Varndean College

Varndean College

Established	1884
Type	Sixth form college
Religion	Non-denominational
Principal	Phil Harland
Location	Surrenden Road Brighton East Sussex BN1 6WQ England
DfE URN	130668
Ofsted	Reports
Students	2400
Gender	Coeducational
Ages	16+
Website	Varndean College

See also: Varndean Secondary School

Varndean College is a sixth form college located in Brighton & Hove that serves the needs of sixth form students and adults.

History

The college was founded in 1884 in York Place, Brighton as a boys' Secondary School and moved to its current site overlooking the city and the sea in 1932, later attaining grammar school status, becoming Varndean Grammar School for Boys, administered by the Education Committee for the County Borough of Brighton. In 1972 the first girls were admitted to the school (a small number of girls attended A level physics classes at the school in 1970-71) , and in 1975 it became a sixth form college under its first principal, David A.G. Turner.

Former Headmasters and Principals

• 1884-1901 Edwin H. Lethbridge (died 1932)
• 1902-1932 William J. Stainer (died 1937)
• 1932-1963 Eric J. Hutchins (died 1972)
• 1963-1970 John E. Mollison
• 1970-1975 David A.G. Turner
• 1975-1988 David A.G. Turner
• 1988-2006 Alan Jenkins
• 2006 - Philip Harland

Location

Varndean College is situated in Surrenden Road, in the northern part of Brighton. It shares a campus with Balfour Junior School, Balfour Infants School, Dorothy Stringer High School and Varndean Secondary School.

Notable alumni

The Old Varndeanian Association [1] exists to maintain a network between former pupils and students of both the school and college, as well as former pupils of Varndean Girls' School. The association maintains contact with thousands of Old Varndeanians and organises regular reunions and other functions.

• Bobby Barry, musician
• Tommy Fraser, footballer (Brighton and Hove Albion)
• Darren Freeman, footballer (Brentford, Fulham and Brighton and Hove Albion)
• Lucy Griffiths, actress
• Natasha Kaplinsky, television presenter
• Russell Martin, footballer (Wycombe Wanderers, Peterborough)
• Lisa Francesca Nand, journalist and broadcaster
• Rebecca Stephens, musician

Varndean Grammar School for Boys

• Rt Rev Walter Hubert Baddeley, Bishop of Melanesia, Whitby, Blackburn and Adelaide
• Trevor Bish-Jones, Chief Executive from 2002-9 of Woolworths Group
• David Blanchflower CBE, economist
• Frank Bridge, composer
• David Collings, actor
• Percy Ford, Professor of Economics from 1926-59 at the University of Southampton
• Prof Anthony French, Professor of Physics from 1964-91 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, worked on the Manhattan Project
• Dave Greenfield, Stranglers (keyboards) 1960-1967
• Dr Spencer Hagard, Chief Executive from 1987-94 of the Health Education Authority
• Harold Foster Hallett, philosopher
• Norman Hammond, archaeologist and Archaeology Correspondent of The Times since 1967
• Alan Hart, Chief Executive from 1985-9 of the Equal Opportunities Commission
• David Hills CBE, Director-General of Intelligence from 1988-93 at the Ministry of Defence
• Major-General Sir Ralph Hone, Governor of North Borneo 1949-54
• Neil Hook MVO, Ambassador to Turkmenistan from 1995-8 and High Commissioner to Swaziland from 1999-2001
• Prof Malcolm Levene, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health since 1989 at the University of Leeds
• Des Lynam, television presenter
• Steve Ovett, Olympic athlete
• Ian Ritchie CBE, architect
• Simon Schaffer, historian
• George Schwartz, Economics editor of the Sunday Times from 1961-71
• Paul Scofield, actor
• Peter Sharpe, Chief Constable from 1994-2000 of Hertfordshire Constabulary
• Prof Colin Smith, Professor of Spanish from 1975-90 at the University of Cambridge, Editor from 1976-81 of the Modern Language Review
• Prof Kenneth Stacey, Professor of Microbiology and founding director of the Biology Laboratory at the University of Kent
• Rear Adm Michael Stringer, 1965-1967
• Rt Rev Martin William Wallace, Bishop of Selby since 2003
• Prof Albert Weale, Professor of Government from 1992-2009 at the University of Essex
• Mike Winch, Commonwealth Games shot-putter and national coach
• Eric James, Baron James of Rusholme, High Master of the Manchester Grammar School (1945-62) and first Vice-Chancellor of the University of York (1962-73)
• Dan and Tom Searle, twin musicians from the Brighton based band Architects (British band).

Rebuild Project

The college building is too small to offer the curriculum it wishes to and is currently not large enough to accommodate the students attending; around 1200. The building was constructed in 1930s as a boys' grammar school for 500 students and the Principal believes it is not suitable for modern needs. The plans would completely knock down the old building but the design of the new one is keeping with the same style; revolving around an open air courtyard. When completed the college will be able to offer modern facilities and teaching spaces for all subjects. The plans also include an extension to the Downs View Link College on the same site, which provides education and care for 16 to 19-year-olds with physical and mental disabilities and new block, including a gym and hydrotherapy pool, which will provide for up to 100 under 25s with severe learning difficulties and disabilities. If all goes according to plan, construction should be complete by 2015. Principal Dr. Philip Harland has said recently, "the current plans for re-constructing the College will cause controversy within the local community and area, but hopefully these people will realise the potential in these plans for future students and will approach the ideas with a more positive attitude." (April 2008).

During 2010 it became clear that funds for a major rebuild project would not be made available in the foreseeable future. The college will, however, undergo extensive renovation work over the next few years.

External links

• Varndean College
• Old Varndeanian Association