 (total; 2006–07)
Adult Learning 10,000 (total; 2006-07)
Location Brockenhurst, Hampshire, United Kingdom
Campus Rural
Nickname Brock
Website http://www.brock.ac.uk

Brockenhurst College, or colloquially known as Brock, is in the tertiary sector providing education in a wide range of courses for many different ages. The college is based in the village of Brockenhurst in the New Forest in Hampshire, England.

The college has over 2800 full-time students and over 10,000 part-time adult learners as far and wide as The New Forest, Bournemouth, Poole, East Dorset, the Waterside area of Southampton, South Wiltshire, and the Isle of Wight. Brock College has been an accredited Investors in People since 1996, and in 2004 was awarded by the AoC Beacon Award and is also rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted.

The types of courses the college provides are professional, vocational and AS/A Level courses, Foundation Degrees and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) and Higher National Certificates (HNCs). The college is also one of over 160 schools or colleges within the U.K to offer the International Baccalaureate qualification.[1]

College mission statement

Campus

The College, with its many different buildings and uses, is divided up into A, B, E, H, M and S blocks. In addition to the Main Hall and Foyer, there are also other blocks given full names, such as the Sports Centre, the Hard Brock Café, the Learning Care Centre, and the LRC (Learning Resources Centre).

There is also the new CoVE Building located between the sports centre and the smoking area for learners. The college also has adult learning centres in New Milton, Lymington and Totton.

The promenade, with the main hall behind, connecting the M Block with the S Block, A Block and LRC.

M Block

M Block, standing for Main Building, is the oldest section of the college which includes the original hall, now called the SEC, used as a secondary room for exams and enrichment programmes. Also within the block, besides the main reception area, are much of the non-teaching staff at Brock as well as the main division offices and the Principal's offices. The offices are also used by Connexions and EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) attendants located at Student Services. Based also in this block are a highly skilled team of IT professionals who are in charge of the college network system and maintenance of all college's IT equipment.

Many of the lessons held in this block are Music courses with their own sound rooms and recording studios, Performing Arts and Theatre with their own Performing Arts Centre, Media which also have sound rooms and digital editing suites, Philosophy, Politics, Archeology, History, and Business which has over five computer suits for its study.

A and S Block

A Block contains the Specialist Art Centre and Mathematics building, and S is the Sciences Centre complete with three-story building of Biology, Chemistry and Physics laboratories on the ground, first and second floor respectively. Both Chemistry and Biology have student accessible prep rooms frequented by staff. Alongside Physics, a GCSE in Astronomy is also offered. On the bottom floor is the staff room used for morning meetings with the Principal and division heads.

To the right the Beacon Technology Block

B Block

The Beacon Technology Block, named after the college's Beacon Status, is the latest development in the college with new recording studios, media suites and a photo development lab. All top floor classrooms in the block are fitted with flat screens attached to PCs, and some classrooms are fitted with Apple Mac computers.

On the older floor of the building are the Training Kitchens and MJ’s Restaurant, which is open to the public. Tech facilities and workshops are based in the block, as well as the Graphic Design rooms.

The Errington Block.

E Block

The Errington Block, which was named after an ex-governor of the college, holds additional classrooms for Language, Sociology, Psychology, Business Studies, Child Care, Key Skills and GCSE courses. Each room is fitted with digital projectors and computers.

Sports Centre

The sports centre holds all main functions regarding sports, and also contains a Fitness Suite which is opened to the public and college staff during the day and after college hours. The sports centre is also home to the National Volleyball League's New Forest Volleyball Club

H Block

H Block refers to a group of portable classrooms which are located in between B Block, the field and between the Sports Centre and firing range. The Hard Brock Café

The Hard Brock Café is a main social attraction for many college students and also holds the offices of the Students’ Union. The café provides hot and cold meals, quick snacks, drinks and ice creams.

LRC (Learning Resources Centre)

The LRC was originally the college main hall and is now the main study area for students at Brock. The LRC has a small library containing a wide selection of course books and relevant course DVDs and CDs, as well as a wide selection of magazines from the NME to The Economist. As well as this on the top floor is anILT Suite. In this building there is also reprographics and private study rooms.

History

Pupil Teachers’ Centre 1909-21

Brockenhurst College began its existence in 1909 as a Pupil Teachers’ Centre - a school where girls from age 13 learned to be teachers. The classes were held in the Wesleyan Church Sunday School, with only 18 children attending under the head mistress, Miss Moore. Although classes were first held in the church Sunday school, Brockenhurst never had any religious affiliation or received any funding from ecclesiastical authorities. It was always funded by the Hampshire Education Authority, and the Sunday school room was used simply because it offered suitable accommodation. Between 1913 and 1935 the school moved location twice and changed head mistress to Miss Emma Clara Ward. During this time the school increased further with more problems continuing for teaching space.

County School 1921-39

Taking in both boys and girls, the school was still expanding further with more pupils joining, by now numbering 150. Along with this the education board granted more funding and further building work; this was followed by a new hall, kitchen and a woodwork room. Miss Ward died in October 1935 to be replaced by the former head of Farnborough Grammar School, Mr R H May.

County High School 1939-50

The school by this time had grown even further to a High School enrolling 400 students and as young as eleven.

Grammar School 1950-53

In 1950 the headmaster decided that the school should be turned into a Grammar School and students would therefore have to pass the eleven plus examination to join. At this stage the School was still taking in both sexes and was resisting the change wanted by the local community. It was also at this time that the Headmaster changed Brocks motto to what it is today without any warning to staff or pupils.

County High School (again) 1953-60

In 1953 the Headmaster made another unexpected decision changed the name back to a High School. The name remained for seven years until the Hampshire Education Authority sanctioned the change to a Grammar School.

Grammar School 1960-70

Finally the name of Grammar School remained for the following ten years after being reinstated by the Education Authority.

College 1970-

The School was converted into a college in 1969 leaving all the surrounding schools to continue lower school education in the area, and became a tertiary college in 1985.[2]

Over subsequent years the college has seen many different changes in its structure depending on changes in courses that the college provides; the latest change being the construction of the Beacon Block.

The college became an IB World School in March 2000.[1]

Head masters/mistresses and principals

Notable former pupils

Students' union

The students of Brock also have their own students' union which is elected every year in November. The union stays in place for one year and is then re-elected again. (Previous union executives cannot contend again).

The union itself participates in many different boards within the college, the most important being the board of governors of which the elected president is a member. As well as liaising with the Principal, the union puts together throughout their year in office many different events from which they raise money for their charity of the year. The most popular event is the annual Freshers' Event which has been held in Elements in Bournemouth for a number of years, until it was moved to 'Lava Ignite' in 2009.

See also

External links

References

  1. 1 2 "Brockenhurst College". IB World Schools. International Baccalaureate Organization. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  2. ↑ Merry, Louise (6 July 2011). "Brockenhurst college guide". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 History at archive of avocaberks.ndonet.com
  4. ↑ CARR, Sir (Albert) Raymond (Maillard) at Who's Who online (accessed 11 January 2008)
  5. ↑ "Player profile: Tom Friend". www.mccuniversities.org. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  6. ↑ Who's Who 2013
  7. ↑ Queen's birthday honours list 2012


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