The Sixth Form College, Farnborough
Encyclopedia
The Sixth Form College, Farnborough is a sixth form college
situated in Farnborough
, Hampshire
.
, a further education college also situated in Farnborough. It caters for around 3,000 students between the ages of 16 and 19. Admission is mostly from schools in the local areas of Surrey
, Hampshire
and Berkshire
. It is situated just off (west of) the A325, in Hawley Green. The Farnborough area is important for the UK aerospace industry.
Students study for AS/A-Levels and other qualifications such as the GNVQ and GCSE. In 2007 the College was described as 'outstanding' by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector
, and it retains Beacon Status
as one of the country’s top sixth form colleges. It is therefore often over-subscribed; the college states that "But you must apply in good time - last year we had over 3000 applications for the 1600 places available."
The Principal is Simon Jarvis. In 2006 the College achieved third place in the school league table for Hampshire, achieving a higher ranking for A-Level results than several highly-regarded independent and private schools in the area. The number of students going on to study at Oxbridge
is rated as very high, with around 30 entrants per year.
Dr John Guy was the principal from 1992 to 2010. He served on a number of government committees, including the Tomlinson Committee on 14-19 reform, and in 2001 was awarded the OBE for services to education.
He was succeeded as principal in September 2010 by the college's deputy principal, Simon Jarvis.
The college has recently undergone a major building programme costing over £15 million. The first project was the Prospect Theatre and performing arts suite, which was opened by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
in 2000. The latest building, the Dame Kelly Holmes
Sports Centre, was officially opened on 25 April 2007 by the double Olympic gold medallist. The developments have also seen the construction of a brand new quad built in the centre of the college, and fairly recently, the Whitehouse Building which boasts an e-Assessment Centre–an IT centre for students to use. The latest phase is a new physics and arts block to replace the existing 1960's Scola block. Planning permission has been granted and the project designed by architects Broadway Malyan
has commenced. The college has three cafeterias and two large fields which are used for sports & recreational purposes.
In October 2007, the 2007/2008 Student Association broke the College record, that had been set the previous year, for the most amount of money raised in a single College day; the £1,800 that was raised eventually went to a variety of gene therapy charities through the 'Jeans for Genes' initiative. In 2007 the school undertook a massive project for Red Nose Day in which over a thousand students took to the field holding red paper above their heads, first making the shape of a nose and then a 6 (the logo of the college), filmed by the BBC
from a helicopter.
.
The college has recently established links with Presbyterian Secondary Technical School, Aburi
, Ghana
. This project is called the Ghana Link and it aims to broaden students from both schools' horizons and develop a two way partnership that would be of benefit to both parties. In June 2007 15 students from the sixth form college went to the school in Ghana and stayed for ten days there they took part in many lessons and enrichment activities. Following this successful visit, which strengthened links between the schools, students at Farnborough Sixth Form College raised funds for students of the Presby Secondary Technical School, Aburi to visit the UK and stay with the students they hosted over the summer. A second batch of students from Farnborough Sixth Form College have stayed with families in Aburi, to continue this link between the schools. However there is growing concern that Farnborough Sixth Form College could do more to help the Ghanaian school. A longer stay in Ghana for the English students is being considered ( an increase to 14 days rather than 10). This longer stay will give the English students a better opportunity to teach which the Ghanaian children would greatly appreciate.
The college has a dedicated Film Production enrichment which produces commercial and non-commercial films for outside companies and student film fesitivals.
In March 2000, Prince Edward
opened the new £2.5 million Performing Arts Centre incorporating the modern 300-seat Prospect Theatre and teaching suites for music, dance and drama. Touring theatre groups regularly visit the theatre to give public performances.
One of the music enrichments making use of this facility is the biannual college Opera Project, where full-scale operas are performed by students. In 2006, the college staged The Marriage of Figaro
by Mozart, acclaimed within the community. Following the success of this first opera, a performance of Englebert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel took place in July 2008.
CristalWeb is the college's web-based management information system that allows both students and staff to see the data that the college holds on them. It is extensively used within the college, to pass messages from staff to students, take registers of classes, submit absence reasons, look up exam results, amend certificates of enrichment, and edit students' personal information. It also enables access from outside the college campus to SixthNet, and its newer version: Moodle, the series of web-pages for each subject faculty containing homework, revision aids and past exam papers, in addition to information about the departments. The system has been operating since mid-2004.
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
situated in Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
Admissions
It is also known as Farnborough Sixth Form College, or 'Farnborough Sixth' among the local population to differentiate it from Farnborough College of TechnologyFarnborough College of Technology
Farnborough College of Technology, often abbreviated to FCOT or FCT, is a college located in the town of Farnborough, Hampshire in the South East of England...
, a further education college also situated in Farnborough. It caters for around 3,000 students between the ages of 16 and 19. Admission is mostly from schools in the local areas of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. It is situated just off (west of) the A325, in Hawley Green. The Farnborough area is important for the UK aerospace industry.
Students study for AS/A-Levels and other qualifications such as the GNVQ and GCSE. In 2007 the College was described as 'outstanding' by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector
Office for Standards in Education
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
, and it retains Beacon Status
Beacon Status
Beacon Status is a learning and skills recognition of the excellence and innovation which exists within the Learning and Skills sector for the United Kingdom. The award congratulates learning providers that deliver outstanding teaching and learning and are well led and managed...
as one of the country’s top sixth form colleges. It is therefore often over-subscribed; the college states that "But you must apply in good time - last year we had over 3000 applications for the 1600 places available."
The Principal is Simon Jarvis. In 2006 the College achieved third place in the school league table for Hampshire, achieving a higher ranking for A-Level results than several highly-regarded independent and private schools in the area. The number of students going on to study at Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
is rated as very high, with around 30 entrants per year.
History
The College was originally founded as the Farnborough Grammar School in September 1936, when the Aldershot County High School outgrew its premises and the boys were relocated to Farnborough.Sixth Form College
The College was created from 1974 to 1978, gradually enlarging as the number of Grammar School pupils reduced. Since being incorporated as a sixth form college in 1992, it has grown fast from 1,180 full time students in 1992 to 2,960 in 2007.Dr John Guy was the principal from 1992 to 2010. He served on a number of government committees, including the Tomlinson Committee on 14-19 reform, and in 2001 was awarded the OBE for services to education.
He was succeeded as principal in September 2010 by the college's deputy principal, Simon Jarvis.
College facilities
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
in 2000. The latest building, the Dame Kelly Holmes
Kelly Holmes
Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE, MBE is a retired British middle distance athlete. She specialised in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events and won a gold medal for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
Sports Centre, was officially opened on 25 April 2007 by the double Olympic gold medallist. The developments have also seen the construction of a brand new quad built in the centre of the college, and fairly recently, the Whitehouse Building which boasts an e-Assessment Centre–an IT centre for students to use. The latest phase is a new physics and arts block to replace the existing 1960's Scola block. Planning permission has been granted and the project designed by architects Broadway Malyan
Broadway Malyan
Broadway Malyan is an international architecture, urbanism and design practice with fifteen offices worldwide. Established in 1958, the company has been ranked as one of the top 25 architectural practices in the world....
has commenced. The college has three cafeterias and two large fields which are used for sports & recreational purposes.
Student Association
Every March, students elect a President, Vice President, and various officers to organise student affairs and social activities both in and outside of the College, as well as charity events. The President and Vice President are members of the Governing Body of the College Corporation.In October 2007, the 2007/2008 Student Association broke the College record, that had been set the previous year, for the most amount of money raised in a single College day; the £1,800 that was raised eventually went to a variety of gene therapy charities through the 'Jeans for Genes' initiative. In 2007 the school undertook a massive project for Red Nose Day in which over a thousand students took to the field holding red paper above their heads, first making the shape of a nose and then a 6 (the logo of the college), filmed by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
from a helicopter.
Enrichment
Outside of the classroom, the college runs a comprehensive enrichment programme. The college runs a number of successful sport teams and other societies. One project with local schools, Copperlink, produces a drama production with a local handicapped school every year. The college also runs inter-collegial schemes including World Challenge and Young EnterpriseYoung Enterprise
Young Enterprise is a not-for-profit business and enterprise education charity in the United Kingdom. It is made up of 12 regional organisations, each operating individually under a license agreement...
.
The college has recently established links with Presbyterian Secondary Technical School, Aburi
Aburi
Aburi is a town north east of Accra, the capital city of Ghana. It is famous for the Aburi Botanical Gardens. Aburi is home to Aburi Presbyterian Technical Secondary School, which is linked to The Sixth Form College, Farnborough in Hampshire, England. Aburi has a relatively small population and is...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. This project is called the Ghana Link and it aims to broaden students from both schools' horizons and develop a two way partnership that would be of benefit to both parties. In June 2007 15 students from the sixth form college went to the school in Ghana and stayed for ten days there they took part in many lessons and enrichment activities. Following this successful visit, which strengthened links between the schools, students at Farnborough Sixth Form College raised funds for students of the Presby Secondary Technical School, Aburi to visit the UK and stay with the students they hosted over the summer. A second batch of students from Farnborough Sixth Form College have stayed with families in Aburi, to continue this link between the schools. However there is growing concern that Farnborough Sixth Form College could do more to help the Ghanaian school. A longer stay in Ghana for the English students is being considered ( an increase to 14 days rather than 10). This longer stay will give the English students a better opportunity to teach which the Ghanaian children would greatly appreciate.
The college has a dedicated Film Production enrichment which produces commercial and non-commercial films for outside companies and student film fesitivals.
In March 2000, Prince Edward
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
opened the new £2.5 million Performing Arts Centre incorporating the modern 300-seat Prospect Theatre and teaching suites for music, dance and drama. Touring theatre groups regularly visit the theatre to give public performances.
One of the music enrichments making use of this facility is the biannual college Opera Project, where full-scale operas are performed by students. In 2006, the college staged The Marriage of Figaro
The Marriage of Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
by Mozart, acclaimed within the community. Following the success of this first opera, a performance of Englebert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel took place in July 2008.
CristalWeb
Notable alumni
- Ash AtallaAsh AtallaAsh Atalla is an Egyptian-born television producer responsible for producing several British TV series such as The IT Crowd , The Office and Man Stroke Woman. He has also made cameo appearances in productions such as Ricky Gervais' Politics...
(TV producer) - Prof Russell G. FosterRussell G. FosterRussell Grant Foster, FRS is a British professor of circadian neuroscience, currently based at Brasenose College at the University of Oxford. He and his group are credited with the discovery of the non-rod, non-cone, photosensitive ganglion cells in the mammalian retina which provide input to the...
, Professor of Circadian Neuroscience since 2006 at the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, and Professor of Integrative and Molecular Neuroscience from 2000-3 at Imperial College LondonImperial College LondonImperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine... - GoldierocksGoldierocksGoldierocks is a British DJ, presenter, journalist and producer.- Biography :Sam Hall, better known as Goldierocks, was born in Guildford Surrey. She is an only child...
- Ben GottingBen GottingBen Gotting is a rugby union player for London Scottish, having previously represented Guinness Premiership clubs London Wasps and Worcester Warriors. He has represented England U21, England Students and English Universities. His usual position is Hooker...
(Rugby Player) who attended in the late 1990s - Helen Reeves (kayaker)Helen Reeves (kayaker)Helen Reeves is a British slalom canoer who competed in the early to mid 2000s. She won a bronze medal in the K-1 event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens....
Farnborough Grammar School
- Major Philip Brookshaw
- Maj-GenMajor-General (United Kingdom)Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
Michael Callan CB, Colonel CommandantColonel CommandantColonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
from 1981-9 of the Royal Army Ordnance CorpsRoyal Army Ordnance CorpsThe Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a corps of the British Army. It dealt only with the supply and maintenance of weaponry, munitions and other military equipment until 1965, when it took over most other supply functions, as well as the provision of staff clerks, from the Royal Army Service...
(RAOC) - Prof Martin EarwickerMartin EarwickerProfessor Martin John Earwicker FREng CCMI was Director of the National Museum of Science and Industry group of British museums from 2006 until 2009...
, Vice-Chancellor since 2009 of London South Bank UniversityLondon South Bank UniversityLondon South Bank University is a university in south London. With over 25,000 students and 1,700 staff, it is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name...
, President since 2008 of The Association for Science Education, and Chief Executive from 2001-6 of DstlDstlThe Defence Science and Technology Laboratory is a trading fund of the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom. Responsibility for Dstl lies with the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, currently Peter Luff....
(Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) - Martin Else, Chief Executive since 2005 of the Royal College of PhysiciansRoyal College of PhysiciansThe Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
- Maj-Gen Laurie Gingell CB OBE, commanded the 7th Armoured Brigade from 1970-1 and the 1st Royal Tank Regiment1st Royal Tank RegimentThe 1st Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It is part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It was originally formed as 1st Battalion, Royal Tank Corps in 1934....
from 1966-7 - Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-MarshalAir vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
Peter HowardPeter Howard (RAF officer)Air Vice Marshal Peter Howard, CB, OBE was a senior aviation medicine doctor with the Royal Air Force. Howard was a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and of the Royal Aeronautical Society.-Early life:...
CB OBE, Commandant from 1975-88 of the RAF Institute of Aviation MedicineRAF Institute of Aviation MedicineThe Royal Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine was a British Royal Air Force aviation medicine research unit between 1945 and 1994.- Early days :The RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine was opened on 30 April 1945 by the Princess Royal...
, and performed the first rocket-powered ejection (from a Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
) on 13 March 1962 - Alan Johns CMG OBE, Director from 1984-94 of the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind, helped with the Bhopal disasterBhopal disasterThe Bhopal disaster also known as Bhopal Gas Tragedy was a gas leak incident in India, considered one of the world's worst industrial catastrophes. It occurred on the night of December 2–3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India...
- Prof Brian D. RipleyBrian D. RipleyBrian David Ripley is a renowned British statistician. Since 1990, he has been professor of applied statistics at the University of Oxford and is also a professorial fellow at St Peter's College....
, Professor of Applied Statistics since 1990 at the University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096... - Prof Francis Rose, Professor of Commercial Law since 2000 at the University of BristolUniversity of BristolThe University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
- Digby SmithDigby SmithDigby Smith is a British military historian. The son of a British career soldier, he was born in Hampshire, England, but spent several years in India and Pakistan as a child and youth. As a "boy soldier," he entered training in the British Army at the age of 16...
, military historian - Prof Nicholas Stafford, Professor of Head and Neck Surgery and OtolaryngologyOtolaryngologyOtolaryngology or ENT is the branch of medicine and surgery that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck disorders....
since 1995 at the University of HullUniversity of HullThe University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
(based at the Hull and East Riding HospitalHull and East Riding HospitalHull and East Riding Hospital, formerly BUPA Hospital Hull and East Riding is now owned by Spire Healthcare. It is situated in Anlaby, East Riding of Yorkshire, England....
) - Geoffrey Strickland, StendhalStendhalMarie-Henri Beyle , better known by his pen name Stendhal, was a 19th-century French writer. Known for his acute analysis of his characters' psychology, he is considered one of the earliest and foremost practitioners of realism in his two novels Le Rouge et le Noir and La Chartreuse de Parme...
scholar - Stephen TimmsStephen TimmsStephen Creswell Timms is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for East Ham since 1994. He is a former Cabinet Minister having served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2006 to 2007...
, government minister, Labour MP since 1997 for East HamEast Ham (UK Parliament constituency)East Ham is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, in the London Borough of Newham...
and from 1994-7 for Newham North EastNewham North East (UK Parliament constituency)Newham North East was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, in the London Borough of Newham... - Mel Webb, sports reporter
- Prof Michael Whelan, Professor of Microscopy of Materials from 1992-7 at the Department of Materials, University of OxfordDepartment of Materials, University of OxfordThe Department of Materials at the University of Oxford, England was founded in the 1950s as the Department of Metallurgy, by William Hume-Rothery, who was a reader in Oxford's Department of Inorganic Chemistry....