Wilberforce Sixth Form College

What Wilberforce Sixth Form College does

Wilberforce Sixth Form College is a state-funded further education institution established in 1988, operating from a single campus on Saltshouse Road in Kingston upon Hull and serving approximately 1,350 students aged 16-19 drawn from East Hull, West Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. The college delivers a portfolio of more than 70 courses across academic, vocational and technical pathways, including A Levels, T Levels (Health and Engineering), BTECs, UAL qualifications, City & Guilds, EAL and NCFE programmes. Its underlying technology stack is built on Microsoft 365 (Teams, OneDrive, Outlook), the proprietary Cedar student portal for applications, timetabling, results and communications, Google Analytics on the website, and Adobe Creative Suite for ICT/Visual Arts/Media courses; the college holds Microsoft Showcase College status, the first awarded to a UK sixth form college.

The business model is not commercial in the conventional sense: tuition is free for all 16-19 year olds and the college receives the bulk of its income from UK government further education funding (ESFA), supplemented by bursary administration, nominal £1.50 per-journey college bus fares, and donations-in-kind from employer partners. Customers are distributed across the secondary school leaver cohort in a defined regional catchment, with no commercial churn or pricing risk; however, revenue concentration sits with a single government funding stream. Marketing and admissions run through a hybrid motion combining a structured online application journey on Cedar, an interactive prospectus builder, organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), open evenings, masterclasses, and a dedicated school liaison team embedded across feeder schools. Employer partnerships with Siemens, IBM, CHCP, Arcmaster, CEF, Screen Yorkshire, Gosschalks and Hull KR provide T Level placements, work experience and enrichment.

Name

Wilberforce Sixth Form College

Legal name

Wilberforce Sixth Form College

Website

https://wilberforce.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wilberforce Sixth Form College is a state-funded further education institution in Hull serving around 1,350 students aged 16-19 with 70-plus A Level, T Level, BTEC, UAL, City & Guilds, EAL and NCFE qualifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Further Education (Sixth Form College)

NAICS

Junior Colleges (6112), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting) (EDAHADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG), Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) & Officer Candidate Schools (OCS/OTS) (EDAHAOAJ)

Keywords

• Further education college
• Sixth form education
• A level courses
• Vocational qualifications
• T level programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston upon Hull

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Further Education: Wilberforce Sixth Form College is a state-funded further education institution providing free tuition to 16-19 year olds. The college receives government funding based on student enrolment and learner numbers, supplemented by bursary funding for eligible students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Wilberforce Sixth Form College is a state-funded post-16 college delivering A Level, T Level, BTEC, UAL, City & Guilds, EAL and NCFE qualifications to approximately 1,350 students aged 16-19 from Hull and the East Riding. The college offers over 70 courses across academic, vocational and technical pathways, supplemented by careers guidance, work placements, learning support, and bursary-funded transport on dedicated college bus routes. Operations are delivered from a single campus at Saltshouse Road, Hull, with the first UK sixth form college Microsoft Showcase College status underpinning its digital learning infrastructure.

Product overview

Wilberforce Sixth Form College is a sixth form college serving approximately 1,350 students aged 16-19 in Hull and East Riding since 1988. The college offers a comprehensive portfolio of over 70 courses including A Level, T Level, BTEC, UAL, EAL, and City & Guilds qualifications across academic, vocational and technical programmes. The core educational offerings span Communications and Culture, Creative Practice and Performance, Digital and Engineering, Health Care and Internships, Humanities and Social Sciences, Maths and Business, Sciences and Arts, and Sport and Public Services. Beyond qualifications, the college provides supplementary services including the Cedar student portal, Microsoft Teams communication platform, IT facilities, Learning Resource Centre, Progress Mentors, Learning Support, Student Services, Financial Support and Bursaries, Careers and Guidance Service, Higher Education Programme, Upskilling Programme (with activities like Space Science Society, Ronno Record Label, Debating Society, E-Sports, and Future Medics Programme), Work Experience Placements with regional employers, and W DAY transition events. The college has partnerships with Microsoft (Showcase College status) and provides access to industry-standard tools including Adobe Creative Suite for ICT/Visual Arts and Media courses, and Office 365 for all students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• A Level Courses Two-year linear qualifications with examinations at the end of two years, covering academic subjects such as English, Film Studies, Geography, History, Fine Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Physics, and Psychology. Delivered to 16-19 year olds across the Communications and Culture, Creative Practice and Performance, Digital and Engineering, Health Care and Internships, Humanities and Social Sciences, Maths and Business, Sciences and Arts, and Sport and Public Services pathways.
• BTEC Courses Vocational qualifications with a higher percentage of coursework (up to 60%) and exams spread throughout the two years. Includes Extended Certificate, Extended Diploma, and Diploma variants across various subjects, designed for 16-19 year old learners seeking vocational pathways.
• T Level Courses Technical qualifications involving approximately 80% classroom learning and 20% practical experience including a 45-day on-the-job placement in a genuine business. Available in Health and Engineering pathways at Wilberforce, targeted at 16-19 year olds progressing to skilled employment or higher-level technical routes.
• UAL Courses University of the Arts London qualifications including Level 2 Diploma, Level 3 Extended Diploma, Level 4 Foundation Diploma, and Level 4 Professional Diploma in Creative Media Production, Art and Design. For 16-19 year olds pursuing creative arts routes.
• City & Guilds Courses Vocational qualifications at Level 2 and Level 3 in areas such as Beauty Therapy and Engineering, providing practical skills for specific industries. Delivered to 16-19 year old learners at Wilberforce.
• EAL Level 3 Extended Diploma English as an Additional Language qualification at Level 3, designed for students who need language support alongside their studies. Targeted at 16-19 year old learners at Wilberforce.
• NCFE Level 2 Diploma Level 2 vocational qualifications providing a foundation for further study at Level 3, for 16-19 year old students at Wilberforce Sixth Form College.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45% of A Level students achieve A*-B grades
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arcmaster LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Arcmaster Ltd, a leading UK supplier of welding and engineering equipment, has partnered with Wilberforce to provide industry-standard equipment, PPE, learning materials and consumables for the Engineering curriculum. Students gain hands-on experience with advanced welding plants, plasma cutters, and fume extraction systems. The partnership includes Student of the Year awards to recognise outstanding achievement.
• City Electrical Factors (CEF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026CEF, one of the UK's leading electrical distributors, is providing donations of electrical equipment and storage solutions to enrich the Engineering Department. The partnership includes student placements within CEF and its industry network, and Electrical Engineering Student of the Month awards. Students benefit from real-world industry exposure and insight into professional engineering settings.
• Hull KRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHull KR Elite Performance Centre is a partnership with SCL College and Wilberforce Sixth Form College providing first-class rugby development alongside academic study. The college also runs a KR Development Programme for students. Multiple Wilberforce students have been named Hull KR Academy Player of the Season.
• SiemensminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSiemens has established employer partnerships with Wilberforce College, enabling students to take up valuable work experience placements and gain industry exposure in engineering and related sectors.
• CHCP (Community Health Partnerships)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Health Partnerships works with Wilberforce to provide work experience and career pathway insights for students interested in health and care sectors.
• IBMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIBM provides employer engagement and work experience opportunities for Wilberforce students, giving insight into technology and business career pathways.
• Screen YorkshireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerScreen Yorkshire is partnered with Wilberforce's Film Studies and Creative Media courses, providing students with industry links and access to the film and television sector that may otherwise be difficult to access.
• Gosschalks SolicitorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGosschalks Solicitors provides real-world experience and career insight for Wilberforce students interested in law, including mock interview opportunities at the law firm.
• Local Apprenticeship ProvidersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMultiple local apprenticeship providers have a regular presence in the college to provide impartial 1-1 advice to students choosing vocational and technical pathways, helping students find and apply for apprenticeships.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Sirius Academy (Sixth Form): Co-located sixth form in Hull, retaining some Year 11 leavers in a school-based sixth form rather than sending them to Wilberforce. Overlaps in course mix and Hull geography.
• Archbishop Sentamu Academy (Sixth Form): Hull secondary school with a sixth form provision, recruiting a portion of the same Year 11 leavers who might otherwise apply to Wilberforce for post-16 study.
• Hymers College: Independent fee-paying school in Hull with its own sixth form. Competes for higher-attaining Hull students whose families can pay tuition, splitting the same catchment from a private-school angle.

Direct peers

• Huddersfield New College: Single-site Yorkshire-based sixth form college of similar size and student mix. Strong structural peer for benchmarking outcomes, course range and progression metrics.
• Longley Park Sixth Form Academy: Sheffield-based sixth form academy serving a comparable 16-19 demographic with a mixed academic/vocational curriculum. Useful peer for evaluating course breadth and student support design.
• The Sixth Form College Farnborough: Large standalone sixth form college serving a defined regional catchment. Comparable in operating model, course portfolio (A Levels plus vocational) and student outcomes focus to Wilberforce.
• Hull College (Hull College Group): Largest FE college in the same city (Hull), offering post-16 vocational and academic programmes to overlapping 16-19 cohorts. Directly competes for Hull and East Riding applicants against Wilberforce's A Level, T Level and BTEC portfolio.
• East Riding College: FE college covering Bridlington and surrounding East Riding communities; now part of Hull College Group. Directly competes with Wilberforce for vocational and apprenticeship pathway students in the East Riding villages Wilberforce explicitly serves.
• New College Durham: UK sixth form college of similar scale offering a comparable academic and vocational portfolio to 16-19 year olds. Comparable in mission, structure and curriculum breadth to Wilberforce.
• Wyke Sixth Form College: Another Hull-based sixth form college offering A Levels and vocational qualifications to 16-19 year olds. Head-to-head competitor in the same Hull catchment for academically inclined and vocationally focused students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wilberforcesfc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WilberforceCollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/WilberforceSFC
• Instagraminstagram.com/wilberforce_sfc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilberforce-college

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wilberforce Sixth Form College