Itchen Sixth Form College (also known as Itchen College) is a mixed sixth form college in Bitterne, Southampton, Hampshire, England. It was established in 1906 and was originally a mixed secondary school, it later became Itchen Grammar School under the reforms of the Butler Education Act. It became its present state following further reform in the 1980s.
History
Woolston site
Itchen Pupil Teachers' Centre
Itchen College opened on 6 October 1906 as a Pupil Teachers' Centre in Raymond Lodge, Bridge Road, Woolston. It later moved to the first floor of Porchester Road Elementary School (which later became Woolston Secondary School for Boys), Woolston, in 1916.
Pupils started at the centre at age 13 and took the Cambridge Junior Local Examination after completing a two-year course. If they passed the exam, they could go on to become pupil teachers before moving to teacher training college.
The first permanent principal of the centre was Edith North, who held the position until 1916. She was succeeded by Miss G.V. Cook, who remained headmistress until 1918, when she was promoted to a larger school in East London. A temporary headmistress, Mrs Macrae-Gibson, took over until it was decided that a headmaster should be appointed. The person appointed was Mr F.J. Hemmings, in 1919.
Itchen Grammar School thrived under Charles Thompson's twenty-one years of leadership and some of the reforms he implemented at the school were: banning the use of the cane; abolishing single-sex staff rooms; building the school swimming pool and observatory; and replacing the ‘temporary’ huts. The swimming pool was built using money raised during the 1956 Jubilee Celebrations and was the first school swimming pool in Southampton. With the huts demolished, long-awaited science laboratories were built in 1964, improving teaching as well as student satisfaction. These reforms and extensions brought Itchen Grammar School up to then-current standards. which offers specialised training and extra opportunities for students to further their skills through extra-curricular classes and trips. The college also offers a range of Adult Education courses.
The college was inspected in 2017 and in 2018 and on both occasions judged as Requiring Improvement.
alt=Itchen College's ladies football team are ECFA National Champions 2 years running.|thumb|The ladies' football team are ECFA National Champions 2 years running.
Academy of Sport
The college's Academy of Sport offers expert coaching in:
- Golf
- Rugby
- Netball
- Basketball
- Hockey
- Badminton
- Football (including a football development programme run by the Chelsea Football Club Foundation).
Creative Arts Academy
alt=The Creative Arts building at Itchen College.|left|thumb|The Performing Arts building
Newly launched in 2015, the Creative Arts Academy provides students on creative courses with extra support and opportunities to enhance their skills. Students who are part of this academy have access to work placements in the Creative Industries, trips to both national and international destinations (for example, New York City), and help putting together a creative portfolio ready for when they enter the workplace.
Courses included within the Creative Arts Academy are:
- Art and Design subjects
- Film Studies
- Journalism
- Media Studies
- Performing Arts subjects
High Performance Academy
The High Performance Academy is for students who have been identified as gifted and talented by their previous school. It provides tailored support for students wanting to achieve the highest grades in their A Levels.
To be eligible, students need to have an average GCSE score of 6.5. They can also be referred to the academy by their teachers when they reach Itchen College.
The five elements to the High Performance Academy are:
- A taught programme
- Learning mentors
- Higher Education+ programme
- Extra-curricular activities
- Extended project qualification (EPQ)
International Students
International students are offered English as a Foreign Language courses; they stay with police-checked local families, and are referred to as Homestays.
Adult Education
Despite being primarily for 16-19-year-old school leavers, Itchen Sixth Form College offers adult education classes for students over 19. These include: Access to Higher Education; teacher training courses; English, Maths, and Science courses; Accountancy qualifications; and Childcare, Health and Social Care courses.
Extra-curricular activities
Itchen Radio
alt=Media students taking part in a show on Itchen Radio. The black horse is also featured.|thumb|Media students taking part in a show on Itchen Radio. The black horse is also featured.
Itchen Sixth Form College runs an award-winning in-house radio station called Itchen Radio. It broadcasts once a week through local Southampton radio station Unity 101.
The radio station is run by a team of 15 students, with the group changing every academic year, on media and journalism courses and has been broadcasting for ten years. Its unofficial mascot is a black horse.
On air at least three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday); and discussions about current affairs.
Old Issonians Association
In 1920, Itchen Pupil Teachers' Centre headmaster Mr Hemmings started up the 'Old Students Association'. It was formed for alumni to keep in touch with the centre and was supposed to allow them to continue to participate with the centre.
Principals
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Institution !! Years !! Principal
|-
| rowspan="4" | Itchen Pupil Teacher's Centre || 1906–1916 || Edith North
|-
| 2002–2016 || Barry Hicks
|-
| 2016–2017 || Vanessa Cass (acting)
|}
Notable former students
Itchen Secondary School
- Melita Norwood, Communist spy
Itchen Grammar School
- Roy Dommett, United Kingdom Chief Missile Scientist
- Graham Ovenden, artist
- William Whitlock, politician
Itchen Sixth Form College
- Charlie Nunn, chief executive (CEO) of Lloyds Banking Group since August 2021.
- Jeremy Sochan - Small Forward for the San Antonio Spurs
- Aaron Martin, footballer for Exeter City
- Jodie Brett, footballer for Brighton & Hove Albion
- Millie Farrow, footballer for Reading
- Laura Rafferty, footballer for Southampton FC
- Kelly Simm, British artistic gymnast
- Lucy Quinn, footballer for Birmingham City
- Roger Whiteside, Chief Executive of Greggs (2013–2022)
- Atlanta Primus, Jamaican international footballer