The College of Richard Collyer
Encyclopedia
The College of Richard Collyer, or Collyer's, is a coeducation
al sixth form
college in Horsham
, West Sussex
, England
.
, BTEC
, GNVQ
and vocational
certifications and GCSE examinations.
A wide variety of adult education
classes are offered at Collyer's in the evenings. It is situated on the B2180 opposite Horsham Community Hospital, and not far from the fire and police stations.
. The Mercers' Company are still the school's trustee
s, and have a close relationship with the school.
The current building was erected in 1892 by Arthur Vernon and is grade II listed by English Heritage. Above the entrance is a stone engraved with 'Grammar School, Founded by Richard Collier AD 1532' This is the only instance where Collyer is spelled as Collier. The new building replaced the school that was on the site of the current St Mary's Church of England Primary School. Part of the original building remains in structure of Arun House in Denne Road.
to the institution it is today. In 1944 it became a voluntary-aided grammar school
. In the 1960s it had around 600 boys.
In the early 2000s, annual reports from the Office for Standards in Education
have deemed the school outstanding. On the strength of a recent Ofsted Grade One for Science provision, the college was awarded Beacon Status for Science in 2005 by the Department for Education and Skills. In the same year, it achieved the status of Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for sport and recreation. A new £2 million Learning Resources Centre was unveiled during this period. In 2006, work began to extend the Sports Hall, or Cowley Building to provide more teaching and social space.
It gets about the best A-level results in West Sussex for state-run institutions, with The Weald School, Billingshurst
.
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
college in Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Admissions
Collyer's serves about 1600 students between 16 and 19 years of age. It offers AS and A-level courses in 45 different subjects, including a selection not taught at other local colleges. 20 further subjects are offered towards AVCEAdvanced Vocational Certificate of Education
Vocational Certificate of Education, usually shortened to VCE or Vocational A-Level or AVCE, was a vocational qualification that used to be available in Further Education colleges and school sixth forms in the United Kingdom....
, BTEC
Business And Technology Education Council (BTEC)
The Business and Technology Education Council is the British body which awards vocational qualifications. Such qualifications are commonly referred to as "BTECs"....
, GNVQ
General National Vocational Qualification
A General National Vocational Qualification, or GNVQ, is a certificate of vocational education in the United Kingdom. The last GNVQs were awarded in 2007....
and vocational
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
certifications and GCSE examinations.
A wide variety of adult education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
classes are offered at Collyer's in the evenings. It is situated on the B2180 opposite Horsham Community Hospital, and not far from the fire and police stations.
History
The College was founded in 1532 under the terms of the will of Richard Collyer, a member of The Mercers' Company of the City of LondonWorshipful Company of Mercers
The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the premier Livery Company of the City of London and ranks first in order of precedence. It is the first of the so-called "Great Twelve City Livery Companies". It was incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1394...
. The Mercers' Company are still the school's trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
s, and have a close relationship with the school.
The current building was erected in 1892 by Arthur Vernon and is grade II listed by English Heritage. Above the entrance is a stone engraved with 'Grammar School, Founded by Richard Collier AD 1532' This is the only instance where Collyer is spelled as Collier. The new building replaced the school that was on the site of the current St Mary's Church of England Primary School. Part of the original building remains in structure of Arun House in Denne Road.
Grammar school
Collyer's evolved slowly from an exclusive, all-male boarding schoolBoarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
to the institution it is today. In 1944 it became a voluntary-aided grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
. In the 1960s it had around 600 boys.
Sixth form college
It was effectively disbanded in its previous form when in 1976 it became a voluntary-aided sixth form college, instead of the expected comprehensive school. Later in 1993 it became a designated sixth form college.In the early 2000s, annual reports from the Office for Standards in Education
Office for Standards in Education
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
have deemed the school outstanding. On the strength of a recent Ofsted Grade One for Science provision, the college was awarded Beacon Status for Science in 2005 by the Department for Education and Skills. In the same year, it achieved the status of Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for sport and recreation. A new £2 million Learning Resources Centre was unveiled during this period. In 2006, work began to extend the Sports Hall, or Cowley Building to provide more teaching and social space.
Academic performance
It is considered one of the best sixth form colleges in England. Academically it is a very strong school; the students regularly achieve good results and a significant number progress to the most prestigious universities.It gets about the best A-level results in West Sussex for state-run institutions, with The Weald School, Billingshurst
The Weald School, Billingshurst
The Weald School is a maintained comprehensive secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18. It caters for around 1500 pupils in years 7 to 13, including over 200 in its sixth form. It is now a specialist Technology school and a sports college. The school opened in 1956, and celebrated its 50th...
.
Notable alumni
- See :Category:Old Collyerians.
- Harry EnfieldHarry EnfieldHenry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
- contemporary British entertainer - Chris NashChris NashChristopher David "Chris" Nash is an English cricketer who plays for Sussex County Cricket Club.He also played first-class cricket for Loughborough UCCE in 2003 and 2004 having made his first-class debut for Sussex in 2002, against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.Nash was born in Cuckfield, Sussex...
- Sussex cricketer
Collyer's School
- Saint Thomas Garnet (c.1575-1608), Jesuit Priest and martyr
- Wilfred BrownWilfred BrownWilfred Brown was an accomplished English tenor.He was born in Horsham, Sussex and educated at Collyer's School, then at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and Trinity College of Music. Brown was a lifelong member of the Religious Society of Friends...
, tenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... - William Brown, President from 1951-2 of the British Psychological SocietyBritish Psychological SocietyThe British Psychological Society is a representative body for psychologists and psychology in the United Kingdom. The BPS is also a Registered Charity and, along with advantages, this also imposes certain constraints on what the society can and cannot do...
, and Director from 1936-45 of the Institute of Experimental Psychology at the University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096... - John Curtis OBE, Keeper since 1989 of the Department of the Middle East at the British MuseumBritish MuseumThe British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, and Chairman from 1996-2001 of the British Association for Near Eastern Archaeology - Rt Rev Brian John MastersBrian John MastersBrian John Masters was the Bishop of Fulham and then the Bishop of Edmonton in the last quarter of the 20th century.Masters was born on 17 October 1932 and educated at Collyer’s School, Horsham and Queens' College, Cambridge before beginning his ordained ministry as a curate at St Dunstan and All...
, Bishop of EdmontonBishop of Edmonton (London)The Bishop of Edmonton is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury, England...
from 1985-98, and Bishop of FulhamBishop of FulhamThe Bishop of Fulham is a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of London in the Church of England. The bishopric is named after Fulham, an area of south-west London....
from 1982-4 - Simon NyeSimon NyeSimon Nye is an English comic television writer, best known for creating the hit sitcom Men Behaving Badly, writing all of the four ITV Panto, co-writing the 2006 film Flushed Away, co-writing Reggie Perrin and creating the latest adaption of William Brown in the Just William CBBC...
- writer of Men Behaving BadlyMen Behaving BadlyMen Behaving Badly is a British comedy that was created and written by Simon Nye. It follows the lives of Gary Strang and his flatmates, Dermot Povey and Tony Smart It was first broadcast on ITV in 1992... - Paul ParkerPaul Parker (cricketer)Paul Parker MA is an English schoolmaster and former cricketer, who played in one Test in 1981.-Life and career:...
, SussexSussex County Cricket ClubSussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
cricketer - Prof Christopher Platt, Professor of the History of Latin America from 1972-89 at the University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, and Chairman from 1973-5 of the Society for Latin American StudiesSociety for Latin American StudiesSociety for Latin American Studies is based in the United Kingdom and one of Europe's largest organizations of scholars of Latin American studies. It was founded in 1964 and has over 400 members, including diplomats, writers, and researchers in both academia and commercial and non-governmental... - Prof Colin Platt, Professor of History from 1983-99 at the University of SouthamptonUniversity of SouthamptonThe University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
, twin brother of Christopher - Prof Vernon Reynolds, Professor of Biological Anthropology from 1996-2001 at the University of Oxford, and expert on chimpanzeeChimpanzeeChimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s in the Budongo Forest - MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Alan Schaefer - Lawrence Smith, Keeper from 1987-97 of Japanese Antiquities at the British Museum
- Lt-ColLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
George StylesGeorge StylesLieutenant Colonel Stephen George Styles GC was a bomb disposal expert in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps . He received the George Cross for his service in defusing terrorist bombs in Northern Ireland in the 1970s....
GCGeorge CrossThe George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
, commanded the 28th Commonwealth Brigade from 1958-61, and bomb disposal expert in Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in the 1970s - Eric ThompsonEric ThompsonEric Norman Thompson was an English actor, producer and television presenter.Thompson was born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of George Henry and Anne Thompson, and grew up Rudgwick, Sussex, attending Collyer's School, Horsham...
- actor, and voice of The Magic RoundaboutThe Magic RoundaboutThe Magic Roundabout was a children's television programme created in France in 1963 by Serge Danot... - Dr David Westwood, Chief Constable from 1999-2005 of Humberside PoliceHumberside PoliceHumberside Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing an area covering the East Riding of Yorkshire, the city of Kingston upon Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire...
- Prof Roy Worskett, architect, Professor of Urban Conservation from 1974-9 at the University of BathUniversity of BathThe University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1966....
External links
- The College of Richard Collyer
- The Old Collyerians' Association (Association for alumni)
- Press release announcing 2005 OFSTED school inspection results
- A Brief History of Richard Collyer's School 1532-1964
- The Mercers' Company
- Collyers today with up to date photographs
- Contemporary photographs and text of English Heritage's Grade II listing
- Edubase