Highlands College, Jersey

Highlands College is a further and higher college in Jersey in the Channel Islands. It has 860 full-time and over 4,000 part-time and adult students. Highlands is a Partner College of the University of Plymouth (The University of Plymouth Colleges network). The Principal is Professor Edward Sallis OBE, The Deputy Principal is Dr Gary Jones.

The College is situated on a campus in St. Saviour on the site of a former French Jesuit training school Notre Dame de Bon Secours that was established in Jersey in 1894 on the site known as Highlands. The school trained sailors for the French navy but when the Jesuits were denied permission by anti-clerical laws to continue teaching, the school was moved to Jersey from Brest. The Jesuit period finished after World War I and the site was purchased by another French group The Brothers of Christian Instruction from Ploërmel in Brittany who set up a missionary school. During the second world war Jersey was occupied by the Germans and the site from 1941 was used to house 180 occupying forces. It returned to its previous use in 1945.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the States of Jersey established a College of Further Education in a number of different buildings in Saint Helier, the capital of Jersey. The college taught mainly craft skills such as construction, catering, motor vehicle and secretarial courses. In 1970 the demand for missionaries had fallen away and the Brothers of Christian instruction sold the Highlands site to the States of Jersey. In 1972 the States established Highlands College and over a period moved all further education to the campus that was also occupied by the Education Department. Extensive rebuilding has taken place on the campus to create excellent facilities in a wide range of vocational disciplines. This work was undertaken by the States of Jersey Public Works Department over a period of years under the charge of Architect Michael Dodds.

The main feature of the college is its Great Hall. This is the former chapel built by the Jesuits and features a magnificent hammer beam room and stained glass windows. The college has hosted The Queen, the Prince of Wales, The UK Lord Chancellor and other distinguished guests in the Hall.

The curriculum portfolio of Highlands College includes childcare, art and design, construction, engineering, business and management studies, finance studies, media, hairdressing and beauty therapy, catering, travel and tourism, foundation studies, IT and health care as well as an Access to Higher Education programme. It offers degree programmes in IT, social science, construction management, architectural technology, public services and art and design.

Since 1998 the college has invested heavily in quality self-improvement process that was originally led by Dr Terry Melia CBE the former Senior Chief HMI and former Chief Inspector of the UK Further Education Funding Council. His 2004 report found that the leadership and management of the college were outstanding and he benchmarked the college against the best colleges in England.