Luton Sixth Form College

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Luton Sixth Form College
Type	Education
Founded	1938
Headquarters	Luton, Bedfordshire

Luton Sixth Form College is a sixth form college situated in Luton, England. It is noted for its multiethnic population; 62% of the College's students are from minority ethnic groups^[1]. The college is one of few in the country that offers the International Baccalaureate course as an alternative to A-levels.

[edit] History

In 1904 Luton Council acquired the Modern School, which was a mixed-sex secondary school. This school moved into new buildings in Park Square in 1908 (now the site of the University of Bedfordshire). By 1919 the school had grown significantly and further expansion was needed. A new building was constructed at Alexandra Avenue for the girls (now the site of Denbigh High School). This school was named Luton High School for girls, the boys continued at the old site in Park Square.

Again expansion meant that a new building was needed and in 1938 the current college was built on the north side of Bradgers Hill Road, as new site for Luton Modern School. At that time the School was on the northern edge of the developed area of Luton with open countryside beyond. In 1944 the school became Luton Grammar School. A mixed-sex technical colledge remained at Park Square until this moved to Barnfield Avenue in the 1950s as Luton Technical Grammar School but often referred to as Luton Secondary Technical School or "the Tech.". This site is now home to Barnfield College.

In 1966 Luton Grammar School became the first Sixth Form College in the country, drawing together the Sixth Forms from the three selective schools in Luton. Many of the staff from the previous sixth forms as well as the libraries moved to the Bradgers Hill Site.^[2]

This is the oldest part of the College, built on the north side of Bradgers Hill Road, Luton in 1938.

[edit] Accreditation

The Office for Standards in Education deemed the following to be the strengths and weaknesses of Luton (quoting directly):

• Key strengths
  • outstanding leadership and management
  • highly effective promotion of a multicultural ethos
  • overall, students achieving GCE grades higher than those predicted by their GCSE results
  • high standards of teaching and learning
  • very good specialist resources
  • thorough monitoring of student progress
  • excellent advice and guidance
  • excellent attendance and punctuality
  • safe and secure environment.
• What should be improved
  • key skills provision
  • effectiveness of group tutorials
  • sharing of teaching skills and best practice between subject teams
  • pass rates and the proportion of high grades achieved in some GCE AS and A-level subjects.

[edit] References

• Luton Sixth Form College Ofsted Report
• College Homepage

1. ^ College profile
2. ^ College History