Richard Taunton Sixth Form College, until 2012 called Taunton's College, is a

sixth form college A sixth form college (pre-university college in Malaysia) is an educational institution, where students aged 16 to 19 study typically for advanced post-school level qualifications such as GCE Advanced Level, A Levels, Business and Technology Edu ...

Upper Shirley, Southampton Shirley is a broad district and a former village on the western side of Southampton, in the ceremonial county of Hampshire, England. Shirley's main roles are retailing and residential. It is the most important suburban shopping area in the we ...

attended by approximately 750 students. It is part of the Lighthouse Learning Trust, along with St Vincent Sixth Form College in Gosport.

Admissions

It offers a range of T levels and vocational courses, but mostly

A Levels 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 a ...

. It is to the west of Southampton Common next to the ''Bellemoor'' pub at the junction of ''Hill Lane'' and ''Bellemoor Road''. Near to the south is King Edward VI School, Southampton.

History

Foundation

''Taunton's School'' was founded in 1760 by Richard Taunton, former mayor of Southampton. In 1864 it moved to a specially built premises on New Road. In 1875 it was established as an endowed school, to be called ''Taunton's Trade School''. The school became a public secondary school and the name changed once more to ''Taunton's School''.

Grammar school

In 1926, the school moved to a new site on Highfield Road. It was officially opened by Eustace Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Newcastle (then the Coalition Conservative MP for

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

) on 26 April 1927. It was administered by the City of Southampton Education Committee. In 1968 it had around 850 boys.

Sixth form college

In 1969, it was reorganised as a

for boys and renamed to ''Richard Taunton College''. From 1978 girls were admitted.

Hill College

Meanwhile, in 1858, the Southampton College and High School for Girls was founded. In 1936 it moved to a site on Hill Lane. In 1967, it was reorganised as a

for girls and renamed to ''Southampton College for Girls''. Boys were admitted from September 1978, along with a name change to ''Hill College'', reflecting the location of the college.

Merger

In 1989 the two colleges merged using the name ''Taunton's College'' although the Hill Lane site was refurbished and moved into in 1993.

Redevelopment proposal 2007

A 2007 redevelopment proposal for Taunton's College, on Hill Lane in Southampton, which proposed replacement of nearly all the buildings on the site including the main building completed in 1937 as the Southampton Grammar School for Girls was formally cancelled by June 2009. Funds hoped for the redevelopment of many sixth form and Further Education colleges throughout England were revealed earlier in 2009 to be insufficient for a mooted major national programme of rebuilds,

Building Schools for the Future Building Schools for the Future (BSF) was the name given to the British government's investment programme in secondary school buildings in England in the 2000s. Around half of the work was procured under the private finance initiative. The deli ...

. Taunton's proposal was one of many which could not be funded.

Name Change

On 11 July 2012, Taunton's College changed its name to Richard Taunton Sixth Form College.

Notable former pupils

Taunton's School

Taunton's College

* Caity Baser, musician *

Alex Bellos Alexander Bellos (born 1969) is a British writer, broadcaster and mathematics communicator.Alex Bellos He is the author of books about Brazil and mathematics, as well as having a column in ''The Guardian'' newspaper. Education and early life ...

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, musician *

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, Welsh international footballerRichard Taunton Sixth Form College Prospectus, 2018-19, p. 4
/ref> *

Chris Packham Christopher Gary Packham CBE (born 4 May 1961) is an English naturalist, nature photographer, television presenter and author, best known for his television work including the CBBC children's nature series '' The Really Wild Show'' from 1986 t ...

, naturalist and television presenter * Chris Tremlett, cricketer * Manisha Tank, presents '' World Report'' on CNN *

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References

External links

*
Old Tauntonians' Association

EduBase
{{authority control Education in Southampton Sixth form colleges in Hampshire International Baccalaureate schools in England