Bournemouth & Poole College in Dorset is running a four-day Taster Week from Monday 16 March to Thursday 19 March 2026, offering a series of short evening sessions so prospective students can try courses before they enrol. Sessions are scheduled daily from 16:15 to 17:30 and are intended to help people choose subjects that match their future career plans.
The events will take place across the college’s main sites — North Road (Poole) and Lansdowne (Bournemouth) — where visitors will be able to tour newly redeveloped or upgraded facilities, including sports and fitness spaces such as the Fit Rooms gym and planned sports-hall facilities at Lansdowne. According to the college’s 2026/27 full-time course guide, options span vocational areas from marine engineering and digital/creative subjects to health programmes and courses taught in the college’s CGI/animation suites.
Principal and CEO Phil Sayles has set out a five-year strategy that emphasises skills-based training aligned to local employer needs. The college holds a ‘Good’ rating from Ofsted following its most recent full inspection on 14 January 2025 (report published 3 March 2025); Ofsted noted that ‘students and apprentices at all campuses enjoy their learning’ and are ‘taught by subject experts who use their industry knowledge well to enrich their teaching.’
The college says professional careers guidance will be available throughout the week to help attendees plan next steps and pick appropriate courses. By allowing prospective students to experience classroom environments and facilities in advance, the Taster Week aims to reduce course-choice mismatches that can lead to early withdrawals and to improve longer-term retention and progression.
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