Borders College

About the Scottish Borders

College Calendar 2010/2011 (Adobe Reader file)

College Calendar 2009/2010 (Adobe Reader file)

Whether you are a school leaver, returning to learning or striving to improve your skills and knowledge in the workplace Borders College can help you to achieve your goals.

This is an exciting time for Borders College with our new Scottish Borders Campus, based at Netherdale in Galashiels the new home to the majority of the wide-range of courses available on both a full-time and part-time basis.  In addition a new Learning Campus has just opened in Hawick and the recently enhanced Newtown St Boswells Campus ensures that students choosing to study at Borders College will benefit from first-class learning and teaching resources. 

This multi-million pound, groundbreaking new Scottish Borders Campus provides a unique learning and teaching environment.  The Scottish Borders Campus features new practical training areas, a new library and learning resource centre, enhanced IT facilities and new student social areas.

The Scottish Borders Campus also hosts Heriot-Watt University’s world renowned School of Textiles and Design and a new Business Programme, the result of a unique partnership between the College and the University.

A centre for educational excellence within the Scottish Borders region, the campus enables both College and University students to each benefit from a range of shared facilities whilst still retaining their own distinct identities.

Our Newtown St Boswells Campus is a centre of excellence for Landbased studies where students studying on the various Landbased courses have access to specialist practical areas and a dedicated learning resource centre that are constantly being developed to offer students and industry partners unique high quality training facilities helping meet the needs of an ever changing landbased industry.

In addition the new Scottish Borders Campus educational hub is supported by a number of ‘spoke’ centre’s throughout the Borders including a brand new Learning Campus in Hawick offering specific courses to enable local access for students residing in and around the Hawick area.  Another three local community based Learning Centre’s in Duns, Jedburgh and Peebles all offer varied short course programmes during the day and evening.

History of the College
Borders College was formed in 1984 by the amalgamation of Galashiels Technical College, Henderson Technical College (Hawick), Duns Agricultural Centre and the Agricultural Centre, Newtown St. Boswells.
On April 1st 1993 under the Further Education (Scotland) Act 1992, the College was transferred from the Borders Regional Council to a Body Corporate.

Statutory background
The College is one of 43 colleges of further education in Scotland and is governed by a Board of Management. The College is funded by the Scottish Funding Council and is responsible to the Scottish Executive.

Principal functions
Borders College, together with its subsidiary company, operates from six sites (Galashiels, Hawick, Duns, Newtown St. Boswells, Peebles and Edinburgh) and is the sole Further Education College and major provider of training in the Scottish Borders region.
Each year, around 8000 students enrol for a wide range of courses and programmes, both day and evening, to HND level and beyond, particularly in subject areas that will enable them to dovetail into local employment opportunities. Partnerships have been developed with a number of Scottish universities to provide students with a seamless progression to degree level programmes.

The College has developed its provision in line with local needs and has extensive links with industry and commerce by way of its industrial liaison network. Working closely with the Local Enterprise Company, the College has shaped its curriculum against the forecast needs of the local labour market.

Head Office

Borders College, Scottish Borders Campus, Nether Road, Galashiels, TD1 3HF. From Monday 6 April 2009

Tel: 08700 50 51 52 • Fax: 01896 758179
A Body Corporate with Charitable Status VAT REG. NO. 742 9051 36