AMID the backdrop of media hype surrounding UCW's £100m second campus, another degree-awarding college in the heart of Worcester continues without pomp or ceremony.

Worcester Law School has entered its 25th year, having trained thousands of students from GCSE to postgraduate levels -- yet many people in the city do not even know it exists.

I'm afraid I have to admit that until recently I was just as ignorant - despite living in Worcester for most of my life - but a tour of the facilities revealed it to be a hidden gem in Worcester's educational crown.

Appropriately located in the old police station, in Deansway, the school has links to both Worcester Technology College and Staffordshire University, through which its degrees are awarded.

However, over its 25-year history, it has grown and developed a character very much of its own.

"The staff get to know everyone's names and students feel they can talk to us if they have any issues," said John Duddington, the school's director.

"We have moved with the times and are very up-to-date and professional with respect to our teaching and facilities.

"However, there is no feeling of 'ivory towers' here, and there is also a very informal and friendly atmosphere.

"There are no large lecture rooms and it certainly is not an intimidating place to study."

The school started in 1979 to fill a geographical gap in the market Birmingham and Bristol, and its students now come from across the West Midlands and Wales.

The demand was initially from legal executives and secretaries who wished to complete their training and become solicitors, but inevitably the school began to offer wider courses as interest grew.

The school now offers GCSE and A-level law, professional legal qualifications - such as training for court clerks or legal secretaries - a diploma in criminology, as well as an HND, four-year part-time law degree and postgraduate training.

Put simply, it takes students through all their training under one roof, with the added bonus they only need to attend lectures for just one-day or two-nights a week.

Even the building enhances the learning experience and, as the former police station and magistrates court, it boasts all possible facilities for a lawyer-in-training.

Old courts have become classrooms, there is a police interview room which acts as a mock client debriefing room, a fully-stocked legal library and a replica law firm office is on the way.

Next September, it will also launch a standard three-year full-time law degree for school-leavers.

"We have a great deal of flexibility because of the range of courses and as we are relatively small there are no fixed application dates," said senior lecturer Susan Jarvis.

"It means that nobody leaves here with unfulfilled ambitions.

"If someone begins a degree course and it's not right for them they can still achieve their potential, within the field they wanted, by switching to another legal course."

The institution is also unique in England as the only law school not to be directly attached to a university.

This ensures the school is firmly entrenched in Worcester's legal community - with many city solicitors having studied there - and it retains a very personal and relaxed feel for students.

"We offer the support that you don't get at a large college or university," said Mr Duddington.

"We are also very much part of the local legal scene. Many qualified here and they still return to use our library or send people from their practice for professional training.

"Because of these strong links solicitors often come back for our open days and talk to prospective pupils, and it is a great boost to have them share their experiences."

Law degrees at the college are currently £630 a year, but many of the students who are returning to education receive financial aid and, in some cases, pay nothing.

Mature students do not need specific qualifications for entry - though are interviewed - while any degree from any university is acceptable for postgraduate courses.

There is clearly the potential for expansion, but Worcester Law School is happy with its size - around 250 students and 15 staff - and keen to retain its intimate atmosphere.

"We are not in the business of turning people away but we don't necessarily want to get bigger for the sake of it," added Mr Duddington.

"At the moment the school is a good size so while we want to let people know we are here, and on their doorstep, we don't want to become a university and lose our flavour."

The school is holding an open evening on Wednesday, June 30 and anyone interested is welcome, between 5pm and 9pm, at the St Wulstan's Building.

Anyone requiring more information on Worcester Law School should contact Sarah Bradnick on 01905 743466, or e-mail on lawschool@wortech.ac.uk