A university technical college (UTC) is a type of secondary school in England that is sponsored by a university and has close ties to local business and industry.
University technical colleges specialise in subjects like engineering and construction, taught alongside business skills and the use of IT. Pupils study academic subjects as well as practical subjects leading to technical qualifications. The curriculum is designed by the university and employers, who also provide work experience and projects for students.
The university and industry partners support the curriculum development of the UTC, can provide professional development opportunities for teachers, and guide suitably qualified students on to industrial apprenticeships or tertiary education. The UTC's governors include representatives from the sponsor university and partner employers. Students traditionally transfer to a UTC at the age of 14, part-way through their secondary education, though many UTCs now accept pupils at a younger age. The first UTCs were established in 2010, and there were 44 of them in 2023.
Description A university technical college is a non-selective free school funded directly by the Department for Education, free to attend, and outside the control of the local education authority.
Students study core academic subjects, as well as practical subjects which lead to technical qualifications. The curriculum is designed by the university and employers, who also provide work experience for students.
UTCs were conceived and supported by the Labour government and introduced in 2010 by the coalition government under the free schools programme. UTCs are collectively distinctive in that they offer technically oriented courses of study, combining National Curriculum requirements with technical and vocational elements. UTCs must specialise in subjects that require technical and modern equipment, but they also all teach business skills and the use of information and communications technology (ICT). UTCs are also supposed to offer clear routes into higher education or further learning in work.
When operating, UTCs receive the same per capita funding as other schools in the local authority, calculated by the same formula, and £87 extra to cover UTC-specific administration.
The university technical college programme as a whole is sponsored by the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, which promotes the setting up of UTCs. The trust was co-founded by Kenneth Baker, a Conservative politician and former Secretary of State for Education and Ron Dearing. Each UTC pays an annual licence fee (£10,000 in 2019) to the trust. Baker Dearing's promotion of UTCs is supported by a range of organisations, including the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the Peter Cundill Foundation, and the Garfield Weston Foundation. Many large companies have pledged to co-sponsor UTCs including Arup, British Airways, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and Sony.
List of UTCs NameLocationSponsoring universityOpenedAston University Engineering AcademyBirminghamAston University2012BMAT STEM AcademyHarlow, EssexAnglia Ruskin University2014Aylesbury UTCAylesbury, BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire New University2013Cambridge Academy for Science and TechnologyCambridgeCambridge University Health Partners2014Crewe Engineering and Design UTCCrewe, CheshireManchester Metropolitan University2016UTC Derby Pride Park DerbyUniversity of Derby2015Doncaster UTCDoncasterUniversity of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University2020Elstree Screen Arts AcademyBorehamwood, HertfordshireUniversity of Hertfordshire2013Brook Sixth Form and AcademyDagenham, London Borough of Barking and DagenhamUniversity College London2014Energy Coast UTCWorkington, CumbriaUniversity of Cumbria2014Engineering UTC Northern LincolnshireScunthorpe, LincolnshireUniversity of Hull2015Global AcademyHayes, London Borough of HillingdonUniversity of the Arts London2016Greater Peterborough UTCPeterborough, CambridgeshireAnglia Ruskin University2016UTC HeathrowNorthwood, London Borough of HillingdonBrunel University London2014 (as Heathrow Aviation Engineering UTC)JCB AcademyRocester, StaffordshireHarper Adams University2010The Leigh UTCDartford, KentUniversity of Greenwich2014Lincoln UTCLincolnUniversity of Lincoln2014Liverpool Life Sciences UTCLiverpoolUniversity of Liverpool2013London Design and Engineering UTCRoyal Docks, London Borough of NewhamUniversity of East London2016Mulberry UTCBow, London Borough of Tower HamletsGoldsmiths, University of London2017North East Futures UTCNewcastle upon TyneUniversity of Sunderland2018Ron Dearing UTCHullUniversity of Hull2017Scarborough UTCScarborough, North YorkshireUniversity of Hull2016SGS Berkeley Green UTCBerkeley, South GloucestershireUniversity of Gloucestershire2017Silverstone UTCSilverstone Circuit, NorthamptonshireUniversity of Northampton2013South Devon UTCNewton Abbot, DevonUniversity of Plymouth2015South Wiltshire UTCSalisbury, WiltshireUniversity of Southampton2015Thomas Telford UTCWolverhamptonUniversity of Wolverhampton2015 (as West Midlands Construction UTC)University Collegiate SchoolBolton, Greater ManchesterUniversity of Bolton2015University Technical College NorfolkNorwichUniversity of East Anglia2014UTC LeedsHunslet, LeedsUniversity of Leeds2016UTC OxfordshireDidcot, OxfordshireUniversity of Reading2015UTC PlymouthPlymouth, DevonUniversity of Plymouth2013UTC PortsmouthPortsmouthUniversity of Portsmouth2017UTC ReadingReading, BerkshireUniversity of Reading2013UTC Sheffield City CentreSheffield, South YorkshireSheffield Hallam University2013UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy ParkSheffield, South YorkshireSheffield Hallam University2016UTC South DurhamNewton Aycliffe, County DurhamUniversity of Sunderland2016UTC SwindonSwindonOxford Brookes University2014UTC WarringtonWarrington, CheshireUniversity of Chester2016Place North West http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/archive/18167-warrington-utc-set-to-go-on-site.htmlUTC@MediaCityUKSalford, Greater ManchesterUniversity of Salford2015Waterfront UTCChatham, KentUniversity of Greenwich2015 (as Medway UTC)WMG Academy for Young Engineers, CoventryCoventryUniversity of Warwick2014WMG Academy for Young Engineers, SolihullSolihullUniversity of Warwick2016
Planned UTCs It was announced in August 2023 that two more UTCs would be established, in Doncaster and Southampton. In a review of the free school programmes in 2025 by the Department for Education, the Southampton UTC was listed as "minded to cancel", while the Doncaster UTC was listed as "continue in pre-opening".
Closed UTCs NameLocationSponsoring universityOpenedClosedBlack Country UTCWalsall, West MidlandsUniversity of Wolverhampton20112015UTC Central BedfordshireHoughton Regis, BedfordshireCranfield University20122016Daventry University Technical CollegeDaventry, NorthamptonshireUniversity of Northampton20132017Greater Manchester University Technical CollegeOldham, Greater ManchesterUniversity of Bolton20142017Hackney University Technical CollegeLondon Borough of HackneyUniversity of East London20122015UTC@HarboursideNewhaven, East SussexUniversity of Brighton20152019UTC LancashireBurnley, LancashireUniversity of Central Lancashire20132017Sir Simon Milton Westminster UTCCity of Westminster, LondonUniversity of Westminster20172022South Wiltshire UTCSalisburyUniversity of Southampton20152020Watford UTCWatford, HertfordshireUniversity of Hertfordshire20142023University Technical College WiganWigan, Greater ManchesterUniversity of Central Lancashire20132019
Converted away from traditional UTC model NameLocationSponsoring universityOpenedConvertedNew statusBristol Technology and Engineering AcademyStoke Gifford, South GloucestershireUniversity of the West of England20132022UTC SleeveRoyal Greenwich UTCRoyal Borough of GreenwichUniversity of Greenwich2013201611–19 free schoolSouth Bank Engineering UTCLondon Borough of LambethLondon South Bank University2016202316-19 AcademyTottenham University Technical CollegeLondon Borough of HaringeyMiddlesex University2014201716-19 free school
See also Academy school City Technology College Free school Studio school TVEI Maths school Career and technical education (United States)
References
External links University technical colleges (2015) How to apply University Technical Colleges