Middlesbrough has a world-class and innovative education programme, pursuing excellence in schools and colleges and university education.
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Key Facts - Higher Education - Teesside University
Teesside was the winner of the Times Higher Education’s University of the Year Award in 2009/10 with judges singling out its commitment to working with communities and businesses.
With roots going back to 1929, the University has a proud tradition of meeting the needs of key industrial sectors such as engineering, petrochemicals and, more recently, the digital sector. Its business start-up programme launched over 300 new enterprises in the last decade.
Teesside has five research institutes - Digital Futures Institute; Health and Social Care Institute; Institute of Design, Culture and Arts; Social Futures Institute; and Technology Futures Institute. The University has established higher education centres in Middlesbrough College and the other four further education colleges across the Tees Valley.
Successful Teesside alumni include Marek Reichman, who went on from a first-class degree specialising in product design to become the design director of luxury car company, Aston Martin. He played a key role in producing the DBS model for 007 in the Bond movie, Casino Royale. Dan Walker, an industrial design graduate who worked as a concept artist on Doctor Who and several Disney films. Andy Lomas, who came to Teesside to study for a master’s degree in computer graphical technology after graduating in mathematics from Cambridge University. He worked for leading animation production companies in London and the US, working on The Matrix and Harry Potter films. Sharon Gaytor, top British long distance endurance runner, who gained a sport & exercise master’s degree.
- Teesside University was named University of the Year by the Times Higher Education magazine.
- Students participating in a survey for The Times voted the Teesside University the best of the UK's new universities
- Student numbers have grown by 65% during the past decade to more than 22,000. A further 20% increase is projected by 2020
- The University has invested some £100m in the last decade, including £38m on new buildings. It plans to invest a further £45m over the next seven years
- The School of Computing is ranked as the best new university department in the UK for teaching quality. It has more students and staff specialising in visualisation than any other UK university
- Almost 70% of the research entered by the University for the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) was classified as being of international quality or higher
- The University is building on this success. In 2009, it will open five new research institutes focusing on key areas of strength such as digital media, technology, social science, arts & culture and health & social care.
- The Mechanical Engineering Course at Teesside University is ranked top in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2009).
- Around £120 million has been invested in Teesside University campus in recent years with a £17 million building for Sport and Health Sciences being the latest addition. Our student numbers have risen to over 25,000 and the total gross domestic economic impact of the University is estimated to be £815 million pounds per year to the local economy.
- A new £17m dental education and practice facility and sports therapy complex will officially open at Teesside University next April. The Centuria South Building off Victoria Road, Middlesbrough, will provide a state-of-the-art teaching and learning environment for students in a range of subjects including sports therapy, dental nursing, dental hygiene/therapy and dental technology.
Key Facts - Further Education - Middlesbrough College
- Middlesbrough College has moved into an iconic new £68m campus at the prestigious Middlehaven development
- It has brought together four existing FE facilities onto one 32,000 sq m site to provide top quality training services for the people of Middlesbrough
Under one roof there are 32,000m2 of space including:
- a 156 seat theatre
- a six-court sports hall
- a gymnastics training centre
- a fitness centre
- six training kitchens
- a restaurant and cafe
- a four-storey library
- two hair salons
- four beauty salons
- a spa suite and nail bar
- fourteen engineering and construction workshops
- two lecture theatres
- six science laboratories
- four drama and dance studios
- six recording studios
- a travel shop
- art studios
Many of the facilities and services provided within the building are open to the public seven days a week, thus providing a ready-made community resource to support the residential and commercial developments emerging alongside the College as part of the largest zero-carbon regeneration project in Europe.
Middlesbrough College has revealed that it is ready to invest up to £7million in the future of Middlesbrough’s young people, by announcing that it is to build a centre dedicated to sixth-form A-Level learning adjacent to its existing, award-winning building at Middlehaven.
Key Facts - Higher Education - CCAD
- Cleveland College of Art & Design (CCAD) is one of only four specialist art and design colleges in the country and statistics have just proven the best in the UK.
- CCAD is renowned for high quality, innovative courses - such as a BA (Hons) Entertainment Design Crafts
- Former students include film director, Sir Ridley Scott, creator of Bob the Builder, Curtis Jobling, and, artist Mackenzie Thorpe
Cleveland College of Art and Design is the top specialist further education Art and Design College in England according to figures published by the Government Department for Children, Schools and Families (2009).
At right, Cleveland College of Art & Design Principal Martin Raby and students.
Cleveland College of Art & Design has been lavished with praise by education watchdog Ofsted, following a thorough inspection of the opportunities it provides to more than 800 full-time students from across the North every year.
The college was hailed for its students’ academic achievements, the outstanding quality of its teaching, providing a rich and varied curriculum and meeting the needs of a diverse range of learners.
Key Facts - Schools and Learning
- Class sizes and pupil to teacher ratios in the Tees Valley are among the lowest in the UK
- A higher proportion of children get their first choice secondary school
- Three new children's centres opened this summer, joining Middlesbrough's vibrant network of centres integrating childcare services and early learning.
- Middlesbrough Council's School Meals' Service achieved the highest accolade for delivering the best school meals in the country
- The single biggest investment in Middlesbrough schools in the town's history is happening now - Building Schools for the Future (BSF) - approximately £110m of government funding is renew ing all of Middlesbrough's state secondary schools by the end of 2012.
- The number of 16-24 year olds in the Tees Valley who have trade apprenticeships is twice the national average. In addition, more 19-21 year olds hold NVQ level 2 qualifications.