Holy Cross College in Bury does like to blow its own trumpet - look at us we're in the top ten…read morecolleges again, look at how many people we practically forced to do four or five A Levels or how many got into Oxbridge.. The difference with Holy Cross is that this Sixth Form College actually does deliver exactly what the parents are after. I found the quality of teaching consistently high when I was a student and I am sure that this was a considerable factor in my doing well at A Level. The General Studies module has always been a bit of a joke but the form classes we had to 'prepare' us for this exam were among the most interesting we had. There were debates on topics such as ethics and the big news stories at the time. Their focus is academic - Lower Sixth students have to swipe their student card (there is no registration) at 8.40am regardless of whether they have lectures or not. How many people actually used this time to go to the often empty library, I'd be sceptical. Its on the top floor of one of their buildings and you can only enter from one set of stairs.. it wasn't exactly easy to nip in. I didn't find that any Catholicism was pushed down my throat - yes, the college was originally run by nuns or based on a school that was run by nuns, something like that. And yes there were frail, old nuns walking about every now and again. One other point, this may have changed but when I was there you could only take Philosophy with Theology, half and half. And obviously the majority of the Theology side was Christian, so that put me off a subject I would have otherwise taken (I went on to write my university dissertation on the beginnings of western philosophy). I did two extra exams in my final year called AEAs in English and History and whilst the sessions were interesting and the exams clearly more challenging to both my memory and creativity, once you are getting three or four As what universities want to see is a more well rounded candidate, right? Sports, volunteering, drama, part time job.. There were plenty of extras at Holy Cross: dance classes, Fairtrade fairs, plus we halfheartedly set up a magazine there - not sure if that has lasted..

This site is in the middle and offers further education from age 16 onwards. As well as traditional…read moresubjects, the college offers courses in childcare, hairdressing and beauty courses to name a few. I completed both a HNC and HND in Early Childhood Studies, on a part time basis. The teaching that I received was excellent. Parking is difficult; there isn't any available on campus, so it is a bit of a walk. They have open days a couple of days a year, so that you can go in and discuss your options with advisers. There is also a cafeteria on site, so that you can eat lunch. There is also a restaurant on site, where trainee chefs practise what they have learnt. I enjoyed my time at this college - the lecturer's were friendly and helpful.

I would just like to say that I am grateful to Oldham Sixth Form for allowing my daughter to resit…read moreher A Levels there. Her tutors have been supportive and helpful which has rebuilt her trust in the educational system and her confidence after being let down so badly by Hyde Clarendon Sixth Form College. I would like to say thank you to all her tutors in assisting my daughter in getting the grades that she deserved.

I'll be the first to to admit that it's been a while since I've visited, the last time being in…read more1999, however although the 'look' has changed I think the fundamentals will remain and so I hope that this review will be of some relevance to people. I've been to several universities and when I attended this one it was still longing for it's university status and was called 'Bolton Institute of Higher Education'. There's a modern feel to this place both in ethics and in look, it's relaxed yet inspiring. The teaching staff were superb, they were thought provoking, informative and generally encouraged you and made being there feel like somewhere you actually wanted to be. My course was modular and you could basically pick from a range of times to learn which makes it very flexible for both full time and part time students as they even offered 6-9pm tutorials (perfect for going straight out on the lash afterwards, but shh!) handy if you work to fund your studies. The course tutors and year tutors were always approachable and the courses were well structured to gain maximum interest and learning ability from students. The campus isn't overwhelming large nor oppressive and In my opnion the recent refurbishments can only have made things even better. If you're new to higher education or thinking of returning to it, I highly recommend having a look at http://www.bolton.ac.uk

Save your time and your money. This school is a joke. Almost no one in the staff graduated from the…read moreschool. In addition to that, I had the staff telling me that no one takes degrees from here seriously. That they work for three years and get a degree just to work at ASDA because no one wants to hire them.

I went to Bury Grammar Girls school for 5 years and it really has its ups and downs. What I can say…read moreis that you will get a good education and work ethic from going there, which i suppose is what you pay for. But honestly, since starting public college, it turns out those great GCSEs I got don't seem to matter at all, it doesn't mean anything if you have 9s on your CV, useless for the working world. I was on a bursary, from a working class background, and I found it very difficult going to school with so many right wing middle class people. People tend to think you're made of money, you feel pressured to wear designer clothes and show up in a nice car. Being a girls school, it's also very bitchy. Some of the teachers are really lovely and care about the students, but others, especially the ones in higher up positions, can be extremely harsh and strict. I was quite outspoken in highschool, being one of the worst behaved despite my behaviour only being bad enough to earn me one detention the whole time I was there. The school really is pretentious, their main concern is grades and money, they don't seem to care about the pressure students are under and in fact add more. From what I've heard the sixth form is awful and just like highschool, unless of course you're one of the popular rich kids. The atmosphere is judgemental and focussed so much more on what you have rather than who you are. One of the girls I know who previously attended said she went to a teacher for help when she was having very bad problems at home, ones which I've seen really affect her self esteem and self worth. She once overheard a teacher on the phone to social services saying 'she seems to think we can help but she's going to have to deal with it we don't have a magic wand'. Another extremely bright and hardworking girl I knew went there for over 10 years and got kicked out when her parents lost her job, had to go to a different highschool in her last year. They don't tell you what goes on behind the scenes, they just wave their swan flags and have you hold a balloon with the 9 from your GCSE's on it. I wouldn't reccomend it purely for ethical reasons. Send your child somewhere where they will feel equal and they'll be treated like a person, not a test score. BRGS is a great choice as it's a free grammar school that you have to pass a test for, meaning it's less money focussed and more intelligence focused. In fact, the majority of high schools are good if you just have a good work ethic and want to do well rather than paying 12 grand a year for someone to force you to work because you can't be bothered in the first place. For a lot of people, hard work is the only thing that can get them places, and I am grateful that I don't have the fed-by-a-silver-spoon mentality.

My daughter is in year 7 at the Bury Grammar School Girls. It is an expensive option, once you…read morefactor in all the extra's you are looking at fees of £10,000 a year. We are lucky we recieved an inheritance and this is how we afforded it. The state schools were a poor choice and we felt this was our only option. The education she is now receiving is first class. The quality of teaching is thorough and importantly she has made some good friends who I think she will know for life. It is well served by local transport links and has many school buses. Academically, it does extremely well and I am sure my daughter will receive an education that will equip her for life. The teachers and staff are quick to respond to any queries and complaints and it has fantastic facilities and books. Importantly the girls are given confidence and taught how to give back to the community. I know it is not a choice for everyone - we were lucky - but for anyone considering it, I think it has been worth every penny!

I am currently a student here and although may be considered biased I am giving the university 4…read morestars on the basis that I have never felt so welcomed into an education environment since maybe primary school! After depcelopimg anxiety at school and finding it hard to interact with people (both peers a teachers) college was no easy ride, however, when I got to salford last year expecting much the same from uni, I was horribly mistaken, everyone, both staff and students are lovely and could not be happy to help if you have a problem, i find it very easy to approach staff members for help and guidance. Aside from the social pros of Salford the new peel park renovations are absolutely gorgeous even outside looks brilliant!!! New paving stones and all! And of course, to my amazement, multiple places to buy coffee for those dreaded 9am lectures

As a former student of this university and somebody who lives very near to it and still knows a lot…read moreof resident students, I've always felt I have the right to criticise it. But there's genuinely very little to say that's remotely negative. If anyone is even considering studying in Manchester, I'd advise them to veer away from the red brick and overlook the Met to at least give Salford a fair glance. When I came here, a naive 18 year old student fresh out of my little suburban college and having grown up in a village so rural, farmland greeted my back window view every morning, I was a little wet behind the ears to say the least. And it took me a long, long time to get used to pounding the urban pavement. But there's something about Salford that eases you in, in a way the other two Mancunian universities don't. Firstly, the accommodation. Very rarely in Salford are you put somewhere surrounded by city greyness, somewhere bustling and crazy. The halls I lived in were set far back on Frederick Road near some residential buildings, small businesses and a train station. Thus I had a quiet walk to my university buildings each morning, which was pleasant. An actual tree-lined walk no less, along the Crescent, past the train station and the beautiful Peel Building and Museum and Art Gallery. But there was also the option of Horlock or Constantine Court, halls within the cosy campus boundaries near Peel Park, meaning not only did you have pretty views but a quiet community with a local student shop and an HSBC bank with a bookshop accompanying it. I remember buying my Hershey's products from the little newsagent there (yes, for some reason they sold American candy) and thinking, what a nice place to live. That's not the only option. The IQ Centre and Castle Irwell are gated communities on the edge of Salford, reachable through Peel Park and those who live there have a real sense of camaraderie. IQ is perhaps the posher option with its communal room offering Sky TV, its onsite Subway and its larger rooms with kitchens and lounges decked out in Ikea products. Castle Irwell is slightly more rough and ready. But that's far from it, there's even the option of living on what I call the 'Fame' campus, the school of Media, Music and Performance which has a couple of tower blocks for local students, Bramall Court, and Matthias for post-grads. Again, this is set back into a residential area so you're not constantly harassed by traffic noise. Compare this to Manchester Met, where some accommodation is stationed firmly on a road chockfull of bars and clubs. But as for the university itself? I've found myself inspired, educated and I've had plenty of fun along the way. I've had desperate needs met in the form of no-questions-asked hardship loans and grants, and often when people come to Salford, it's because they offered a course specifically tailored to their needs. Something with a major and a minor. For me, it was English with Cultural Studies, which allowed me to explore my equally beloved Media and Psychology as well as Philosophy and Sociology. For others it's something like Journalism with Criminology, or Sociology with Military History. Anything and everything. You come for the course, you stay for the atmosphere, the easy to navigate libraries, the surprising mix of quiet and bustling, beautiful onsite landmarks like Peel Park, the sense of student community (student societies are out in full force here), the cheapest student accommodation in the UK and the enthusiastic lecturers. As with any university there are some bad apples teaching-wise, but we won't let those rot the barrel, as the good ones far outweigh the not so great. I literally couldn't recommend Salford more. And besides, what's better than knowing you're in the studying in the same town that Morrissey and the Smiths featured in photos and videos?