Hackney College is sometimes used to refer to Hackney Community College, a popular further education college in London Borough of Hackney. Its latest Ofsted inspection in 2010 rated the college as 'Good', with strengths including safe and friendly environment; high standard of facilities; good student progression; good care, guidance and support; and outstanding partnerships.
HCC has over 9,000 students each year. This figure is made up of 16-18 year-olds in the new South Hackney Sixth 6th form, and adults who study full and part time. Increasing numbers of 14-16 year-olds also learn at the college either in partnership with local schools or through other arrangements. The college is home to the London City Hospitality Centre and its training restaurant, Open Kitchen - [1]
The college is working with other organisations to prepare local people to make the most of the opportunities brought to the region by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Some students are working on the Olympic Park and others are training to get other Games-related work. In recognition of this it was one of the first London colleges to join the official 2012 Get Set network.
Hackney Community College delivers learning and training across the area. Its main campus is in Falkirk Street, Hoxton. This opened in 1996 and at that time was the largest capital Further Education building project in the UK. HCC's SPACe (Sport and Performing Arts Centre) was funded by Sport England as a Centre of Excellence in Cricket and Basketball. SPACe was home to London United Basketball and is still the base for the (mostly) all-conquering Hackney Community College Basketball Academy.
The college also helps businesses by training their staff in many industry sectors.
HCC's main campus is in Shoreditch, backing onto Hoxton. This is a creative area of East London with fashion, media, digital and art-based businesses as well as galleries, bars and clubs. The nearest station is Hoxton on the East London Line - a few minutes' walk away. Or 10 minutes from Old Street. Buses 394, 149, 242, 243, 67 etc.
The college was originally named Hackney College when it was formed in 1974 by the amalgamation of Hackney and Stoke Newington College of Further Education with those sites of Poplar Technical College that had been established in Hackney. Initially run by ILEA and, following that, by Hackney Council, when it was renamed. It is now an independent institution, mainly funded through public funds. For a few years it was known as The Community College Shoreditch but has now reverted to the name Hackney Community College (dating from the process known as "incorporation" in 1993 when it was formed from the merger of Hackney College, Hackney 6th Form Centre and Hackney Adult Education Institute)
'Hackney College' has also been widely used (by Pevsner and others) to refer specifically to Brooke House, until September 2002 one of the Community College's sites. This has now become BSix Sixth Form College.
The modern version of the term should also be distinguished from previous Hackney Colleges:
Both of these merged in 1900, becoming the University of London's first Faculty of Theology. In 1924 this became, by Act of Parliament, a constituent college known as Hackney and New College, the two names by which its disparate buildings throughout north London were commonly known. In 1934 new premises were planned. In 1936, the name of the college was simplified to New College London, harking back to the Congregationalist merger of 1850.[1]