University technical college

UTC Portsmouth in 2020

A university technical college (UTC) is a type of secondary school in England that is sponsored by a university and has close ties to local business and industry.

University technical colleges specialise in subjects like engineering and construction, taught alongside business skills and the use of IT. Pupils study academic subjects as well as practical subjects leading to technical qualifications. The curriculum is designed by the university and employers, who also provide work experience for students.

The university and industry partners support the curriculum development of the UTC, can provide professional development opportunities for teachers, and guide suitably qualified students on to industrial apprenticeships or tertiary education. The UTC's governors include representatives from the sponsor university and partner employers. Pupils traditionally transfer to a UTC at the age of 14, part-way through their secondary education, though many UTCs now accept pupils at a younger age. The first UTCs were established in 2010, and there are 44 of them in 2023.

It was announced in August 2023 that two more UTCs would be established in Doncaster and Southampton.^[1]

Description

A university technical college is a non-selective free school funded directly by the Department for Education,^[2] free to attend, and outside the control of the local education authority.

University technical colleges specialise in subjects like engineering and construction, and teach these subjects along with employability and IT skills.^[3] Pupils study core academic subjects, as well as practical subjects which lead to technical qualifications.^[3] The curriculum is designed by the university and employers, who also provide work experience for students.^[3]

UTCs were introduced in 2010 by the coalition government under the free schools programme.^[2] UTCs are collectively distinctive in that they offer technically oriented courses of study, combining National Curriculum requirements with technical and vocational elements. UTCs must specialise in subjects that require technical and modern equipment, but they also all teach business skills and the use of information and communications technology (ICT).^[4] UTCs are also supposed to offer clear routes into higher education or further learning in work.^[5]

When operating, UTCs receive the same per capita funding as other schools in the local authority, calculated by the same formula, and £87 extra to cover UTC-specific administration.^[6]

The university technical college programme as a whole is sponsored by the Baker Dearing Educational Trust,^[7] which promotes the setting up of UTCs. The trust was co-founded by Kenneth Baker, a Conservative politician and former Secretary of State for Education and Ron Dearing. Each UTC pays an annual licence fee (£10,000 in 2019)^[8] to the trust. Baker Dearing's promotion of UTCs is supported by a range of organisations, including the Edge Foundation, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the Garfield Weston Foundation.^[9] Many large companies have pledged to co-sponsor UTCs including Arup, British Airways, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and Sony.^[10]

List of UTCs

Name	Location	Opened
Aston University Engineering Academy	Birmingham	2012
BMAT STEM Academy	Harlow, Essex	2014
Buckinghamshire University Technical College	Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire	2013
Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology	Cambridge	2014
Crewe Engineering and Design UTC	Crewe, Cheshire	2016
UTC Derby Pride Park	Derby	2015
Doncaster UTC	Doncaster	2020
Elstree Screen Arts Academy	Borehamwood, Hertfordshire	2013
Brook Sixth Form and Academy	Dagenham, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham	2014
Energy Coast UTC	Workington, Cumbria	2014
Engineering UTC Northern Lincolnshire	Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire	2015
Global Academy	Hayes, London Borough of Hillingdon	2016
Greater Peterborough UTC	Peterborough, Cambridgeshire	2016
Shireland Biomedical UTC	West Bromwich, Sandwell, West Midlands	2015[11]
UTC Heathrow	Northwood, London Borough of Hillingdon	2014 (as Heathrow Aviation Engineering UTC)[12]
JCB Academy	Rocester, Staffordshire	2010
The Leigh UTC	Dartford, Kent	2014
Lincoln UTC	Lincoln	2014
Liverpool Life Sciences UTC	Liverpool	2013
London Design and Engineering UTC	Royal Docks, London Borough of Newham	2016[13]
Mulberry UTC	Bow, London Borough of Tower Hamlets	2017
North East Futures UTC	Newcastle upon Tyne	2018[14]
Ron Dearing UTC	Hull	2017
Scarborough UTC	Scarborough, North Yorkshire	2016
SGS Berkeley Green UTC	Berkeley, South Gloucestershire	2017[15]
Silverstone UTC	Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire	2013
South Devon UTC	Newton Abbot, Devon	2015
South Wiltshire UTC	Salisbury, Wiltshire	2015[16]
Thomas Telford UTC	Wolverhampton	2015 (as West Midlands Construction UTC)
University Collegiate School	Bolton, Greater Manchester	2015
University Technical College Norfolk	Norwich	2014
UTC Leeds	Hunslet, Leeds	2017
UTC Oxfordshire	Didcot, Oxfordshire	2015[17]
UTC Plymouth	Plymouth, Devon	2013
UTC Portsmouth	Portsmouth	2017[18][19]
UTC Reading	Reading, Berkshire	2013
UTC Sheffield City Centre	Sheffield, South Yorkshire	2013
UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park	Sheffield, South Yorkshire	2016
UTC South Durham	Newton Aycliffe, County Durham	2016[20]
UTC Swindon	Swindon	2014
UTC Warrington	Warrington, Cheshire	2016[21]
UTC@MediaCityUK	Salford, Greater Manchester	2015[22]
Waterfront UTC	Chatham, Kent	2015 (as Medway UTC)[23]
WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Coventry	Coventry	2014
WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Solihull	Solihull	2016

Closed UTCs

Name	Location	Opened	Closed
Black Country UTC	Walsall, West Midlands	2011	2015[24]
UTC Central Bedfordshire	Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire	2012	2016[25]
Daventry University Technical College	Daventry, Northamptonshire	2013	2017[26]
Greater Manchester University Technical College	Oldham, Greater Manchester	2014	2017[27]
Hackney University Technical College	London Borough of Hackney	2012	2015[28]
UTC@Harbourside	Newhaven, East Sussex	2015[29]	2019[30]
UTC Lancashire	Burnley, Lancashire	2013	2017[28]
Sir Simon Milton Westminster UTC	City of Westminster, London	2017	2022
South Wiltshire UTC	Salisbury	2015	2020[31]
Watford UTC	Watford, Hertfordshire	2014	2023[32]
University Technical College Wigan	Wigan, Greater Manchester	2013	2019[33][34]

Converted away from traditional UTC model

Name	Location	Opened	Converted	New status
Bristol Technology and Engineering Academy	Stoke Gifford, South Gloucestershire	2013	2022	UTC Sleeve[35]
Royal Greenwich UTC	Royal Borough of Greenwich	2013	2016[36]	11–19 free school
South Bank Engineering UTC	London Borough of Lambeth	2016	2023	16-19 Academy
Tottenham University Technical College	London Borough of Haringey	2014	2017[37]	16-19 free school[38]

See also

• Academy school
• City Technology College
• Free school
• Studio school
• TVEI
• Maths school

References

1. "Pupils in disadvantaged areas to benefit from new free schools". GOV.UK. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
2. "Thesaurus Term - University technical colleges". Department for Education. January 2013. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
3. "Plans for specialist school UTC Reading unveiled". BBC News. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
4. "What are university technical colleges". Utcolleges.org. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
5. "BBC News - Q&A: University technical colleges". BBC News. 7 October 2011. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
6. "University technical colleges how to apply" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
7. "University Technical Colleges" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
8. Camden, Billy (16 August 2019). "Licence fees to almost double for cash-strapped UTCs". Schools Week. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
9. "Sponsors". www.utcolleges.org. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
10. Burns, Judith (29 May 2012). "BBC News - Jaguar Land Rover and British Airways back new colleges". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
11. "University technical colleges are transforming pupils' lives". The Independent. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
12. McInerney, Laura (30 September 2016). "Heathrow UTC hit with financial notice to improve after 'loss of control'". Schools Week. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
13. "London Design and Engineering UTC | London Design and Engineering University Technical College". Ldeutc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
14. Ford, Coreena (27 September 2017). "City centre Newcastle school invites in parents as it prepares for 2018 opening". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
15. "College opens at former power station in Gloucestershire". BBC News. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
16. "Work begins on South Wiltshire UTC college". BBC News. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
17. "University Technical College Oxfordshire plans approved". BBC News. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
18. "Views wanted on bid to set up new technical school". Portsmouth News. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
19. "UTC Portsmouth breaks ground and announces Principal". Portsmouth City Council. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
20. Richardson, Andy (31 October 2014). "Train factory is the catalyst for jobs revival (From The Northern Echo)". Thenorthernecho.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
21. Place North West http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/archive/18167-warrington-utc-set-to-go-on-site.html
22. "MediaCityUK UTC". The Aldridge Foundation. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
23. "University Technical College". Medway Council. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015.
24. "Doomed Black Country UTC failed to promote vocational options, inspectors find". FE Week. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
25. Whittaker, Freddie (10 March 2016). "Struggling Central Bedfordshire UTC to close despite FE college's intervention". FE Week.
26. "Daventry UTC To Close In 2017". www.daventryutc.com. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
27. "Brand new £9m school to close after all of its pupils fail GCSEs". The Independent. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
28. "UTC Lancashire to shut up shop after just three years". FE Week. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
29. "Utc@Harbourside Principal Appointed". Haven News. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
30. "University Technical College in Newhaven to close next year". BBC News. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
31. "Salisbury UTC to Close". South Wilts UTC. 16 July 2019. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019.
32. Flanagan, Chris (3 February 2023). "Watford technical college to close this summer". Watford Observer. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
33. "Wigan UTC will close as low student numbers are unviable". Wigan Today. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
34. Adams, Richard (13 July 2019). "'Vanity project': debts pile up for English free schools scheme". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
35. "Bristol MP and major local employers visit Stoke Gifford school's Engineering Centre to see how it champions technical education". 7 July 2023.
36. Camden, Billy (7 October 2016). "Fresh concerns over failing UTC model as one in 10 now shut". FE Week. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
37. Mansell, Warwick (10 January 2017). "Failing Spurs-sponsored school costs taxpayer £500,000 rent a year | Warwick Mansell". The Guardian.
38. "London Academy of Excellence Tottenham - GOV.UK".

External links

• University technical colleges (2015) How to apply
• University Technical Colleges