Why Choose Us

Success

With over 20,000 student enrolments, South Birmingham College is one of the largest and most successful colleges of further education in the UK. You can choose from hundreds of courses, so if you want to continue studying after leaving school, we can help you

Wide range of courses

We teach a range of vocational qualifications e.g. BTEC National Certificates/Diplomas, NVQs, City & Guilds, HNCs, HNDs, Access to Higher Education courses and Foundation Degrees. Our lecturers are highly trained experts with valuable experience in the industry. With our wide range of vocational courses you can combine the up-to-date theoretical knowledge you need to progress to university, with the practical skills employers want. Our courses will give you the chance to enhance your career prospects, as we offer courses from beginner level right through to Higher Education Level 4 and above.

Training Quality Standard (TQS)

South Birmingham College has been awarded the nationally recognised Training Quality Standard (TQS). The TQS is designed to recognise and celebrate the best organisations that provide high quality responsive training for employers. We are one of only a handful of training providers to have achieved excellence in three or more sector areas - Construction, Childcare and Health & Social Care. Quality is the key to our success

Annual Report - Year Ending July 2009

Ofsted Inspection Results

South Birmingham College was praised by inspectors in its last Ofsted Inspection. The report commented on the College’s:

Outstanding promotion of inclusiveness and equality of opportunity
Good leadership and management
Strong culture of continuous improvement

Customer Service Excellence

Customer Service Excellence is an important indicator for students who want to look for a college that offers a high level of customer service. We have been awarded Customer Service Excellence status, reinforcing our excellence in customer service and the importance we place on student satisfaction.

Investors in People

South Birmingham College is committed to providing ongoing support, training and staff development opportunities to all employees in accordance with the Investors in People award.

Positive about Disability

We were awarded the Positive about Disability kite-mark accreditation from Jobcentre Plus, (which is part of the Department for Work and Pensions), for our commitment to offering interviews to, recruiting and retaining disabled people who are the best candidates for the job.

PeopleDiversity Award

South Birmingham College received the Diversity Award from PATH West Midlands for making a significant contribution to promote race equality in the workplace.

Home Office UK Border Agency

The College was commended on the support offered to international students and was awarded a Grade A Sponsors Licence.

British Council

The College is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English as a foreign language.

TUC unionlearn Quality Award

Awarded to providers who are committed to working with trade unions, and who demonstrate that unions and union learners are considered in the design, development and delivery of courses. The Award is recognised as a good mark of practice.

Did you know that South Birmingham College’s overall success rate for 2007/8 was 86%?

We offer courses from Entry Level to Higher Education Level 4 and above, in a range of subject areas.

South Birmingham College students benefit from some great facilities to help with all aspects of your studies.

Libraries

We’ve got well stocked Libraries chock full of text books, background reading, fiction titles, newspapers, magazines and DVDs. The Libraries are also great places to get some work done with quiet study desks and larger tables for group work. We’ve even got stationery for sale, so you should never be short of a pen or a memory stick!

Computers and IT facilities

Our Computer Labs feature well equipped computers with Internet access for personal study, research and working on assignments. They also provide access to electronic resources, the library catalogue and Moodle. The new computer booking system means it’s easy to book a slot on a PC.

Moodle

What’s Moodle? It’s got nothing to do with noodles or doodling! Moodle is the College’s Virtual Learning Environment - a brilliant way to get your hands on loads of resources for your course - reading lists, revision notes, teaching notes, on-line learning activities, tests, quizzes. Plus you can get all interactive through discussion forums and wikis.

Help Desks

If students get stuck they can check our Help Desks - our friendly staff are always ready to help with queries ranging from how to use the photocopier to how to reference your assignment; from how to print your work to how to use the electronic resources.

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