| Established | 1975 |
|---|---|
| Type | Sixth form college |
| Religion | Non-denominational |
| Principal | Christopher Thomson MA |
| Location | 205 Dyke Road Hove East Sussex BN3 6EG England |
| DfE URN | 130669 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | c.1650 students |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 16–18 |
| Website | BHASVIC |
Brighton Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College, usually abbreviated to BHASVIC (pronounced "Bazvic"), is a college in Brighton & Hove, England for 16- to 18-year-old students.
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The college is situated at the corner of Dyke Road [1] (A2010) and the Old Shoreham Road (A270), a major road junction in the north-west of the city of Brighton & Hove in Seven Dials.[2] It is next door to Dyke Road Park, in the parish of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Brighton.
The college has its origins in the Brighton Proprietary Grammar and Commercial School, founded in July 1859 at Lancaster House, Grand Parade. The school continued as the Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School. It opened on its present site in 1913.
The current sixth form college was formed in 1975 following reorganisation of secondary education in East Sussex. There are two sixth form colleges (BHASVIC and Varndean College)in Brighton and Hove. BHASVIC draws nearly 40% of its students from East and West Sussex, the remainder living in Brighton and Hove. The joint admissions policy for BHASVIC, Varndean and City College gives top priority to applications from pupils at 11-16 schools in Brighton and Hove[3].
BHASVIC and other Sixth Form Colleges in England were transferred under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 out of local government control and established as independent FE Corporations. On 1 April 2010, under the Apprentices, Schools, Children and Learning Act 2009, the College was designated as a Sixth Form College. The Secretary of State for Education has proposed further changes to the College regulatory regime in the Education Bill published in January 2011 [4]. Over 90% of the College's funds come from the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA). Corporation Members (governors) are individuals from business, the local community, staff, students, and parents. The Principal of the College is an ex-officio Member of the Corporation.[5]
The current Principal is Christopher Thomson MA. The current Vice-Principal is Anne Fielding Smith and the two Assistant Principals are Sally Bromley (curriculum) and Jutta Knapp (finance). The current chair of governors is Peter Freeman.
The College is especially noted for its panelled hall which is decorated with murals. BHASVIC enjoys a large library (now called the Open Learning Centre - OLC, which was added to the building in 1935 and refurbished in the late 1990s), and 15 acres (61,000 m2) of playing fields.[6]
The college consists mainly of three buildings. The Main Building, which is the oldest part of the college, contains the main hall and OLC. Then there is College House, a separate building which contains many classrooms, the language centre and the media editing suites. The newest permanent building is the Sports Centre, which contains two classrooms, a sports hall and a cafe. BHASVIC has several other smaller buildings such as the canteen and refectory block, some temporary classrooms and a new Student Services Centre, which contains the careers suite, welfare office and tutorial rooms.
In 1914, not long after it opened, the school was requisitioned for use as a military hospital.
There are approximately 1,800 students in college, most of whom take Advanced level courses. The remaining students are enrolled in variety of one year courses, predominantly Vocational Intermediate level or GCSE programmes. Approximately 60% of students are from Brighton and Hove, and up to 40 students come from outside the United Kingdom.[7]
As of 2008, about 70% of A level students continue on to a degree level course at a university or begin a specialist course (such as an Art Foundation pre-degree course) at a college of further education.[8]
754 students sat A level examinations in June 2010, with an outstanding pass rate of 98%. 59.5% of all grades were at A*, A and B grades. 199 A* grades were obtained at A level (10% of A level entries at BHASVIC). 100 students gained at least 3 A grades at A level.[9]
BHASVIC was also awarded beacon status on the 1st of July 2008.[10] Beacon status is public recognition of the excellence and innovation that exists within the further education system.
OFSTED published a report on its assessment of BHASVIC in December 2007, and found it to be a good college. It found that the success rates for students aged 16 to 18 following long qualifications were "well above" the UK national averages for sixth form colleges.[11]
The school has a good record of students attaining places on the prestigious Prime Minister's Global Fellowship programme. The school achieved its first student in the inaugural year of the programme, 2008, and in 2009 had 2 more successful applicants.[12]
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