;
"Better to better everywhere" , established = , type =

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 Di ...

, religious_affiliation = , head_label = Principal , head = Corrienne Peasgood , chair_label = , chair = , founder = Sir William Paston , city =

North Walsham North Walsham is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England, within the North Norfolk district. Demography The civil parish has an area of and in the 2011 census had a population of 12,634. For the purposes of local government, the pa ...

, county =

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

, postcode = NR28 9JL , country =

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, dfeno = , urn = , enrolment = , gender = Coeducational , lower_age = 16 , upper_age = 19+ , houses = , colours = Burgundy and grey , free_label_1 = Former pupils , free_1 = Old Pastonians , website = http://www.paston.ac.uk Paston College (previously Paston Sixth Form College) is a sixth form college located in the town of

. The college has been part of

City College Norwich City College Norwich is a college of further and higher education in Norfolk, England. It is one of the largest colleges in the country. The College has expanded in recent years following mergers with Easton College in 2020 and Paston College ...

, following a merger of the two colleges, since 1 December 2017.

History

Sir William Paston's Free School (known as Paston School) was founded on the present site in 1606 by local magistrate and landowner Sir William Paston. An all-boys boarding grammar school, it sent most of its pupils to Gonville College, Cambridge. In 1610, Sir William died and the Trustees created by his will continued to keep the school in operation. The Trustees continue to own two of the college's three sites. In 1766, a new school building on the Grammar School Road was completed. From 1700 until 1984, Paston School had four houses, Tenison (Red), Wharton (Blue), Hoste (White) and Nelson (Yellow). In 1919, North Walsham High School for Girls, a girls grammar school was opened by the Misses Cooke, known locally as "Cookies" to complement the work of Paston. The expansion of local railways led more pupils travelling daily to Paston by railway (known as "train boys"), and by 1946 more than 270 boys were day pupils. Students continued to board until the mid-1950s. The Twentieth Century brought radical changes to education in Britain, with the 1902 and 1944 Education Acts. In 1908, Paston School became a public secondary school under the new Norfolk Local Education Authority. By 1944, the Butler Education Act abolished school fees. In 1953, Paston School became a voluntary aided grammar school and later a voluntary controlled grammar school. Paston Sixth Form College was formed in 1984 when grammar schools, Paston School and North Walsham High School for Girls merged. In 1993, the college was incorporated as an Independent College of Further Education under the 1991 Further and Higher Education Act. In 2017, Paston Sixth Form College merged with

and changed its name to Paston College. The college occupies the buildings of its 2 predecessor schools. The two sites include buildings dating from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, set in extensive lawns in the centre of the town.

Curriculum

Paston College offers A-Levels, GCSEs, Level 2 Programme and the Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma. A-Level courses include; Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Drama and Theatre Studies, English Language, English Literature, Environmental Science, Film Studies, French, Further Mathematics, Geography, Graphic Communication, History, Law, Maths, Media Studies, Philosophy and Religion, Photography, Physics, Politics, Psychology, Sociology and Textiles.

Exam results

In 2017, Paston College's A Level results were 53% A*-B, 80% A*-C, 99% A*-E. At BTEC, students achieved 100% pass rates, with 63% achieving top grades. The majority of students go on to university, including Oxford, Cambridge and other Russel Groups.

Headmasters

*1604-25: Michael Tylles, MA(Cantab) orpus*1625-40: Thomas Acres, MA(Cantab) rinity*1640-48: Edward Warnes, MA(Cantab) orpus*1648-66: Henry Luce, MA(Cantab) ueens'*1667-76: Joseph Eldred, BA(Cantab) rinity*1676-01: Robert Harvey, MA(Cantab) mmanuel*1701-03: Nicholas Girling, BA(Cantab) hrist's*1703-21: John Montford, MA(Cantab) rinity Hall*1721-47: John Gallant, BA(Cantab) orpus*1747-64: Alexander Campbell, MA(Aberdeen) 764-67: school closed for rebuilding*1767-78: John Price Jones, MA(Oxon)

esus Esus, Hesus, or Aisus was a Brittonic and Gaulish god known from two monumental statues and a line in Lucan's '' Bellum civile''. Name T. F. O'Rahilly derives the theonym ''Esus'', as well as ''Aoibheall'', ''Éibhleann'', ''Aoife'', and ...

*1778-95: Joseph Hepworth, MA(Cantab) ueens’*1796-07: Henry Hunter, BA(Cantab) ueen's *1807-25: William Tylney Spurdens, BA(Oxon) t Edmund Hall*1825-35: William Rees, BA(Oxon)

*1835-43: Samuel Rees, MA(Cantab) t John's*1843: George Harrison Wharton Thompson, MA(Oxon) agdalen Hall*1844-73: Thomas Dry, MA(Oxon) erton Hall*1874-78: Frederick Richard Pentreath, MA, DD(Oxon) orcester*1878-04: Henry Whytehead Wimble, MA(Oxon) ueen's*1904-22: George Hare o degree; first non-ordained Master*1922-46: Major Percival Pickford, MA(Oxon) incoln*1946-75: Lt Colonel Kenneth Newton Marshall, MA(Cantab) agdalene*1975-81: Kenneth Michael Harre, MA(Oxon) xeterRev) *1981-90: Peter Brice *1990-96: Molly Whitworth *1996-2012: Peter Mayne, MA(Oxon) t Edmund Hall MA(Leic) *2012-17: Kevin Grieve *2017–present: Corrienne Peasgood OBE o degree

Coat of Arms

Since 1606, the college's coat of arms has been that of the Paston Family, containing a

griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late Latin, Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail ...

and six

fleur-de-lys The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

. The college's motto ''De mieux en mieux en pour tout'' ("From good to better everywhere") features on the coat of arms.''A History of the Paston School'' - Charles Forder, second edition 1975

Old Pastonians

Sam Kelly Roger Michael Kelly (19 December 1943 – 14 June 2014), known by the stage name Sam Kelly, was an English actor who appeared in film, television, radio and theatre. He is best known for his roles as Captain Hans Geering in '' 'Allo 'Allo ...

, Britain's Got Talent contestant and musician * Colonel James Woodham MC, Royal Anglian Regiment, awarded the Military Cross in peacetime in 2006 for gallantry * Charlie Hall, QPM, Chief Constable, Hertfordshire Constabulary

Paston School

* Dr. James H. Keeler
Head of the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry
University of Cambridge, 2018- * Clive Baker, former professional goalkeeper * Prof David Chiddick CBE, Vice Chancellor from 2000 to 2009 of the

University of Lincoln , mottoeng = Freedom through wisdom , established = 1861 – Hull School of Art1905 – Endsleigh College1976 – Hull College1992 – University of Humberside1996 – University of Lincolnshire and Humberside2001 � ...

* Tony Colman, Labour MP from 1997 to 2005 for

Putney Putney () is a district of southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. History Putney is an ancient paris ...

* Prof

Henry Forder Henry George Forder (27 September 1889 – 21 September 1981) was a New Zealand mathematician. Academic career Born in Shotesham All Saints, near Norwich, he won a scholarships first to a Grammar school and then to University of Cambridge. A ...

, mathematician, known for the

Forder Lectureship The Forder Lectureship is awarded by the London Mathematical Society to a research mathematician from the United Kingdom who has made an eminent contribution to the field of mathematics and who can also speak effectively at a more popular level. Th ...

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...

, British actor * Edwin Le Grice, priest, Dean of Ripon from 1968 to 1984 * Prof

Rod Morgan Rodney Emrys Morgan (born 16 February 1942) is Professor Emeritus, University of Bristol and Visiting Professor at the University of Sussex. He is the former chair of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a ...

Craig Murray Craig John Murray (born 17 October 1958) is a Scottish author, human rights campaigner, journalist, and former diplomat for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Between 2002 and 2004, he was the British ambassador to Uzbekistan during ...

, Ambassador to Uzbekistan from 2002 to 2004 *

Robin Nash Robert Henry Douglas Drane (10 March 1927 – 18 June 2011), known professionally as Robin Nash, was a British television producer and executive, who was probably best known as producer of ''Top of the Pops'' from 1973 to 1980. At the BBC, he beca ...

, Head of Variety and later Head of Comedy at the BBC *

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...

William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson, 2nd Duke of Bronte (20 April 1757 – 28 February 1835), was an Anglican clergyman and an older brother of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson. Life Born in Burnham Thorpe, he was a son of the Reverend Edmu ...

* Flight Sergeant Charles Roberts (January 19, 1921 - 17 May 1943, from

Northrepps Northrepps is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is southeast of Cromer, north of Norwich and north of London. The village lies west of the A149 which runs between Kings Lynn and Great Yarmouth. The nearest rail ...

), who flew on the

Dambusters Raid Operation Chastise or commonly known as the Dambusters Raid was an attack on German dams carried out on the night of 16/17 May 1943 by 617 Squadron RAF Bomber Command, later called the Dam Busters, using special "bouncing bombs" developed by ...

as a navigator in Lancaster AJ-A with pilot

Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...

Dinghy Young Squadron Leader Henry Melvin "Dinghy" Young, (20 May 1915 – 17 May 1943) was a bomber pilot in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War. Early life Young was born in Belgravia, London, to Henry George Melvin Young, ...

DFC in the second section of the first wave; his aircraft was the fourth to bomb the

Möhne Dam The Möhne () is a river in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Ruhr. The Möhne passes the towns of Brilon, Rüthen and Warstein. There is a large artificial lake near the mouth of the river, the Möhne Reservoir, us ...

, but was hit by flak at 02.58 when returning, near the Dutch coast at Castricum aan Zee; he is buried at

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

General Cemetery * Allan Smethurst, The Singing Postman * Rev

Norman Snaith Norman Henry Snaith (1898–1982) was a British Old Testament scholar and a professor at Wesley College, Leeds. Education and early life Snaith was the son of a Primitive Methodist minister. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School and Cor ...

* Thomas Tenison, Archbishop of Canterbury *

Andrew Ian Cooper Andrew Ian Cooper FRS is Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Liverpool. Education Cooper was educated at the University of Nottingham where he was awarded a PhD for research supervised by Martyn Poliakoff ...

, British Chemist

North Walsham High School for Girls

* Gillian Shephard, Baroness Shepherd of Northwold, Conservative MP from 1987 to 2005 for

South West Norfolk South West Norfolk is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Liz Truss, a Conservative, who was prime minister of the United Kingdom from September to October 2022. Constituency profile This is ...

Carole Walker Carole Walker is a British political news correspondent. She worked at the BBC until the end of March 2017, before returning as a freelance presenter on the news channel. Biography Walker attended North Walsham Girls' High School in Norfolk, att ...

, BBC political correspondent

References

External links

*
Paston College Website
{{coord, 52.8204, 1.3861, type:edu_region:GB-NFK, display=title Educational institutions established in the 1600s Sixth form colleges in Norfolk 1606 establishments in England North Walsham *