Wakefield College

Buildings in Wakefield

This site is at Margaret Street in the city centre and houses the Sixth Form Centre for students studying for AS and A Levels. This campus offers also courses such as ICT and Computing, Office Skills, Hospitality and Catering, Travel and Tourism, Health Studies, Childcare, Animal Care and Languages.[3]

The Wakefield City Centre campus underwent major re-development works, including the 2012 completion of a building designed to house the College's sixth-form, higher education provision and new library.[6] The former Wakefield Museum on Wood Street is now its Performing Arts centre.[7]

Castleford Campus building

This is a purpose built site in Glasshoughton which opened in 2008,[8] described by the college as a 'distinctive, iconic structure'. The Castleford Campus was formerly known as the skillsXchange.[9] This site houses courses for construction crafts, practical engineering, motor vehicle, hairdressing and beauty therapy, a foundation course, IT and care.[10]

It replaced the Whitwood Campus, in Castleford. This closed campus was the former Whitwood Mining and Technical School, which opened in the 1930s and closed in February 2009.[11] The Whitwood Campus has been redeveloped for housing.

This site was in the centre of Thornes Park, Wakefield and offered courses such as Foundation Learning, Performing Arts and Music. Courses such as Art and Design, Media and Communications, Business and Management, Sport and Public Services moved to the Wakefield City Campus prior to the campus closing in 2019.[12] The buildings are made up of the former Thornes House High School (also known as Thornes House Grammar School) which opened in 1921 as separate sex school. In 1941 it became a mixed school, and the school suffered a fire in July 1951. It was administered by the City of Wakefield Educational Committee.

It became a 13-18 comprehensive school in 1972 with 1,200 boys and girls. In 1981, it lost its sixth form and became a 13-16 school and, in 1992, merged with nearby Cathedral Middle School. The newly formed school re-located into Cathedral Middle's buildings on Thornes Road.[13] In 1993, it became part of Wakefield College.[14]

Alumni of Thornes House School are known as Old Thornesians.

• Victor Adebowale, Baron Adebowale
• Clive Brooke, Baron Brooke of Alverthorpe, General Secretary from 1988-95 of the Inland Revenue Staff Federation
• Nick Gibb, Conservative MP since 1997 for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
• Geoffrey Penrice, Chief Statistician at the Central Statistical Office from 1964-8
• Vardis
• Sir Rodney Walker, Chairman from 1993-2002 of the Rugby Football League

The Unions Executive Committee are elected once every year; Usually at the end of the previous academic year and, if necessary, again at the start of the appropriate academic year to fill the remaining unfilled posts. The committee currently has 11 members.

The Executive Committee and certain members of staff are responsible for running the union as a whole.