King Edward VI College is a

sixth form college A sixth form college is an educational institution, where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A Levels, Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) and the International Baccalaureate ...

located in

Nuneaton Nuneaton ( ) is a market town in the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth in northern Warwickshire, England, close to the county border with Leicestershire and West Midlands County.OS Explorer Map 232 : Nuneaton & Tamworth: (1:25 000) : Nuneaton ...

, England, in

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avo ...

. Currently, it teaches subjects in preparation for

A-level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational au ...

examinations, for students generally aged sixteen to eighteen.King Edward VI College - About Us
The college presently accommodates approximately 1400 students from Warwickshire, West Midlands and neighbouring counties.

History

Grammar school

King Edward VI Grammar School came into being on 11 May 1552 as a

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

, following the grant of a royal charter by

King Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...

.Veasey, Ted, (2002) ''Nuneaton: A History''. Phillimore & Co Publishing The school was originally a fee-paying school, although the county council provided some scholarships, and became non-fee paying as a result of the education act of 1944. The

voluntary aided school A voluntary aided school (VA school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation), contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. In ...

had around 400 boys in the 1960s.Paterson, David, (2011) ''Leeke's Legacy: A History of King Edward VI School, Nuneaton''. Matador Publishing

Sixth form college

In 1974 the

closed and was re-established as King Edward VI College.

Former Heads

* Tim Rogers 2019 - 2020 * Uly Lyons 2015 - 2019 * Esther Maughan 2008 - 2015 * Martin Ward 2004 - 2008 * Keith Butterworth 2000 - 2004 * David Smith 1996 - 2000 * Rowland P Brown 1967-75

Site

The oldest surviving school building located in the grounds of the St. Nicholas Church dates from 1595, was rebuilt in 1696 and was used as a school until 1880. In 1880, the grammar school was relocated to the current site on King Edward Road, the other side of the churchyard. The new building was built in a Tudor style by the architect C.C. Rolfe. The college was frequently extended during the 20th century to accommodate growing numbers of students. The Arnold Building, a new building opposite the main college site, was completed in 1994. In 2006, another small building was constructed next to the Arnold Building to hold the history department.

The New College

In recent years, the college has expanded its site with a new Study Centre, a specifically designed modern Art Block, Law Classrooms, Physics Labs, a re-developed library and Student Refectory.

Rope Walk Shopping Centre

In 2022, "King Edward VI College is to set-up a new 'centre of excellence' from the transformed space above Nuneaton's old Woolworth's store. It has been confirmed that the sixth form college is the first tenant to take over the unit above the former Woolworths in Queens Road. The first floor of 22 Queens Road has been given an almost £1m makeover to turn it into useable space and this has included a new entrance from the Ropewalk Shopping Centre side of the building. The college, known as KEGS, will use this space to create a centre of excellence for the Creative Arts and Tech Ed, as well as a Higher Education Centre for Nuneaton. Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has championed the transformation of the 'Ropewalk Chamber' using Town Deal funds. Town Hall leader, councillor Kris Wilson, said: "This development will enable King Edwards’ students to study in high-quality, modern accommodation that is safe, accessible and close to other amenities."

Extracurricular activities

The Student Voice

codified constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these pr ...

was created in 2007 which made provisions for student representation in college affairs. It identified two institutions responsible for representing the students of the college; the 'College Council' which consists of representatives from each tutor group in the college and the 'Student

Executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive di ...

Committee',College Prospectus 2011/12
/ref> which consists of six elected positions: * Male Chair - Chairs and oversees council meetings * Female Chair - Chairs and oversees council meetings *

Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury ...

- Manages the council's budget *

Secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...

- Responsible for the minutes of each meeting * Entertainments Officer - Arranges college parties, charity events etc. * Press Officer - Deals with the promotional activities involved in organising all events undertaken by the committee Collectively the College Council and Student Executive Committee are responsible for: organising charity fund-raising events, College Parties and the end of year Valedictory Ball. They are also involved in planning the annual 'Celebrating Student Achievement Evening', they meet with the

Board of Governors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organi ...

and may make proposals regarding various student/college-related issues to the Principal of the College.

Sports teams

The Nuneaton Old Edwardians

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

Football Club (RFC) was initially founded in 1910 to provide rugby football for former pupils of the Grammar School, the club went open in 1955 allowing players from all backgrounds to join. The club is still active and is participating in the Midlands 1 East League.

Enrichment activities

The college offers an enrichment programme which is designed to offer a wide range of sporting and recreational opportunities to students. These timetabled activities take place once a week and are compulsory for first-year students. Although enrichment is not compulsory for students after their first year, they are free to continue with it if they choose. Activities include various sporting activities, participation in college media (e.g. the college newspaper, radio station and film-making club) and a variety of clubs/societies.

Alumni Association

The King Edward VI College Alumni Association was launched in May 2011 by former students Vicky Fowler and Mohsin Shah. The association is open to all former college students and staff members. It aims to organise social and network events for former students of the college, provide careers advice support for current students and promote the work of King Edward VI College within the local community.

Academic performance

The college offers 45 AS and A level courses, and an additional range of GCSE and BTEC courses. Around 40% of students gain grades A or B at A level and the pass rate is at the average for the sixth form sector, the highest performing sector in education at 98%. Virtually all BTEC students earn Merit grades or better. Student retention is high at 95%. Every year around 6 students go to Oxford or Cambridge Universities. Almost all 99.2% of students - achieve positive destinations: the majority, 75%, go onto University, 5% go onto FE/Apprenticeships and around 20% gain employment. The College has frequently won awards for having the top-performing student in the summer examination series across a range of subjects. Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics student win Olympiad Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals every year. The college achieved an overall grade 2 (good), in its most recent OFSTED inspection in May 2015. DCSF Achievement and Attainment Tables 2008
/ref>

Secondary schools

The college offers higher level students from local secondary schools the opportunity to undertake additional AS/A level courses.King Edward VI College - Shared Curriculum

Notable alumni

King Edward VI College

* Marcus Jones, politician, Conservative Member of Parliament for

(2010–Present) * David Paterson (former college lecturer), local historian and author of King Edward VI Grammar School history * Jonathan Swain, television news presenter and reporter * Adele Robinson, Sky News Correspondent *

Karen Masters Karen Masters (born 1979) is an Astrophysicist and Associate Professor of Astrophysics in Haverford College, Pennsylvania exploring galaxy formation. She is also the project scientist for the citizen science project Galaxy Zoo, and uses the cl ...

, astrophysicist, professor at

Haverford College Haverford College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), began accepting non-Quakers in 1849, and became coeducationa ...

King Edward VI Grammar School

* David Bates, historian, Director of the Institute of Historical Research (2003-2008) * Leslie Allton, Spitfire pilot in the Battle of Britain (KIA) * Sir

Ewen Broadbent Sir Ewen Broadbent, (9 August 1924 – 27 February 1993) was a British civil servant who occupied a number of senior positions in the British government. In retirement, he had an appointment as a director of one of Gerald Carroll's Carroll Group ...

, senior civil Servant *

Robert Burton Robert Burton (8 February 1577 – 25 January 1640) was an English author and fellow of Oxford University, who wrote the encyclopedic tome '' The Anatomy of Melancholy''. Born in 1577 to a comfortably well-off family of the landed gentry, Bur ...

, author of 'Anatomy of Melancholy' * William Burton, author of 'Description of Leicestershire' * Geoffrey de Havilland, aviation pioneer * Bill Hays, stage and television director * Richard Hodges, former Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Solicitor and disability campaigner * Ronnie Goodyer, poet, author of six poetry collections, founder of Indigo Dreams Publishing house. *

Sir Chris Husbands ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as p ...

, Director of the Institute of Education (2011–2015), Vice-Chancellor, Sheffield Hallam University (2016–present) * Vincent Illing, petroleum geologist *

Jim Lee Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...

, Radio 4 announcer * Ken Loach, television and film director *

Henry Plumb Charles Henry Plumb, Baron Plumb, (27 March 1925 – 15 April 2022) was a British politician and farmer who went into politics as a leader of the National Farmers' Union. He later became active in the Conservative Party and was elected as a ...

, politician, MEP for the Cotswolds (1979-1999), President of the European Parliament (1987–89) * Sir Philip Randle, biochemist

References

External links

College Website

College OFSTED Reports

EduBase
{{authority control Sixth form colleges in Warwickshire Nuneaton Educational institutions established in the 1550s 1552 establishments in England Schools with a royal charter King Edward VI Schools