Harrogate College
Harrogate College, formerly known as Harrogate College of Further Education and later Harrogate College of Arts and Technology, is a further education college in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. It offers several levels of qualifications, including further and higher education courses. Since August 2019 it is a member of the Luminate Education Group.
History
Harrogate College traces its origins to the University Extension movement, which began in 1873 under the auspices of Cambridge University.The college was known as Harrogate College of Further Education and later Harrogate College of Arts and Technology prior to 1 September 1994, when the name was shortened to Harrogate College.
Harrogate College relocated in 1985 to Hornbeam Park, after the older Bower Road location of the college in Harrogate closed. The college is on the former Harrogate ICI Fibres site in four buildings. The college merged with Leeds Metropolitan University in August 1998 and was classified as a university; the Harrogate College statutory corporation was dissolved on 1 August 1998.
On 1 August 2008 management of the college was transferred to Hull College.
By 2016 it had 3,000 full- and part-time students, including young people over 16, as well as adults and apprentices.
On 1 August 2019 it transferred from Hull College Group to Luminate Education Group, with Danny Wild as principal. it is still a member of this group.
Notable former students
- Andrew Brons, British National Party MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, former politics lecturer and student
- Leon Doyle, candidate on Series 7 of The Apprentice
- Richard Hammond, Top Gear presenter and television personality
- Lewis Kaberry, Australian theatre architect
- Charles Wilson, New Zealand member of parliament
- Jenny Vaughan (artist)