As World Heritage Day is celebrated across the planet, Eastleigh College is reflecting on its growth and progression over a period of 62 years of further education to the Hampshire community.

Eastleigh College was established in 1961 to meet the further education needs of the Eastleigh, Winchester and Romsey areas of central Hampshire. Originally known as ‘Eastleigh Technical College’, our site has since seen significant growth and expansion through the years, as well as an increased offering across many trades, to become the technical skills hub that it is recognised as today.

Take a look back through history at some of our traditional classes here:

To celebrate 50 years of success, a new sculpture was introduced to our D block courtyard in 2011. This became known as ‘Baz’ in homage to the sculptor Barry, a former staff member, and features a life size metal sculpture reading a book, commemorating the vast volume of learning and education that has taken place over the years at Eastleigh College. In 2022, Baz was joined by a special Tommy statue in recognition of Remembrance Day, which now lies on the other side of the courtyard.

In 2016, a state-of-the-art Hair, Beauty and Arts Centre was opened, including specialist salons, photography studios and computer suites to aid learning. This modern development was part of a £12 million refurbishment project alongside the East Avenue training restaurant. Both facilities not only provide advanced education to learners but also offer services to the wider public and local community.

With the increased cultural shift towards online learning that has taken place across the past decade, Eastleigh College was proud to establish the highly advanced EC Online learning platform, allowing learners to participate in a variety of subjects online, such as Business, Functional Skills and Health and Social Care. This has allowed our outreach to expand to unprecedented levels, with learners now having the option to participate in specialist courses across the country irrespective of time or location.

In 2021, our new Learner Hub was opened on campus, uniting all our support services in one centralised location to enhance the learner experience. This provision also created new study areas for formal and informal learning, in addition to large meeting spaces that could be utilised for College events and activities. 

We have come a long way since our humble beginnings in 1961, and we cannot wait to see what lies in store for us in the future!

For any further information, please contact us at BeBetter@eastleigh.ac.uk.