Westerfield College

By Boye Adegboyega

In many cases, there are delays for students in securing admission to tertiary institutions after their secondary education. Hence, there is always the need for preparatory, remedial or other forms of preparatory courses to prepare the students for tertiary education. In the old educational curriculum the most common way was the Sixth Form education.

Westerfield College is a school set up to take care of students’ preparation for tertiary education after their secondary school education. It is a special post-secondary institution.

Location and History: Westerfield College is located at Alagomeji area of Yaba, Lagos. This location makes the school easily accessible from most areas in the Lagos metropolis. The campus provides modern and homely comfortable environment for students to learn. It was set up in 2010. Since its establishment, the school has successfully educated students who have gone ahead to pursue tertiary education in Europe, Americas and other continents.

Philosophy: Westerfield College was established with the intention of providing qualitative preparation for the secondary school leavers in anticipation of tertiary education, especially outside Nigeria. It aims at providing in-country international pathway programmes that lead to seamless transition to degree courses of universities in the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA), Canada, West Indies and Europe. It is an institution that strives to develop students that can thrive on all fronts in any tertiary institution in any part of the world while also fitting in into the new world order in all spheres of life. It is a school for building students that aim at achieving high academic achievements by providing a loving environment which allows for the full development of their innate abilities and creative talents.

Type and Curriculum: The various academic programmes offered at Westerfield College basically are designed to meet the needs of the Nigerian secondary school leavers that are desirous of pursing tertiary education on the international scene. Its programmes include:

Cambridge A Levels: This is a 2-year rigorous academic course preparing students for

the Advanced Level Examinations, this is a globally accepted entry requirement for university admissions, especially in the UK. This programme is of two parts: the Advanced Subsidiary Level (AS), which is the first year study; and the A2 Level in the second year. Over the years, the high standard of studies at Westerfield has enabled most of its students to achieve high grades in their A Level results thereby positively transiting to undergraduate level in universities in Nigeria and abroad, with admission at the 200 level (2^nd year) for the Nigerian Universities.

The UK Foundation Programme: is a one-year academically intensive course aimed at

preparing the students for university admission. The alternate course to the A Level is focused on a named specialist pathway, which is divided into two strands of core and general modules. There are 11 specialist pathway options available to a student to choose from. The successful completion of this Foundation Programme facilitates the student’s admission into the first year of a 3-year undergraduate course in UK.

America Transfer Pathway: a one-year programme of two semesters duration aims at

providing smooth access into an American university. Upon the successful completion of the programme, the student progresses into the second year of a degree course at any of Westerfield’s partner- universities in the USA. This preparatory program gives students adequate academic and cultural preparation as well as support services for their studies in the USA.

The Canada Foundation Program: is a challenging and inspiring one-year, two

semester programme designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge required for rigorous undergraduate study in Canada. It is a one year academic intensive program taught over a period of two semesters. Successful students progress into second year of their degree programmes at any of Westerfield’s partner -schools in Canada.

Pre-Medical Foundation Program: is a customized programme for intending medical

students. The course is a rigorous one-year academic and professional preparation for the rigours of the medical school training. It is a combination of classroom, laboratory and practical hand-on exposure in the medical fields. Successful students of the programme proceed to the third year of the medical degree course at Westerfield’s partner medical university, St Georges University, Grenada, West Indies.

Nigeria Degree Pathway: is an advanced intensive one academic year programme in

collaboration with some Nigerian universities. It prepares students for smooth access and admission to a wide range of NUC accredited degree courses in the Nigerian universities. Successful students have smooth transfer into the second year of their degree courses at any of Westerfield’s Nigerian partner –universities.

Facilities: for Academic and extra-curricular activities at Westerfield’s main campus in Lagos are excellent and world class. These include specialist laboratories, comfortable classrooms with interactive classroom boards and equal access to their instructors. There are also custom-built facilities such as a moot court, a business suite and a media Laboratory, which are regularly used to facilitate learning processes in the college. The well-stocked library has a comprehensive stack of academic and non-academic educative materials to aid the education of the students. This is backed up by an e-library to give the students instant access to huge database of valuable educational materials.

The school’s cafeteria/ Lounge is specifically built and furnished to help students eat comfortably and take short naps during a recess.

Special Edge: Westerfield provides excellent leadership and academic nurturing for the young students with customized and world-class curricula. The students are exposed to exotic educational tours. The institution helps to facilitate students’ access to scholarship and grants for further studies. Lectures are conducted in small classes with high-quality teaching providing very personal and focused approach to each student’s needs so as to maximize and fulfill each of their potentials. This small class approach also ensures that teachers can spend more time on each student’s work with verbal and written feedback given one- to- one basis. Teachers assess student effort and attainment frequently. Reports are sent home each half term and include written comments and data covering attendance, academic attainment, and student effort both in the classroom and in their own time. Students and teachers reflect on current work and raise standards by agreeing on targets in areas such as subject knowledge, time management, revision techniques and progress on coursework. This, in turn, builds confidence and raises standards.

SCHOOL DETAILS:

Name: Westerfield College

Address: 7 Hughes Avenue, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos

Type: Sixth Form, Post Secondary

Contact: