Filton College in Bristol

The Bristol Academy at Filton College

We are part of the United Kingdom’s state sector and are a major provider of further and higher education and vocational training. There are 2,500 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, including more than 200 international students from 50 different countries throughout the world.

In 2010 our English as a Foreign Language department was named by the EL Gazette as a joint Top Centre of Excellence in the Further Education Sector (based on the British Council Inspectors' publishable statements). The college scored seven points of excellence, one of only five institutions in the UK to do so. Bristol even beat London in these rankings. The seven points of excellence included the teaching programme, quality of teaching, qualifications of teaching staff, self-access facilities, publicity, the tutorial system, and the trips and social events programme.

We offer Foundation Degrees with the University of the West of England, who are also based in Bristol. We have excellent new facilities for teaching, learning and support for students including:

• A new £30million centre for the Bristol Academy
• A library and learning resource centre with state-of-the-art IT facilities
• Free internet and e-mail access
• A new £3 million A Level centre
• New engineering workshops – Centre of Vocational Excellence in Aeronautical Engineering
• New health and beauty salons
• Extensive indoor and outdoor sports facilities
• Unrivalled teaching spaces for Art & Design
• New 250-seat theatre

Bristol Academy of Sport

The Bristol Academy of Sport is an initiative we have developed at Filton College in response to demands from students who want to study and play sport at the same time.

The Academy of Sport enables students to pursue their sporting interests while obtaining academic qualifications from our wide range of further and higher education qualifications. They will choose an appropriate full-time course and in addition receive up to 16 hours of professional sports training per week.

Students can focus on:

• Rugby
• Football (male & female)
• Golf
• Netball
• Basketball
• Table Tennis
• Taekwondo
• Refereeing

At Filton College, international students can choose from the same range of subjects as British students including a range of Foundation Degrees with the University of West of England.

• GCSEs
• A levels
• Vocational Courses
• Access Courses
• Foundation Programme
• Higher Education (Level 4)
• English as a second language

“Bristol is very active, there are lots of things to do. But it’s not too big so you don’t get lost! I study A-Levels in Physics, Chemistry and Maths and have met lots of English students. I feel that my understanding of English has improved. My father is a doctor and I want to study medicine in Belgium and possible return to work in the UK in the future."
Simon Arend, 16, Belgian, studying A-Levels

“I chose Filton because I read the website and it looked like a good course. I wanted to study in Bristol rather than somewhere like London because there are not many Peruvians in Bristol and so I can learn English better. The classes are very interactive, you have lots of conversations with the teachers and students and it helps you to learn English. Next year I am going back to Peru to teach English to Kindergarten children."
Raquel Bustios, 26, Peruvian, studying English as a Foreign Language.