For New Students

This page is for students thinking of joining Pennine

Where is it?

Your college is just outside Wakefield in West Yorkshire in a place called Chapelthorpe.

What will I do at the college?

You will spend the first term getting used to life at the college, getting to know the other students and having a go at some of the activities that we have available. On most mornings you will join the Foundation Class where you will learn about all sorts of things. In the afternoons you will join one of the craft groups, or work on the farm or garden. During your first year at the Pennine you will have a chance to try out most of the different workshops — we have a weavery, woodwork shop, pottery, basket workshop and Tools for Self-Reliance workshop. There is a small farm and an organic garden where we grow some of our food. If you are a residential student, you will also be able to join in a variety of activities in the evening.

After your first year you will start to choose the sort of activities that you would like to do more of, or would like to gain more skills in.

Do I have to live there?

It can be fun live at the college as a residential student as you can join in with the social activities in the evening if you would like to.  You will also join in the general life in your house and help to tidy and clean the house, help with the laundry and help to keep things going generally.

But if you already live locally, you do not have to live at the college and can attend as a ‘day’ student.  If you are a day student you will be based at one of the houses, where you will have lunch and also help with some of the chores afterwards.

OK — So what happens if I live with you?

Well, you would live in one of the houses on the college site together with other students and the people who run the houses and live there themselves. They are called co-workers.

There are five houses on the college site where students live: 

• Boyne Hill House, where eight students live with Wookang.

• Hibernia where Catherine and Raph live, with Catherine’s daughter Millie and six students. The hen house is in the orchard behind the house. If you live here you need to keep an eye out for the fox!
• Colliery is where Tomáš and Monika live with their three sons, together with five students.
• Lynda, and Andrew and Paula live in Ruskin, together with Andrew and Paula's two sons and eight students.
• Vera and James live in Birch with their young daughters, Sophia and Terezia. Five days students are attached to their household.
• Seven day students are based at the other four houses.

Other young people, not much older than you, also live in each of the houses and they are there to help you and others when you need it.

Each of the houses has a different atmosphere because of the different people who live there.

Will I have my own room?

At present, all the residential students live in single rooms.

Who else will I meet?

There are other people round the college who help make things work and keep things running and, sometimes, help you. You might meet Lynn, Steph and Sue who work in the office. 

Quite a lot of people come into the college to teach in the workshops or work with students on some of the additional activities on the timetable, such as ICT, painting and the NVQ courses. 

You may also meet Carol, Carolyn and Sarah who look after the horses and stables, and teach horse riding.