About us

West Suffolk College is on a mission to be the best college in the UK – we believe our community deserves nothing less.

We’re making history at West Suffolk College in a place famous for it. On a stunning campus in the heart of historic Bury St Edmunds, we’re advancing ambitious plans to become a leading vocational and academic college, serving our students outstandingly, and supporting the success of businesses and the regional economy.

We provide an outstanding education to every one of our students. Our ethos is to put our learners’ success at the heart of everything we do. That means we do everything we can to help our students succeed and be the best they can be.

We have an impressive range of courses, high quality facilities, inspiring tutors and incredible opportunities to open up a career or succeed in higher education. We believe in engaging with our students as young adults in a supportive and encouraging environment and we aim to give the best opportunity to develop, grow and become passionately involved in their own education.

We also have strong links with business and industries in the region to make sure our students develop skills that will increase their employability. We are a large local employer with 786 staff and a turnover of £30.5 million.

16-19 Study Programmes

At West Suffolk College, we have designed our study programmes in line with the requirements of the Education and Skills Funding Agency.  Our study programmes are flexible, built around the needs of individual students, which supports their development and builds upon the College’s Three Pillars.

Students on a 16-19 Study Programme will:

• Have a substantial qualification that stretches them and prepares them for education at the next level or employment
• Continue to study English and maths where these have not yet been achieved at GCSE grade 4 or above
• Undertake a period of work placement and/or work-related activity to apply the skills from their chosen course in the real world of work
• Develop their character strengths and broader knowledge and skills that are designed to help students to prepare for working and living in modern Britain

University Studies

University Studies at West Suffolk College offer dozens of degrees. Lecturers passionate about their subjects. Courses designed in partnerships with industry leaders to ensure they’re completely relevant to securing graduate employment. Specialist academic staff to provide all the support you need. We’ve set up everything here to help you succeed.

When you complete your course the degree you’ll receive is awarded by the University of East Anglia, so as a USWSC graduate you’ll have earned a red-brick award from a top-25 UK University that’s recognised the world over.

Apprenticeships

Our Apprenticeships cover a wide range of areas including Construction, Engineering, Business, Hospitality, Plumbing, Hairdressing, IT, Accountancy and more. If you live in England, are 16+ and not in full time education, you could do an Apprenticeship. As an apprentice, you'll become an employee at a company, earn money and work alongside experienced people to gain the skills you need in your chosen industry.

Entry requirements for Apprenticeships vary but all employers will want you to be committed, responsible and willing to work both independently and as part of a team. Your employer will train you in the workplace and will help you gain important skills needed to do the job. As the largest Apprenticeships learning provider in Suffolk and Norfolk, we'll support you every step of the way.

For further information, check out the apprenticeship page on our website.

Or contact our Apprenticeships team

Email: apprenticeships@wsc.ac.uk
Phone: 01284 716 235

For further information on what West Suffolk College can offer you and the facilities we have, look at our website