Park Lane College Leeds

Infobox University
name = Park Lane College Leeds


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established = 1966
type = Further Education College
principal = Maxine Room (from 1st September 2007)
staff = 1000 (FTE)
students = 45,000
city = Leeds
province = Yorkshire
country = England
address = Park Lane
Leeds LS3 1AA
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website = http://www.parklane.ac.uk/

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Park Lane College Leeds is the largest further education college in Leeds, England, and provides further, higher and adult education to over 45,000 students. It operates out of over 40 sites across Leeds.

History

Park Lane College was established in 1966, to provide commercial, secretarial and general education for the citizens of Leeds. In 1992, the College was incorporated and inherited control of the local education authority's dispersed, community-based provision. In 1998, it merged with Airedale and Wharfedale College, which became the Park Lane College Leeds Horsforth Centre.

On 1st August 2007, Park Lane College Leeds merged with Keighley College to form the new 'Park Lane College Keighley' taking the total number of students at Park Lane to approximately 45,000.

Sites

Park Lane College has three main campuses in the Leeds City Centre, Horsforth and Keighley, and operates out of over 40 other sites across Leeds.

In September 2004, Park Lane opened a new 7 storey extension at the City Centre Site. The award-winning design has an environmental focus and created an additional 60 classrooms on the College's main site. The College has also launched a number of other new facilities and departments including the Creative Arts Academy, Hair & Beauty Therapy, the Animal Centre, the A Level Academy, and the PLCL Business School; it is set to continue this trend with a new School for Entrepreneurship, Financial Services Skills Academy, and new Music and Construction provision.

Figures

The College budget totals over £43m. The total number of students at Park Lane is approximately 45,000 for the academic year 2006/7. Partnerships and community organisations enable the College to meet the needs of socially excluded and other disadvantaged groups. Extensive basic skills provision forms a key element in the College's response to social inclusion.

The College signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with Leeds Metropolitan University in November 2004, and since this time has developed over 21 foundation degrees in subjects such as Animal Health & Welfare, Contemporary Music Production and e-Technology.

Awards

The Government named Park Lane a Beacon College in 1999 for its outstanding performance, making it one of the first ten Colleges to be recognised as a centre of excellence. The Ofsted inspection from 2002 rated the College so highly that it reinforced its position as one of the top Colleges in UK. The College has since received the Charter Mark standard, Customer First, Investors in People Award, Investors in Diversity Award, Matrix Award, and an excellent Ofsted report in June 2006.

Employers and business

Park Lane meets regularly with employers from industries covered by courses and has links with over 2,500 companies. Relationships include Leeds Rugby, Bradford City Football Club, Radio Aire, Halifax Building Society, ASDA, and the Yorkshire Post Newspapers.

External links

* [http://www.parklane.ac.uk/ Park Lane College Leeds] – official website
* [http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/portal/site/Internet/menuitem.7c7b38b14d870c7bb1890a01637046a0/?urn=130541&providerCategoryID=524288 Park Lane College Leeds] Ofsted reports