Winstanley College

Infobox UK school
name = Winstanley College


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head = Steve Wood
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city = Wigan
county = Greater Manchester
country = England
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enrollment = 1,749
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lower_age = 16
upper_age = 18
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website = http://www.winstanley.ac.uk
website_name = www.winstanley.ac.uk

Winstanley College is a sixth form college in the Billinge Higher End district of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester. In the academic year it had 1,749 full time students.Fact|date=September 2008 The catchments area spreads across the Wigan, Leigh, Bolton and St Helens areas.

A portal to higher education, Winstanley college is one of the top 10 colleges in the UK in terms of A-level PPS (points per student) - ranked 2nd in the Guardian's country-wide collation of A-Level results in 2008. Students go on to universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, the London School of Economics (LSE), Manchester, Edinburgh, York and St. Andrews.Fact|date=September 2008

The College has undergone a major re-development; including the building of a part student-designed English and Politics building, and Head of Politics Elaine Mulroy has received an award for the top teacher of Politics within England and Wales.Fact|date=September 2008

Winstanley College's Student Television Project which was started in 2005 has also featured on Sky News.

Points of interest when visiting the college include:
* The Art and Psychology Departments for their imaginative architecture
* A computer suite
* The Student Centre
* The new English and Politics building (including subject-specific study areas)
* The large and well-equipped Learning Resource Centre.
* Large dramatic arts department
* Student Reception, forever dedicated to helping the student body
* Extensive Sporting and Gym facilities including several large sports fields
* Steve Brennan - Legend
* Ex-professional wrestler David Atherton now teaches economics at the college (known as "Doctor Death")

History

The College began life as Upholland Grammar School, which was founded in 1661 [cite web | url=http://www.mugs61.co.uk/6.html | title=A history of Upholland Grammar School | accessdate=2008-06-13] . The grammar school moved to its present site in September 1953. It was renamed Winstanley College in August 1977, and at that time, it ceased to enrol new pupils at age 11. By September 1981, no pupils remained in the lower forms, and the transformation to a sixth-form college was complete.

Notable alumni

* Richard Ashcroft- lead singer from the band The Verve and a solo artist.
* Catherine Ashton, Baroness Ashton of Upholland - leader of the House of Lords
* Shaun Briscoe - rugby league footballer for Hull Kingston Rovers formerly of Wigan Warriors and Hull FC
* Leon Osman - professional footballer for Everton FC
* Carley Stenson - Hollyoaks Steph Dean
* Sam Darbyshire - Hollyoaks Jamie "Fletch" Fletcher
* Georgia Taylor - Coronation Street Toyah Battersby, Casualty Ruth Winters
* Steven Gaskell - Professor at Oxford UniversityFact|date=September 2008
* Leah Hackett - Hollyoaks Tina McQueen

References

External links

* [http://www.winstanley.ac.uk Winstanley College web page]
* [http://news.sky.com/skynews/google/map/green/0,,13560802,00.html Winstanley TV on Sky News]
* [http://www.mugs61.co.uk/6.html A history of Upholland Grammar School]