STUDENTS made history yesterday as they filed into Swindon’s new University Technical College.

The college, in Bristol Road, which has been years in the making, welcomed its first cohort of pupils at 8.30am sharp.

After an emotional assembly for principal Angela Barker-Dench and slightly nerve-wracking introduction to their new school, 125 teenagers aged between 14 and 16 attended their first class at 9.30am.

There are only nine girls.

Throughout the day they gradually familiarised themselves with the state-of-the art facilities, workshop areas and of course their teachers.

“It’s a big day and the assembly this morning was quite emotional,” said Angela.

“It’s actually 12 months to the day since I started, but it’s completely accidental.

“It’s a proud moment for me. We have really bright students. They are focused on what they want to do and where they want to go.

“Our immediate plan is to be the best UTC in the country.”

The college had the capacity to welcome 300 students during its first year.

Mrs Barker-Dench saying the reduced number would allow staff to give the new students more one-on-one attention and be as focused on their individual needs as possible.

“It’s quite nice to have a smaller first cohort,” she said.

“It gives us the opportunity to work with students and help them get better. We didn’t get to capacity but we have had many applications for 2015.

“It’s hard to sell something when you have no history.

“When they signed up, there were no results, no building, and the main staff was recruited during the summer.

“It is a leap of faith for parents, listening to what our vision is about and what we want to achieve and how our partners are going to work with students.

“It is a different environment. The students work from 8.30am until 5pm Monday to Thursday and finish at 4pm on Friday.

“It’s as if they were at work and that’s one of the skills we will give them: they will be work-ready when they leave or independent learners at university.”

UTC Swindon occupies a £10 million facility, including engineering and manufacturing workshops, with the Old School Building and the iconic Water Tower featuring prominently.

While one part of the building is fully operational, the remaining rooms open in three and a half weeks’ time.

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UTC Students, Zak Howarth and Abbie Bradford                     

Abigail Bradford, of Highworth, left Warneford School to receive a more hands-on and engineering-focused education at UTC.

“I want to become an aeronautic engineering officer in the army,” said the 14-year-old. “I’ve always wanted to be an engineer because my uncle was an engineer, and my grandparents.

“I felt it was the best place for me to go. A friend at school was moving to UTC and explained what it was and I went home and spoke to my mum. She let me move here. I’m happy with my decision but I’m still really nervous.”

Her classmate Zak Howarth, of Haydon Wick, was a student at Nova Hreod before transferring.

He said: “I was always going to choose engineering anyway so, when an engineering specialised college opened, I went for that,” said the 14-year-old.

“I will probably join the army in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. I am a bit nervous because I really want to do well at this school. I’ve never been to a UTC and I don’t know anyone who has been to one.

“It’s going to be a new page in the book.”