Bournville College was founded in 1913 and is situated on an attractive campus to the south of Birmingham city centre. All the attractions of the city centre are within easy reach by bus.

We believe in the value of proven traditional educational standards combined with all the advantages of modern technology and high quality teaching. We have won a range of awards for customer service and the quality of teaching. In 2002 we were ‘highly commended’ at the prestigious national Beacon Awards for our care and support of international students.

The College has approximately 2,000 full-time and 12,000 part-time students, including students from more than 50 different countries. We have many years experience of teaching and supporting international students – you will find a warm welcome here.

Academic strengths
Bournville College provides a wide range of internationally recognised courses plus free English language testing and language support available throughout your course.

We offer more than 20 subjects at A-level, including Business Studies, Information Technology, Law, Mathematics and Sciences.

The Foundation Access to University course (in Business or Information Technology) is a popular choice for international students. The course lasts for one year and includes intensive preparation for university study, incorporating academic study and English language teaching. The College has links with local universities to enable progression onto a degree programme.

We have vocational courses in Art and Design and ICT (AVCE courses), plus Catering and Beauty Therapy.

Our Pre-Masters (Business) Programme is a one-year course. It enables international students who have graduated from university in their home country to prepare for studying a Masters Degree in the UK.

We have an excellent English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course, combining General English with specialist modules including English for Business and IELTS preparation. Our ESOL department runs a Summer School in July and a pre-sessional intensive English course in August.

Facilities
Recreational facilities include a hall, common room and the Globe café. Activities include aerobics, board games, table tennis, pool, basketball and five-a-side football. There are reduced rates for students to use facilities at the nearby Gillette Sports Centre.

We have industry standard IT facilities with 500 computers available for student use. Access to the internet is free of charge, and each student has an individual email address. The Library Resource Centre contains more than 20,000 items, mainly books, popular periodicals, daily national newspapers, videos, cassettes and CD-Roms.

The College has a large student restaurant on the ground floor. There is also a training restaurant run by the catering students which offers excellent food at value-for-money prices.

Student life
The International Office deals with applications, arranges accommodation and runs an induction programme to help students settle in. We help international students with visa renewal, working in the UK, finding a doctor, and English language support. Day trips and social events are organised each term.

All students have a personal tutor to monitor progress and provide encouragement. The careers advisers can help with applications to university or other information to help you plan your future. We also have a counselling service for confidential help with any personal problems.

The College has an active Students' Union, which provides sporting, social and cultural activities to make college life rewarding and fun.