Stephenson Campus - SMB College Group - Coalville

Gemma

I started a level 3 Plumbing and Heating Course coming on 6 years ago.

From the get go, we had incompetence teaching.
We never had a steady tutor. Must of had at least 8-9 Different tutors in the time i was there.

First tutor cared nothing for us - Just busy buying items on ebay.

Second tutor - Cared more about his own personal success instead of helping us towards ours.
We turned up to our second exams and he just left a note on the wall, say that he had left and “Good luck”

3rd tutor didn’t last 5 minutes

4th tutor was basically sexist against women , making me and my classmate rather uncomfortable, kept our 3rd year exam out overnight to see if it would leak - whilst the boys got to take theres down. ( Too much wrong with that tutor)

Then there was jane, Lovely woman, managed to get us all back on track but it was too many years too late. Rip to her <3 and the rest was history. We spent over 2 years doing our plumbing portfolio for them to turn around to us on our 4th year that they had “Lost it” and that we needed to do it all over again. and have limited time to get that done. Next part is. Gas was meant to be a year study and then sit your exams. They did 2 weeks brief on it and then basically just threw us in for our theory exams. We all passed. But the entire college is so unprofessional, so rushed and no one cares about the depression they have caused us as students. We Still haven’t done our Gas practical or EPA - and we was signed off November 2023. Haven’t heard a thing from them since. They don’t care about the students on this course and all they’re doing is dragging their feet , delaying , and no real plan has been put into place so we can get our certificates. They are holding us back, back our wage , back our lives. Utter terrible establishment . I am done.

Mark B.

Cancelled my daughters course 12 hours before she was meant to start leaving her in a real difficult situation after her GCSE. Look else where for a better College.

Danny B.

Thought I would write a review to say how good the team have been for distance learning at Stephenson's college. Sophie is my tutor, and she is a very good teacher and I have passed all of my courses with flying colours. I have done quite a few courses now and will look forward to doing more in the future. I would definitely recommend distance learning as its government funded- free courses, so you are gaining experience and certificates for free! I am very happy with the service, and i would like to say thanks again to Sophie for being the best!
Emily x

Alex M.

I have been going to stephenson college for over 2yrs. I was on the adult evening hnc electrical engineering course. 2023 ended.
Here is my experience;
Had a tutor rip my work up in front of the class saying what's this s h I t.
No one turning up to teach us some times with no one telly you before hand or even when you was there.
Being told to Google everything because they don't have anything in place to help you gain information from.
No help with understanding what you are doing just the answer given to you because it's easier than teaching.
The course is not really electrical it's just engineering, so I was missed sold it.
No feed back on any of your assignments.
Still no idea if I have passed or not.
This as to be the worst college in England.

Was going to do the hnd but now have no confidence to do so because of this college

Vikki B.

Very poor college. Staff haven't a clue what they are doing - completely disorganised and even managers responsible for those staff (Debbie Tour) fail to return phone calls. I imagine it will be chaos upon the students return. Still waiting for course materials regarding a course I applied for online on the 11th August as an appointment was abruptly cancelled by Sophie that was made 4pm on the Monday and then cancelled at 7am the following morning. I have called numerous times to be fobbed off by everyone (Keeleigh & unnamed staff member) with whom I have spoken. I was told I should hear back by the 4th September by Caroline Hud or Alison Kitchener but still nothing! I'll not be using this college in future and have chosen to follow the course with an alternate provider. Why accept a person's application via email on the 13th August and then fail to provide the course? This is a government funded distance learning course so would it be a fair assumption that students are being accepted onto these courses just for the college to pocket the funds with no intent to provide the course to students? I do hope they haven't financially benefited from my application!

Oliver B.

As a new starter, I could not have asked for a warmer or more positive welcome to the team and college. Everyone I have spoken to has been kind, helpful and supportive during my first few weeks, which has truly allowed me to settle in quickly.

After viewing the website and the values the college strives to achieve, I knew this would be an organisation where I can truly feel at home.

Hannah D.

After reading Ryan's review, I felt compelled to write a review on this college. Mainly, I hate to say it, because I felt the same/had similar experiences. However, not everything was all gloom and doom! Whilst I completed the course, made friends and had one amazing teacher, I must say that having to put up with a new teaching department ourselves to begin with was not at all easy! We also found that in our department, one of our teachers simply didn't cut the mustard (English dept. - say no more) and having to have a new Maths teacher a month or two before our lessons ended didn't really help either. Stephenson College is a beautifully built college, with great canteens and rooms to learn in. HOWEVER, before you start your course, please make sure you are aware of the teaching experience your teachers have - especially if it is a rather academic course. Also try to make sure that they're not just going to up and leave before the course starts/halfway through the course. Teachers should have passion and love for the subjects they are teaching, and any good teacher will know that.

Sharna J.

Should have gone to Burton or Derby. They give you good work experience placements instead of expecting you to find one yourself. Staff here are poor and rude with few exceptions. Last year had a new tutor every week that told us all conflicting things about how assignments were supposed to be done. Was told that the "things we haven't studied yet" would be on the exam and we were expected to revise them anyway without knowing what they were. Also we were told there was supposed to be lots of practical work but there was 0%, even in the second year after we had complained about it and they promised it would change. The unidays discount was the best part of my experience here.