Richard Taunton Sixth Form College, until 2012 called Taunton's 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 Di ...

in Upper Shirley, Southampton attended by approximately 1000 students.

Admissions

It offers a range of courses, mostly A Levels. Many students participate in a range of extracurricular activities. It is situated to the west of

Southampton Common Southampton Common is a large open space to the north of the city centre of Southampton, England. It is bounded by the districts of Shirley, Bassett, Highfield and Portswood. The area supports a large variety of wildlife, including one of th ...

next to the ''Bellemoor'' pub at the junction of ''Hill Lane'' and ''Bellemoor Road''. Near to the south is

King Edward VI School, Southampton King Edward VI School (also known as King Edward's, or KES) is a selective co-educational independent school founded in Southampton, United Kingdom, in 1553. The school was founded at the request of William Capon, who bequeathed money in hi ...

History

Foundation

''Taunton's School'' was founded in 1760 by Richard Taunton, former Mayor of Southampton. In 1864 it moved to a specially built site 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 campus 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 large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

) 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 1979, 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. Taunton's proposal was one of many which in the outturn could not be funded.

Name Change

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

Notable alumni

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Taunton's School

* Air Commodore Frank Padfield, first programme director of the Skynet British military satellite system *

, comedian * Bob Mitchell, Labour MP from 1971–83 for

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* Martin Chivers, footballer * Paul Bennett, footballer * Prof

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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