Varndean College
 | |
| Established | 1884 |
|---|---|
| Type | Sixth form college |
| Principal | Phil Harland |
| Location |
Surrenden Road Brighton East Sussex BN1 6WQ England Coordinates: 50°51′06″N 0°08′37″W / 50.8516°N 0.1435°W |
| DfE URN | 130668 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 2400 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 16+ |
| Website | Varndean College |
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.[1]
Former Headmasters and Principals
Varndean Grammar School for Boys
- 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
Varndean College
- 1975–1988 David A.G. Turner
- 1988–2006 Alan Jenkins
- 2006–date Dr Philip Harland
Location
Varndean College is situated in Surrenden Road, in the northern part of Brighton. It shares the Surrenden campus with Balfour Junior School, Balfour Infants School, Dorothy Stringer High School and Varndean Secondary School.
Notable alumni
The Old Varndeanian Association 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, Norwich City,
- Lisa Francesca Nand, journalist and broadcaster
- Dan and Tom Searle, twin musicians from the Brighton based band Architects
- Rebecca Stephens, musician
- Tasie Dhanraj, actress
- Chris Nightingale, sports presenter
- Hobbie Stuart, singer
Varndean Grammar School for Boys
- His Honour Judge Anthony Niblett, Circuit Judge
- Rt Rev Walter Hubert Baddeley, Bishop of Melanesia, Whitby and Blackburn
- Trevor Bish-Jones, chief executive from 2002–09 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) 1960–67
- 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 1985–89 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 1995–98 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, 1965–67
- 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)
- Prof Eric Shepherd, Professor of Investigative, Security and Police Sciences at the City University, London. (1955-60)
References
- ↑ 'Onward and Upward, York Place to Varndean 1884–1975' by Tony Allt and Brian Robson. Published privately in 1993 by the Old Varndeanian Association.