For many Wolverhampton families, the key decision at 16 is not only what to study, but where. City of Wolverhampton College is a large general further education provider, spanning academic A-level routes, vocational and technical programmes, adult learning, apprenticeships, and specialist support. Its footprint has also shifted recently, with the move into the new City Learning Quarter in the city centre, alongside provision at Wellington Road in Bilston and a Telford campus.
Leadership is also relatively new. Louise Fall became Principal and Chief Executive on 01 August 2024, after serving as Deputy Principal from January 2022.
The latest full inspection (January 2023) judged overall effectiveness as Good, with Good grades across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and both education programmes for young people and adult learning programmes. Apprenticeships were graded Requires improvement.
A large FE college lives or dies by clarity of purpose, how well learners understand what they are working towards, and how consistently staff support them to get there. The January 2023 inspection describes a culture of high expectations, with learners and apprentices developing positive attitudes to learning and taking pride in their work. It also highlights inclusive learning environments and an emphasis on respect and tolerance.
The campus story matters here. The Paget Road site opened in 1962 as Wulfrun College and became a longstanding landmark for local further education before provision moved into the City Learning Quarter. The college’s own heritage material is unusually detailed, which gives a sense of continuity even as facilities change.
At the city centre campus, security and access arrangements are also presented as a deliberate design feature, with systems such as controlled entry and CCTV noted in the campus FAQs. For some families, that provides reassurance; for others it is simply part of modern city-centre education.
Because this is a post-16 provider, outcomes are not best judged through one narrow lens. The college teaches a wide spread of programmes, so it is helpful to separate the A-level picture from the wider progression story.
The FindMySchool ranking places the college 2518th in England for A-level outcomes, which corresponds to below England average performance in that distribution (this is a FindMySchool ranking based on official data). In grade terms, 10.87% of A-level grades are A* to B, versus an England average of 47.2%, and 4.89% are A* to A, versus an England average of 23.6%. These figures point to a cohort that may include many students on applied or mixed programmes, or a profile where A-levels are not the dominant route, but the headline remains that the A-level outcomes captured here are comparatively low.
The inspection narrative adds an important nuance about destinations for those on the academic route, noting that nearly all A-level learners move on to study at their first-choice university. That is not a claim about the whole college, it is specifically about the A-level group, but it does suggest that the academic pathway is structured with progression in mind.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
A-Level A*-B
10.87%
% of students achieving grades A*-B
In a large FE setting, the most meaningful quality marker is usually how well programmes are sequenced and how quickly students build competence for the next stage, whether that is a higher-level course, employment, or an apprenticeship.
The January 2023 inspection describes most curricula as appropriately sequenced, and it gives concrete examples of vocational learning being built step-by-step. It also describes strong employer and stakeholder engagement, including curriculum alignment to local and regional skills needs, with railway skills initiatives cited as one example of provision responding to demand.
The same report is clear about where improvement is needed. Attendance in English and maths sessions is identified as an issue, and apprenticeships are the area requiring improvement, with a specific concern that too few apprentices develop their mathematical skills to the standard they are capable of. For families choosing an apprenticeship route, it is reasonable to ask direct questions about what has changed since 2023, particularly around functional skills, maths support, and how progress is tracked across subcontracted provision.
For a post-16 provider, destinations are about range, not a single track. In the most recent published leaver cohort data available here (2023 2024), 15% progressed to university, 14% to further education, 8% started apprenticeships, and 25% entered employment. This underlines the mixed mission: some students move into higher study, many take a skills-first route, and a significant group moves straight into the labour market.
The college also positions work experience and employer engagement as a core part of learner life, which fits this destination profile. For families comparing options, it is worth matching your child’s intended next step to the programme style, for example, A-levels for an academic route, T Levels for a structured technical pathway, or a Level 3 vocational course aligned to a specific sector.
Admissions at FE colleges are typically direct and rolling, rather than run through local authority coordinated admissions. The college’s enrolment guidance centres on choosing a course, checking entry requirements, applying online, and then discussing next steps with staff.
For 2026 starters, course listings show programmes with start dates such as 07 September 2026 for A-levels, which provides a practical anchor for planning.
Open events matter more than they do for most schools, because the “fit” question is about the course area, facilities, and support model. The college is actively promoting open events for 2025 to 2026, including an open evening on Wednesday 21 January 2026 (4pm to 7pm) across the City Learning Quarter and Wellington Road. If your child is unsure between a school sixth form and a college route, this is the type of event where the differences become obvious quickly.
When comparing options, families can use the FindMySchool Saved Schools feature to keep a shortlist organised, then revisit it after open events and GCSE results day once the course mix and support needs are clearer.
Pastoral support at FE level looks different from school, but it still matters. The most useful evidence here is safeguarding capacity and the breadth of practical student support.
The January 2023 inspection states that safeguarding arrangements are effective, and it details resourcing that includes full-time safeguarding officers, an on-site security team, and training of more than 25 mental health first aiders. It also describes tutorial content that helps learners understand safeguarding themes including consent and healthy relationships.
Financial barriers are addressed directly for 16 to 18 year olds. The college states that there are no course fees payable for funded courses for this age group, and it describes a 16 to 18 discretionary bursary that can support costs such as travel, lunch, educational visits, and essential equipment or uniform. The published household income threshold for this discretionary bursary is below £25,750 (as described for learners aged 16 to 18 on 31 August 2025).
In an FE setting, enrichment is often about employability, confidence and identity, especially for students who struggled in a traditional school setting. The inspection report notes a broad range of enrichment activities supporting wider skill development.
The college also names specific programmes and pathways that give its student experience more shape than a generic “clubs list”. Examples highlighted in its own navigation and learner support materials include the GAP (Get Ahead Programme), a Football academy, and Police Cadets, alongside work experience support and a dedicated strand for students with special educational needs.
Facilities are a genuine differentiator, particularly in creative and technical areas. The City Learning Quarter FAQs describe specialist spaces including hair and beauty training rooms, a mock hospital ward, professional kitchens, science laboratories, music editing suites, and a performing arts theatre, with some commercial and careers services intended to be open to the public.
For creative subjects, the published facilities list is unusually specific, including a TV studio and editing suites, a radio broadcasting suite, digital recording studios, a 3D games design studio with high spec PCs and VR headsets, and a photographic studio.
The college operates across multiple sites, including the City Learning Quarter in the city centre, Wellington Road in Bilston, and a Telford campus, plus specialist training locations for certain technical programmes.
For day-to-day logistics, the city centre campus is presented as well-connected to bus, Metro and rail links, with explicit guidance that there is no on-site parking. The same information page gives indicative city-centre parking options and prices, including a daily rate example of £3.50 when parking before 09:30 at a nearby car park.
Term date information is published for 2025 to 2026, including a summer term end on 03 July 2026. Families planning September 2026 starts should still confirm programme-specific calendars, since FE timetables can vary by course area and work placement demands.
A-level outcomes in the available data are low. The A-level ranking (2518th in England) and grade distribution suggest that students who want a strongly academic, high-attaining A-level environment should compare carefully against school sixth forms and other colleges, and ask to see subject-level support and progression detail.
Apprenticeships were the weaker inspection area. The January 2023 inspection graded apprenticeships Requires improvement, with specific concerns including apprentices’ maths development. Families choosing this route should ask what has changed since the inspection, especially for functional skills, attendance, and tracking.
City-centre practicalities may not suit everyone. No on-site parking at the City Learning Quarter can be a positive for public transport users, but it can complicate drop-off and late finishes for others, especially where timetables include early starts or work placements.
This is a very large provider. Scale brings breadth of options, but students who need close daily structure should prioritise tours, tutorial arrangements, and support pathways, particularly around attendance expectations in English and maths.
City of Wolverhampton College is best understood as a broad, modern skills and progression hub rather than a conventional school sixth form. The newest facilities at the City Learning Quarter, the breadth of vocational and creative infrastructure, and the published student support options are likely to appeal to students who want choice, practical learning, and a more adult environment.
It suits students who will benefit from specialist spaces, clear vocational direction, or a reset after GCSEs, and it can also work for academic students who like the college model and want A-levels in a dedicated sixth form setting. The key trade-off is that the A-level outcomes in the available dataset are comparatively low and apprenticeships were the area flagged for improvement in 2023, so families should match the route very carefully to the student, then use open events and course interviews to test whether support and expectations feel right.
City of Wolverhampton College is a state-funded further education provider rather than a school, and the latest full inspection judged overall effectiveness as Good (inspection dates 17 to 20 January 2023). That report also graded quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management as Good, while apprenticeships were graded Requires improvement.
For 16 to 18 year olds on funded courses, the college states there are no course fees payable. Families should still plan for associated costs such as travel, meals, equipment, and some trips, although financial support and bursaries may be available depending on circumstances.
Applications are typically made directly to the college via its online application process for each course, with staff then contacting applicants to discuss next steps. Course listings show September 2026 start dates for many programmes, including A-level courses starting on 07 September 2026.
Yes. The college publishes an events programme and has promoted open events for 2025 to 2026, including an open evening on Wednesday 21 January 2026 (4pm to 7pm) across the City Learning Quarter and Wellington Road. Booking is typically used for events, so it is sensible to reserve a place in advance.
The college describes 16 to 18 financial support including discretionary bursaries that can help with travel, lunch, educational visits, and essential equipment or uniform. It also publishes an eligibility threshold for its 16 to 18 discretionary bursary based on household income below £25,750 (as described for learners aged 16 to 18 on 31 August 2025).
Get in touch with the school directly
Disclaimer
Information on this page is compiled, analysed, and processed from publicly available sources including the Department for Education (DfE), Ofsted, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and official school websites.
Our rankings, metrics, and assessments are derived from this data using our own methodologies and represent our independent analysis rather than official standings.
While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee that all information is current, complete, or error-free. Data may change without notice, and schools and/or local authorities should be contacted directly to verify any details before making decisions.
FindMySchool does not endorse any particular school, and rankings reflect specific metrics rather than overall quality.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we accept no liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on information provided. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us.
