East Surrey College - Redhill

Andy M.

I attended this college in the early 2000s and studied IT and later Electronic Media under lecturer Lucy Orr and had a fantastic time. Granted, it’s been a while since I was a student, but I recently donated some surplus art supplies to ESC and had the opportunity to see the new (to me) campus and facilities.
In my opinion this is a brilliant college and its facilities are fantastic. I’d strongly recommend East Surrey College to any prospective students.

Callum B.

Why if it isn't your lucky day East Surrey, only a few months ago I was just in this reviews page with a separate account however, you had to be so dreadful on decision making that I had to come back to give another review and this time, we're going at it brutally and honestly!

Only at the start of September I started my 3rd year at East Surrey College and it was safe to say nothing had changed, yet again classes not being ready, incompetent teachers that 'Claim' to have a PHD yet their teaching methods are absolutely not it, during a business class on the 17th, a complete and utter useless, incompetent teacher had a go at us for using mobiles when the class had no laptops and yet here we are trying to take notes, I've responded back for the whole class in a manner that shocked him as I laid it out to him as I'm an honest and genuine person, he then ran out, told his managers what I mentioned and sulked, I was dragged out of class and given a run down with zero empathy until I started opening up, is that how bad it has to get before you start listening to us? We actually have to be in a severe state of mind just for you to listen? Talk about mental health matters yet you brand it everywhere, funny that.

7 days ago that incident occurred and I've been expelled for It, may I mention my Ex whom also attends the college assaulted a student not long ago just to control what they do towards me? Not exactly ideal now is it, that student suffered shock and anxiety in that moment when my ex took his phone just to do a recording which is proof of him snatching it people, some people don't understand that however like today...

Either way, the college needs to be straightened out properly and it needs a whole new management overhaul, it if were me, I'd sack the director in charge of Business and Public services and actually replace them with someone with a smile and a bit of humour instead of Cruella De Vil just not as iconic.

I'm going to advice 3 courses to not send your child here for in my experience with reasons:

Public Services: This course either toughens you up or makes you become someone you'd rather turn your head to.

Business: The main tutor tends to be incompetent and not understanding when it comes to Mental health yet he got a PHD, funny that and finally the Director cares more about numbers than their own students mental health conditions and don't even argue it when you know full well and you know who you are...

And Lastly...

Motor Vehicle: Did this course for 2 whole years and yet a snail is more useful than Management, like jesus christ, you sucked the life out of my face from those two years and yet I'm only 18?! You could've tried to organise exams more effectively and staffed classes properly.

Now let's look at this as a whole but broken down, Students get assaulted by other students, directors are more effective being asleep than doing their job, 3 courses are outstandingly utter nonsense at the current Level they're at and yet here we have a our final result, oh and to mention

(I got expelled because my exes mother came out chasing me at East Surrey Hospital and she bad mouthed me with my own father on the phone, so I didn't let it slide, the audacity she had to question me when that manipulator was not mature and I didn't need that and here we are with the college involved and the director one siding a story that was half fiction towards my ex, they cried that night, i still find that funny ngl and then he assaults a mate of mine to control him)

Now back to the final result on the college

Result: Crawley College and Coulsdon college have a better system for things like this, avoid this college at all costs, withdraw your children and assign them a different one, Crawley college is accessible via Station, Routes 420, 460, 400 and 100 served by Metrobus, Coulsdon can be served by rail or 405 served by Arriva.

Whatever you decide to do with your kids, don't make them attend this college, it'll be the end for them as they've just set me up to fail by believing something that isn't true.

Thomas R.

I was here only 1 year and they are so unorganised and they don't understand autism, they changed stuff last minute and it's just draining, people with autism they need to know not last minute, we need a routine and if its changed without us getting heads up that's when we flip and will get angry, I don't recommend this place! Also let me talk about my mental health, the only teachers that helped me was Sam the TA and celcse! All the others compared it to themselves I not really impressed with my experience I honestly wouldn't recommend it, it's sad really but it didn't work out for me!

Hollie M. M.

I graduated in 2022. I enjoyed college a lot more than sixth form. Generally the staff were good but there is unfortunately not enough staff for what I did travel and tourism. Such a shame because it’s wonderful course.

Julia K.

I was due to start an evening course as a mature student this week. I received a phone call from Natalie and was told they had decided to change the start time of the course. This is unacceptable as I am now not able to get to the college on time. I made my arrangements to fit around the course .
The course is not as advertised . I will be contacting the college principal LINDSAY PAMPHILON

Callum B.

Dear oh Dear, East Surrey college, I know you're placed in Redhill however I never knew you could be lower than the town itself, you make Croydon seem luxurious after 2 years being here, but here we are, typing a 1 star review yet, you could've possibly had maybe 3 - 4 stars; I've been attending ever since September 2022 and I've had the worst possible experience of my life, College was supposed to be a sweethaven for me however its been quite the opposite, I feel as if you don't care for the Motor Vehicle Students whatsoever, no trips to outside learning such as museums which apparently are mandatory, no support moving up, the only way you can get support is making mutual with the staff and then that can be difficult if you don't have a shining personality, you need to focus on Motor Vehicle more, not Motorsport, I understand its the college's main priority however... only including Motor Vehicle in 1 post on Instagram in the past 6 months is absolutely absurd, plus, I'm typing this from home when there's supposed to be a lesson on! Hold on, staff sickness?! I'm off and I have 3 weeks left to complete my files after Tomorrow, you are absolutely atrocious and deserve Government support which clearly coming from inside the building you do not receive, making Motor Vehicle students clean up a south workshop which is MOTORSPORT MAY I MENTION and not even learning anything practical on the vehicles on the NORTH workshop which is MOTOR VEHICLE MAY I ALSO ADD, you're one of the reasons I have to take anti-depressants and then the days I have college and forget to take them I have no motivation to even go in, the first year was bad, but the 2nd, absolutely not, I recommend to place your child into the Motor Vehicle program and to steer clear, there only 2 staff that can teach and they're using one not qualified to teach in a classroom, it's dreadful, I wouldn't have to make this review if the head of Engineering came into our class when we had zero lessons before hand and said 'you all need to attend to make sure to stay on the course' aka more money, I even know how much they make per student with no EHCP's and EHCP's, however due to my research, I could be committing a crime so I shall not mention the values. Key points from this review that need work on ASAP! (All in Order)

1. Staffing (Dreadful)
2. Lessons (Dreadful)
3. Trips to learn outside College Grounds with real manufacturers such as Audi, VW, Skoda, Vauxhall, Ect Ect. (Abysmal)
4. Modern Slavery, (As I have mentioned, using students to clean another courses workshop; Funny thing is motorsports can't even jack up a car 😂)
5. Maths and English (Times need to be reduced back to 1 hour instead of 1 hour and 15 mins to give students more free time if they fail)
And last and but not least no. 6. Mental Health Help (one of my teachers on a Friday told me off for drawing when it's one of my ways on learning otherwise I daydream and don't take in any of the course work being said, 3 of my other classmates were also told off and they no longer attend the lessons regularly, maybe one out of two lessons and day)

Hoped this helped you after all my research into the college and taking in everything that has been done in 2 years; the good perk of Autism is observing certain activities and researching on what they can possibly face, take care now! 🙂

Josh P.

The collage itself is good the teaching is great understandable etc good easy to do your course and the 3 day a week system is amazing as it allows your schedule to be more active and work at the same time. However what doesn't make this a 5 star review is the after collage ends support THERE IS NON OF IT I've had to chase the collage up multiple years as to what happens next? They don't know themselves I was told that the course would take 3 years but ends up taking 5. They dont help you with the next steps what so ever one of my friends may not get into UNI because of the collages negligence despite getting amazing grades the collages lack of help to guide him on what do it next there was no help when it came to helping students apply for it. The same goes for me due to the courses lack of support for the next steps I as a 19 year old had to take it into my own steps and pay another collage to help me do the course quicker then ESC and meet the dates my employer needs. Furthermore the food in the collage was great but has always been expensive but that wasn't a issue as the food was at a high quality and tasted good HOWEVER over the years the catering company has clearly changed and the food quality has gone really bad and the prices have increased to the point where the food isn't worth the money your paying... cold hard chicken after a long practical session isn't fun at all.

EDIT: Its gotten worse to be honest the collage is falling apart the only good thing about the collage is the free parking and they will probs charge for that soon but the reasons as why the collage has gotten worse over the years have doubled and this is simply down to the fact that the collages communication with its pupils is non existent before the collage had a system where it sent a text message to all students informing them of room changes etc or if the lesson was cancelled they completely removed that system and have now left no way for the poor tutors to get into contact with students that's right they removed the only system that worked I feel sorry for my tutor who gets so much rubbish from us because there was been MULTIPLE occasions where the whole class has turned up for there to be no lessons on DUE TO STAFF shortages. Ive had about 3-4 weeks off collage due to staff shortages which would be fine if i was NOT on an apprenticeship but when u are collage days are really important its becoming a joke now to be honest. Furthermore again when it comes to COMMUNICATION I remember the start of the year NO one contacted me in to regards of when we start the new term year so i contacted the collage multiple times to get a start date when they finally gave me one i arrived on time and ready for the new year to find out they gave me the wrong date and the date had been moved get this i called them 1 day before the date had been moved he even called me back to confirm that this was the date we started to only find out that it had gotten cancelled I would also like to state there has been so many times my whole class has turned up to lesson for the lesson to had been cancelled with NO PROPER contact to confirm this I have comfortably wasted about a full tank of petrol with the amount of times I've turned up to collage for them to say there is no lessons due to staff shortages all it takes was the old system back to fix this... furthermore the food has just gotten more expensive which again is fine if the food we were paying for was good quality WHICH IT ISNT how can for food go from being really good and expensive to really really bad and even more expensive its shambolic its cold hard and rubbery. This collage used to be such an amazing place and its just gotten worse over the years due to cutting systems that work to save money and changing so many stupid things. The staff shortage I understand it isn't there fault but communicating that with us and not telling us that collage is cancelled is the major problem. This used to be a 2 star review i have now dropped it to a 1

Suzanne M.

Went there for a haircut cut the other day. Good prices and nice hospitality. I feel that too much was cut off. Having said that it looks alot healthier. My stylist was nice enough but abit nervous. However it would have been nice to have seen the back. It was nice to have a cup of tea while I was having my hair cut. Next time choose a sink where the water taps are not so temperamental. Oh and I don't take to being told how to sit plus the receptionist nearly over charged me