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Blackpool and The Fylde College

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Blackpool and The Fylde College
Established1892
PrincipalAlun Francis
Location
Blackpool, Lancashire
,
England, UK
CampusBispham, University Centre, Gateway, Fleetwood Nautical, Lancashire Energy HQ
Websitewww.blackpool.ac.uk

Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC) is a further and higher education college in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.

The college is a Regional Teaching Partner of Lancaster University and offers full and part-time further education, higher education and vocational courses along with apprenticeships. From September 2016 the college also holds its own foundation degree awarding powers.[1]

Facilities include four main campuses located across the Fylde Coast.[citation needed] The sites in Fleetwood form a specialised Nautical campus, which teaches courses for merchant seafarers and offshore workers. As well as delivering a broad portfolio of accredited safety, survival and fire training courses, qualifications are also awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, Lancaster University as well as the college itself.

History

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In Fleetwood, a school for fisherman was opened in 1892.[2] The history of B&FC dates back to 1892's opening of Fleetwood's School for Fishermen, which later developed into the Nautical campus.[3] A technical college was built in 1936.[2] Blackpool Technical College (B&FC's Palatine Road site, later expanded into Blackpool Technical College and School of Art) opened in 1937, and expanded again to include the Bispham site c.1970 (Hall, A Hundred Years of Blackpool Education, Blackpool Education Committee, 1970). The Fleetwood and Blackpool colleges combined into B&FC in 1987.[3] In 1987, the nautical college merged with Blackpool and Fylde College, becoming Blackpool and The Fylde College.[2]

The college's Lytham site has been converted to provide sixth form facilities, in conjunction with Lytham St Annes Technology and Performing Arts College.[4] In 2009, it opened a new facility. In 2013, it had four main campuses and 70 learning centers. It had around 16,000 students.[2]

In 2025, it had 9 locations listed on its website.[5] Also in 2025, the city of Blackpool finalized a plan to begin construction on a new campus for the university in its town centre, meant to bring up to 3,000 people and set to open in 2027.[6] The city had started purchasing land for the project in 2024, with both Blackpool and the Fylde College and Lancaster University to use the buildings.[7]

Campuses

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  • Bispham
  • Gateway
  • Fleetwood Nautical
  • Seasiders Learning
  • University Centre
  • Lancashire Energy HQ

Students' Union

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B&FC Students' Union is affiliated with the NUS and works in partnership with the college. The SU represents students on a range of issues, including equality and diversity, education and social activities.

Institute of Technology

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Located across England, IoTs are a national network of partnerships between local colleges, universities and leading employers of which B&FC is now a part of.[8] Backed by a £290 million government investment, IoTs deliver the high quality technical education, providing skills-based training for careers across multiple technical industries.

B&FC as of 2023 was a partner with Lancashire and Cumbria's Institute of Technology, delivering a variety of technical IoT courses.[9]

Alumni

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "College Granted Foundation Degree Awarding Powers". Blackpool and The Fylde College. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d "Blackpool and The Fylde College", The Independent, 2013, retrieved 7 February 2025
  3. ^ a b "The history of B&FC". Blackpool and The Fylde College. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  4. ^ "Welcome to Lytham Sixth Form College". Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  5. ^ Locations, Blackpool, 2025, retrieved 7 February 2025
  6. ^ Kelly, Rob (3 February 2025), "Multiversity Compulsory Purchase Order Confirmed in Blackpool", Lancashire Business View, retrieved 7 February 2025{{citation}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  7. ^ Parkinson, Shelagh (10 April 2024), Blackpool's new £65m university campus plan approved, BBC, retrieved 7 February 2025{{citation}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  8. ^ "Home | Institutes of Technology". www.institutesoftechnology.org.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Institute of Technology at B&FC | Blackpool and The Fylde College". www.blackpool.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Sarah Myerscough (Artist) - Timeline". www.sarahmyerscough.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
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