If you are considering studying abroad in an English speaking country, then the Further Education Colleges in England are worth your close attention.
The Further Education Colleges in the United Kingdom fit seamlessly into the English education system. For English students who complete their compulsory school years at the age of 16, the Further Education sector forms the main route of progression after 16 to University or employment. For international students wishing to prepare for University, or acquire vocational skills, therefore, the Colleges in this sector provide an ideal way to undertake such preparation and skills.
The common factor for all the Colleges is that they receive their main funding from the Government through what is known as the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC). The FEFC has a team of Inspectors who visit each College every four years to check on the quality of its courses. They produce a report which is published, giving grades to each area of work. This system is extremely rigorous and offers you an assurance of the quality of the teaching, facilities and support you will receive should you study at a particular College.
The Colleges use various titles, for example my own institution just uses the term St. Austell College. Others use the terms Tertiary College, College of Technology, College of Further and Higher Education, or specialist institutions might use College of Art and Design, or College of Agriculture. If you want to know whether a College is funded and inspected by the FEFC, you can check in the FEFC publication ‘Directory of Colleges’ which is available from HMSO Publications in London (Tel: 00 44 171 873 9090) price £17.95. Your local British Council Office may also have a copy.
You can use a Further Education College as a step on the way to university in England in several ways. You can take:
a) a two year course leading to General Certificate of Education (GCE) A-level. Universities will expect you to have taken at least 2 subjects and 3 is necessary for any course or university in demand.
b) a one year course which gives accelerated access to a University. These are variously known as Foundation Programmes, Access Courses, or Preparatory Courses. A list of those available is given in ‘Access to UK Higher Education: A Guide for International Students’, available from HMSO Publications as above. Many Colleges have Foundation Programmes validated by particular Universities. For example St Austell’s are validated by the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, and guarantee progression onto a degree if completed successfully.
c) a two year course leading to a General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ). These are equivalent in standard and demand to GCE A-level courses but provide a more integrated programme of study.
Many College of Further Education have now developed special arrangements to accept international students. These will include specialist teachers qualified to teach English as a Foreign Language, and host family accommodation which is inspected by the College and the family given guidance on how to make students from particular cultural backgrounds feel at home. Your best guide to which Colleges have these special arrangements is to follow up the advertisements in publications like this one and ask the Colleges these questions.
Further Education Colleges also offer English Language courses independent of academic or vocational studies. These may be in the form of Summer Schools in June, July and August, or longer courses. Whether you select pure English Language courses or a combination of English and academic or vocational study, if you wish to study at an English University you will need to reach a level of proficiency of at least IELTS 5.5 (TOEFL 550) or more for certain subjects, and therefore selecting a College with sound English as a Foreign Language (EFL) support is important.
An increasingly popular option for international students whose English and academic subject levels are ready for entry to higher education is to follow a Higher National Diploma course for 2 years in a Further Education College, then transfer to a university for a course which ‘tops-up’ the qualification to a degree. Many universities now will exercise their discretion for particular students to allow completion of this top-up programme in one year. This makes the combination of an HND then one-year top-up course a very cost effective way of acquiring a degree.
Space does not permit going into detail of the many other qualifications offered in the Further Education Sector, but you will be able to make your own inquiries to follow-up your particular interests. You will find the Colleges more than anxious to be helpful and very professional in their approach.
What Further Education Colleges in England have to offer overseas students
- Further Education Colleges are state funded institutions with rigorous quality controls on their courses.
- They are Colleges which specialise in education for students aged 16 and over, and therefore have an adult atmosphere.
- They are now the main sector for preparing students to go to universities in England.
- They offer both academic and vocational courses across all occupational sectors.
- Many have courses specifically designed to suit international students, including specialist tuition in English as a foreign language (EFL).
- Many offer Higher National Diploma courses, which can provide a cost effective route to a degree after further study at a University.
The Author: William Hill, Principal, St. Austell College
Tel: +44 1726 67911 – Fax: +44 1726 67911
This article first appeared in Educational Courses in Britain & America