Student Facilities

Facilities Available at Colchester Institute

We are continually working to improve our resources to help you with your studies. There are a number of resources available at both our Colchester and Braintree sites, and these are open to all students. We’re incredibly proud of the strong sense of community among staff and students that exists across the College, with over 4,000 students studying at our main Colchester campus and many more based at our sister sites in Braintree and Harwich.

Outside of timetabled sessions you can spend your time in various ways; you could get ahead with your coursework in our libraries and resources zones, work out in the gym, take part in college activities or even have a treatment in one of our salons.

Our campuses have a fantastic range of facilities for you to enjoy – from places to relax where you can meet with friends, to dedicated study areas where you can get on with your work. There are on-site food and beverage facilities (see the Catering tab for more) so you can get a bite to eat at breakfast or lunch, and grab a coffee or cake between your classes. Our Higher Education Centre provides a great range of specialist facilities including well-equipped teaching spaces and private study areas.

There are excellent facilities for students including dance and drama studios, recording studios and two iMac suites running Logic, Reason, Sibelius and Soundtrack Pro. We also have a concert hall and practice rooms for bands and orchestras. Our in-house theatre in Swinburne Hall, isn’t just an ideal practice space for students of the dramatic arts – it’s also a great place to catch ground-breaking performances throughout the year.

We have a great reputation for sports and recreation at Colchester Institute and, when you see our sport and fitness facilities, you’ll understand why. With an on-site gym, and a wide range of competitive sports opportunities, you’ll find that it’s easy to stay active across our campuses.

If you are interested in getting more involved then you could, be a part our Learner Voice scheme – sharing your ideas and thoughts on the College and relevant topics, support charity fundraising initiatives,  join (or set up) a club or society, sign up to a sports team, or join us on one of our college trips.

We look forward to having you on board.

Colchester Institute provides a comprehensive and modern computer network, featuring over 2,500 computers accessible to students. Each student is assigned a personal account, which includes internet access and email services. 

Additionally, selected computer suites offer specialized software such as AutoCAD, Sage Accounting, Maya, and Photoshop. The institute also features several dedicated areas with high-performance computers designed for e-learning, a format that is gaining popularity among students as it enhances their educational experience by offering new and innovative learning opportunities.

Catering Facilities

Colchester Institute provides a wide range of catering facilities for students, staff and visitors.

Whether your looking to sit down with a hot meal for lunch or you have to shoot off to a class and have no time to sit down and eat, our refectories offer tasty food at even tastier prices. If your on the move, whatever you fancy, be it a Costa or Starbucks coffee, a sandwich, a bacon roll, salad-to-go, some chips, fruit or a bit of cheeky chocolate – you’ll find the treat for you.

There are a number of in-house options for food and drink, with refectories offering a selection of breakfast options, main meals, drinks and snacks. Students can choose between healthy meals cooked on the premises, sandwiches and grab-and-go options.

On Colchester Campus we have three cafés, hosting a Costa and Starbucks facility, where you can catch up with friends whilst enjoying a variety of refreshments. At our Colchester campus students can also eat food prepared and served by our catering students. There are daily meal deals offered at each campus with choices of hot or cold options to help students to budget, and to fit in with the Free Meals at College daily allowance.

Colchester Campus has a fully equipped gym and sports halls on-site.

At the Colchester campus students are able to join the newly-equipped College gym, which features ultra-modern equipment including the latest cardiovascular machines, free weights and ‘Tanita’ scales which monitor and measure body composition. The suite of high-tech apparatus includes ergonomically designed non-motorised treadmills that give the athlete the experience of running at full speed and ‘smart’ fitness equipment with interactive consoles that store personalised training programmes and connect with personal devices. Click here to visit the Colchester Gym.

Located in W104, Colchester Institute Print Services (Reprographics) offers students a comprehensive range of printing services. Using state-of-the-art production equipment and the latest printing technologies to ensure the highest standards to help you create a professional look. Our team can assist you from the initial design, through to print on both college work and private printing work. If it’s a dissertation or extracurricular activity, we can assist you to get that professional design, print and finish.

Can I park on site?

There is student parking at both the Colchester and Braintree campuses, however this is limited and there is no guarantee of a space.

Colchester Institute is a cashless campus, our car parks are managed by ANPR barriers and we use app-based technology to pay for Pay and Display parking with Parkonomy. Please go to the Apple App Store or Android Play Store to download the app and add your details prior to parking on campus. To find out more information parking, please click the link below.

Parking Information

Parking Tariff

• Pay and Display – £2.50 per day
• Staff – £11.90 per month deducted monthly for 10 months [Sept – June]
• CLMG – £24 per month deducted monthly for 10 months [Sept – June]

How do I pay for my Pay and Display Parking?

You can make payment on arrival or in advance when paying online (daily, weekly or monthly). You can pay using the payment kiosk provided on site, downloading the Parkonomy app, or by going to: www.parkonomy.com/book/1366

Staff Parking – How are monthly deductions taken?

Prior to the new academic year, a staff survey will be sent to capture registration details of vehicles and for you to advise what tariff you will be using. Please ensure that this is filled out accurately and returned as soon as possible. Failure to do so will mean you will not be able to access the campus in the new year without having registered.

Staff parking on campus is now operated on an opt out basis. A survey will be sent each summer for the purpose of updating any registration details. At any point during the year if your details change, or you wish to cancel your permit please get in touch with facilities.helpdesk@colchester.ac.uk.

There is no charge for any student parking at our Braintree Campus on production of a valid student ID.

Please note: all vehicles are left at the owner’s own risk. The College accepts no liability for loss or damage to vehicles or belongings left on premises.