История колледжа Itchen: от школы до шестого класса

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.

Itchen College opened on 6 October 1906 as a Pupil Teacher's 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 on 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.

International students are offered English as a Foreign Language courses; they stay with police checked local families, and are referred to as Homestays.

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.

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.

Published every academic term, the Itchen College News (ICoN) magazine features articles about the achievements and successes of Itchen College's students, as well as news about what is coming up for Itchen over the following months.

In 1920, Itchen Pupil Teacher's Centre headmaster Mr Hemmings started up the 'Old Students Association'. It was formed for alumni to keep in touch with the centre and was ideally supposed to allow them to continue to participate with the centre. With the website not having been updated since 2005, it is assumed that the Old Issonians Association is no longer running.