Harlow College is a further education college in

Harlow, Essex Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upper ...

, England. This medium-sized college has 5,900 students as of 2018 of which 2,585 are on 16-19 programmes and 2,000 are on adult educational programmes. Its main campus is in the town, while recently an additional site has been built and opened at

Stansted Airport London Stansted Airport is a tertiary international airport serving London, England, United Kingdom. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, England, northeast of Central London. London Stansted serves over 160 destinations acro ...

, the first of its kind at a major UK airport.https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50060852 Harlow College's Principal and Chief Executive is Karen Spencer. The current college was established in 1984 as a

tertiary college In England and Wales, a tertiary college is a type of further education (FE) college that offers both academic and vocational courses to both youngsters and adults, combining the main functions of an FE college and a sixth form college. Unlike a si ...

following reorganisation of post-16 education in the town. It replaced the former Harlow Technical College. The college is distinguished by its success rates and its Journalism Centre, which it has operated since 1964.

Journalism centre

Formed in 1964, Harlow College's Journalism Centre is a journalism training centre, with courses accredited through the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and the Periodical Training Council (PTC). The centre boasts strong links with

Anglia Ruskin University Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is a public university in East Anglia, United Kingdom. Its origins are in the Cambridge School of Art, founded by William John Beamont in 1858. It became a university in 1992, and was renamed after John Ruskin in ...

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

, through a BA Hons journalism degree. The journalism students studying at BTEC level are now able to use the new £9m University Centre Harlow facilities, which is part of Anglia Ruskin University. The current college was predated by a boys' boarding school of the same name, originally dating from 1862, which was situated in Old Harlow.

The college today

The college has three divisions: * Corporate services * Student-focused provision: the Sixth Form, the Vocational Studies Academy. * Employer-focused provision: the Business & Technology Academy, The Creative Arts Academy, The Employer Response Unit. In 2006/06, the college enrolled about 2,070 learners aged 16–18 and about 3,040 adult learners, with an income of around £20m.

Notable alumni

John Earls John Earls is an English music journalist, broadcaster, and columnist, best known for his work as chief writer and editor of Planet Sound on ITV (TV network), ITV's and Channel 4's Teletext on analogue television and online. He has contributed widel ...

- music journalist and broadcaster. *

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Scotland and raised in England, he was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits. He pursued a s ...

- musician, songwriter, composer, producer. *

Steve Lamacq Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music. Early life He attended The Ramsey Academ ...

- DJ. * Felicity Landon - journalist. *

Piers Morgan Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (; né O'Meara; born 30 March 1965) is a British broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality. He began his Fleet Street career in 1988 at ''The Sun (United Kingdom), The Sun''. In 1994, aged 29, he was ...

- television presenter and journalist. *

Sarah Ockwell-Smith Sarah Ockwell-Smith (born ) is a British author of parenting and childcare books and a proponent of attachment parenting. Published works Ockwell-Smith's first book ''BabyCalm'', published in 2012, focuses on parenting from birth to six month ...

- childcare author. *

Norman Watt-Roy Norman Joseph Watt-Roy (born 15 February 1951) is an English musician, arranger and composer. Watt-Roy's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music as the bass ...

- bassist. *

Jaime Winstone Jaime Margaret Winstone (born 6 May 1985) is an English actress, best known for her roles in '' Kidulthood'', '' Dead Set'', '' After Hours'' and her portrayal of Barbara Windsor in ''Babs''. Early life and education Winstone was born in Camd ...

- actress. *

Jeremy Clarkson Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English broadcaster, journalist, game show host and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for the motoring programmes '' Top Gear'' and '' The Grand Tour'' alongside R ...

- television presenter and journalist. *

Alan Rusbridger Alan Charles Rusbridger (born 29 December 1953) is a British journalist, who was formerly editor-in-chief of ''The Guardian'' and then principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. Rusbridger became editor-in-chief of ''The Guardian'' in 1995, havi ...

- former editor of ''The Guardian'' *

Richard Madeley Richard Holt Madeley ( born 13 May 1956) is an English television presenter and writer. Alongside his wife Judy Finnigan, he presented '' This Morning'' and the chat show '' Richard & Judy''. Madeley's solo projects include the ITV series '' F ...

- television presenter and journalist.' * Charlie Thomas - Sky News sports presenter.' * John Linger, Brandon Jacobs and Tom Hawkins - founding members of post-punk band

Neils Children Neils Children are an English rock band, formed in 1999 in Harlow, Essex, England, by lead singer and guitarist John Linger, drummer Brandon Jacobs and bassist Tom Hawkins. The band were originally based in their hometown of Cheshunt, Hertfor ...

. *

Charles Shaar Murray Charles Shaar Murray (born Charles Maximillian Murray; 27 June 1951) is an English music journalist and broadcaster. He has worked on the ''New Musical Express'' and many other magazines and newspapers, and has been interviewed for a number of ...

- journalist.' * Steve Harley - rock musician, former journalist.' *Kelvin Mackenzie - former editor of The Sun. *Sophy Ridge - Sky News presenter. *John Stapleton - Former GMTV, Watchdog, Panorama and Newsnight presenter. *Charlie Hedges - BBC Radio 1 DJ. *Phil Hall - Former editor-in-chief of Hello!

The Harlow Harrier

In September 2010, five students created the college's first student paper - The Harlow Harrier. It gives news on student issues, jobs in journalism, sports news, and local politics. The Founding Editor is Talal Musa - a former News of the World trainee sub-editor who worked on the sports desk at the Daily Mail. Musa now works in esports for Gfinity.

The original 'Harlow College' 1862-1965

The college was opened by the Reverend Charles Miller on 29 May 1862, in Old Harlow. In the early 20th century it was a well-known school with Ernest Percival Horsey as its head. When the Old Harlow area was redeveloped the school was forced to close in 1965.

Headmasters of Harlow College

* 29 May 1862: Opened by Charles Miller * 1889 - 1903: Lyndhurst Burton Towne * 1904 - 1935: Ernest Percival Horsey * 1935 - 1936: ? Miller * 1936 - 1962: Kenneth L. Dames * 1962 - 1965: Roy C. Purgavie

Notable alumni

Gordon de Lisle Lee __NOTOC__ Gordon Ambrose de Lisle Lee (11 July 1863''Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564–1950'' – 12 September 1927) was a British officer of arms, an expert in Japanese art and heraldry and a stage designer. Early life Lee was ...

Clarenceux King of Arms Clarenceux King of Arms, historically often spelled Clarencieux (both pronounced ), is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. Clarenceux is the senior of the two provincial kings of arms and his jurisdiction is that part of Engla ...

, 1862–1927. *

Herbert Marshall Herbert Brough Falcon Marshall (23 May 1890 – 22 January 1966) was an English stage, screen and radio actor who starred in many popular and well-regarded Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s. After a successful theatrical career in the Uni ...

- actor, 1890–1966. *

George Fellowes Prynne George Halford Fellowes Prynne (1853–1927) was a Victorian and Edwardian English church architect. Part of the High Church school of Gothic Revival Architecture, Prynne's work can be found across Southern England. Biography Early life George Ha ...

- church designer, 1853–1927.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Further education colleges in Essex Educational institutions established in 1964 Educational institutions established in 1984 1964 establishments in England 1984 establishments in England