Winstanley College - Wigan

S FA

Awful college. Extremely poor standard of teaching. Timetables are absolutely shocking. Teachers for designated subjects off for extended period of times with no like for like substitute teacher or any substitute teacher at all which the college didn’t care about just so long as the student turned up, registered that they attended.
Teachers in I.T were terrible. Nothing being taught just handed out sheets and told to follow them whilst the teacher sat at the desk and did nothing. Subject areas were often repeated with the teacher having no track of what work had or hadn’t been done. We had to mark our own test sheets and no feed back given if answers were wrong just told to “shut up” Students from other lessons would often walk into the I.T classes unchecked and would mess about whilst the teachers would allow this. I ended up being self taught and criticised if I was too far ahead.
DO NOT ATTEND THIS COLLEGE

Autumn

Okay it's time I set the record a bit more straight on my experience now I've got some distance from it.
This place was hard work. The amount of extracurricular work is very high, and I had a few breakdowns over my time there.
On the other hand, it worked for my grades and opened up universities to me that I wouldn't have gotten into otherwise.
Some people talked about stuck up rich kids, I never got that impression. As a poor student myself now, I've met plenty of much more well off people and I didn't get that impression from any of the ones I met at Winstanley. Maybe they were in other courses or maybe I got lucky.
There was a murder of a student in 2017, which I'm sure you have heard about. Because of that the College had higher security, but we were still allowed to just go out and wander around. They told us not to go alone but we were still allowed to go out alone and wander around the park where a student was murdered. I do not like thinking about that.
Some of the staff are lovely, some of the staff put an incredible amount of pressure on all their students without considering their mental health or underlying issues they have. Future compsci students are now free from Helen Pollard, if I hadn't been just good at it already she would have put me off the subject.
I hope Marilyn Audsley is still there, she was amazing and any physics students would be lucky to have her. The chance to be taught by her is worth going to Winstanley if you're doing physics.
Neither of my math teachers were interesting enough to have their names remembered, I just dont have a good math brain and the advanced stuff just did not stick.

Tens Mars

Random account for anonymous review. Going to this college was a waste of two years (I attended during the covid years to bare that in mind). I had one amazing tutor who actually listened and cared for their students. The others were shocking (we had to get higher ups involved with one). If you don’t plan going to university do not attend this college, they only care about university goers. In addition, useless tutor lessons which take up a while of your free period once a week, harsh rules, expensive shocking food, irregular and poorly executed buses which left me stranded with no way home multiple times and poor resources. Go to St John rigby instead, wish I did.

lisa

Would not recommend this college especially if you have a quiet child. The psycology lecturer commented that there was something underlying with my daughter because she was too quiet, unfortunately that is her nature. You get no help whatsoever if you are quiet and the personal tutors are jobs worths. All the college is interested in is students going to University and excelling pupils for their own grades to make them look like a good college. Definitely made the wrong decision sending my daughter here, she is now looking for a job with no help from college. Do not go to this college unless you are definitely fixated on going to Uni as they do not want you.

GUT Rey

God awful college , I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who has about 14 hours a day free of studying , there are so many reasons why this college can crumble to the ground firstly I can say that the restrooms here are despicable as they are extremely small and can smell someone taking a dump from a mile away another reason is the teachers here can be 50/50 , they can be good and bad for example certain teachers talk annoyingly slow and some patronise and question you in your decision of why you picked a certain subject I wish I could spit in their classroom ( that’s how low I think of them ) . Other students can really get on your nerves too like very sloW walkers down extremely narrow corridors . Finally if you do consider going to this horrendous college prepare you bowls as you won’t get a chance to relieve yourself and prepare yourself to get impersonate depression
One more thing the private bus services can do one , they stink and are so humid

Kalvalla

It was an alright place. Nice teachers, decent facilities, but have to go way too far away to smoke. Came out with 3 B's in Physics, Chemistry and Maths. Not been to any other colleges so can't compare.

Luke Adams

Went here nearly 8 years ago on the grounds of its superior reputation. Hated everyday of it.
Most of the teachers themselves were friendly and taught well but the college as a whole was tripe.
The personal tutor meetings were complete waste of time and the college focussed most on sending the best to Oxbridge university, alternative future pathways were barely touched upon.
A lot of the students came from wealthy backgrounds who were incredibly stuck up.
Library and study space, whilst very nice and must have cost a lot when it was new, is far too small for the number of students. I remember failing to find a seat on most days for the computers.
Other family members went here and none of us liked it.

Ryan Caunce

Of the 4 colleges I have been to this was the worst for education and the best for inducing poor mental health.

If you don't still sponge of mommy n daddy, then this isn't the college for you. You will be expected to spend as many hours as you spend in college, studying outside of college. If you are someone who requires an income to live, then you will not have time to complete the work load at this college.

If you need help with your work, the tutors will instead belittle you infront of the class and recommend you go see a second year student at a weekly held study club.

What they don't tell you on their success rate posters is that at the end of year 1, is if you didn't perform as well as they'd of liked, you will be illegally excluded from said course despite the AS year having no actual impact on your final grade.