Students' further education plans have been plunged into chaos after courses at Ealing Hammersmith and West London College were axed last month.
Creative arts students fear they will not have enough credits to progress onto university after performing arts and music courses, taught from the campus in Barons Court, Hammersmith , were suddenly cut.
Students were left in shock and tears when the news was broken to them on October 19, with one accusing the college of “letting them down”. The last lessons were held three days later.
According to students, around 80 pupils aged around 16-30 will be affected by the closure. They also say some staff will lose their jobs.
Kyra Campbell, 17, said: “I am distraught. I had a cry when I found out. We’re disgusted to find its been cut. They’ve not been honest with us. We feel really let down.
“I have no idea what we are going to do, no one does. We’re in shock.”
Students told Getwestlondon they had originally enrolled in a two-year BTEC Level Three Extended Diploma in performing arts, but this was changed suddenly to a one-year diploma earlier in the term.
Kyra, from Fulham , added her university plans had been plunged into turmoil. She said: “I’m in a really bad predicament. It’s too late to start at another college and I’m having second thoughts about going to university.”
Mature student Adrian Dobryzynski, 27 from Hounslow , is on the same course. He said: “We feel mistreated and disrespected. It’s inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour.
“At a meeting we were told to apply to university for a foundation year or another college. But we would have to wait until next year to start and if we went to university we would have to pay tuition fee."
And 18-year-old Edisson Medina from Kennington added: “I’m outraged.
“I was planning on using this diploma to get into university, it never crossed my mind that something like this could happen. Going to university is now a major doubt. We’re all in shock. We don’t know what we’re going to do.”
A college spokesperson would only tell Getwestlondon : “Work is ongoing to safeguard the education of our learners and the college will provide updates to relevant parties in due course.”
