Newham Sixth Form College

Newham Sixth Form College

Established	1992
Type	Sixth form college
Principal	Mr Eddie Playfair
Location	Prince Regent Lane Plaistow Greater London E13 8SG England
Local authority	Newham
DfE number	???/8600
DfE URN	130452
Ofsted	Reports
Gender	Mixed
Ages	16+
Website	NewVIc

Coordinates: 51°31′20″N 0°01′49″E / 51.5223°N 0.0304°E / 51.5223; 0.0304

Newham Sixth Form College, also known as NewVIc, is a sixth form college in Newham, east London, established in 1992.

Admissions

It is located on two sites in the London Borough of Newham, the main site being situated on Prince Regent Lane (A112) in Plaistow, near the Newham University Hospital. The college offers a wide range of subjects, in A-level, BTEC and diploma formats, amongst others.

A high proportion of students between the ages of 16 and 19 are from ethnic minority groups. Over 90% of the students come from areas identified as disadvantaged. Many students leaving the college have attained university places.

History

Grammar school

The first school on the site opened as Plaistow Municipal Secondary School in 1926, becoming Plaistow County Grammar School in 1944.

Comprehensive

In 1972 it merged with Faraday Secondary Modern School to become Cumberland Comprehensive School.

Sixth form college

There was some local opposition to the college, as opening it would mean that all the local school sixth forms had to close. Numbers exceeded the most optimistic estimates, however, climbing from 750 in the first year to over 2,600 in the 2006/7 academic year.

The college was led from 1991 to 2008 by Sid Hughes, who won a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Teaching Awards, 2007. The current principal is Eddie Playfair. Vice Principals have included Satnam Gill, Paul Edwards, Jennifer Sims and currently Michael Dowd.

Courses

The college offers many programmes of study for students of different abilities and talents. Qualifications offered include:

• AS level
• A level
• BTEC
• National diploma
• First diploma

and a range of other short courses. The college also runs some adult education night classes, as well as providing daytime access for adults to the Learning Resources Centre.

Partnerships

NewVic offers higher education courses in partnership with the University of East London, a range of courses for learners aged 14–16, and is a cricket academy in conjunction with Essex County Cricket Club. The College also works with local secondary schools providing teaching and support for students aged 14+. It is also designated as a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for digital and broadcast media.

Media and Arts

In 2004 it took over the lease of the Stratford Circus arts centre. Since the college took over the responsibility for the management of the centre it has performed financially better than under previous tenants, and had a successful relaunch in June 2006. The college works collaboratively with East London Dance, Urban Development, Theatre Venture and NEWCEYS to develop activities at the Circus and contribute to the ongoing regeneration of Stratford, London.

Between 2002 and 2005 the arts and media team at NewVIc undertook the Pathways into Creativity action research project, funded by NESTA, which has become an influential model for teaching, learning and leadership in partnership-based arts education and creative pedagogy. This led to the publication of a book, The Creative College, edited by Graham Jeffery. Themes addressed in this book include inclusion and arts education, managing projects in partnership with professional arts organisations, creativity, learning, and leadership.

Academic performance

Examination results have consistently been the best of any non selective post 16 college in east London.^{[citation needed]}

Facilities

• Large athletics hall
• Football pitch
• Completely furbished gym, complete with all manner of exercise machines
• Fully equipped theatre space, with lighting, sound and recording facilities
• Comprehensive library, with internet capabilities

Alumni

Plaistow County Grammar School

• Sir Norman Price CB (attended 1926 onwards), Chairman from 1973-6 of the Board of the Inland Revenue
• Terence Stamp (1949 onwards), actor
• Sir Brian Hayes CBE (1951 onwards), Chief Constable from 1982-91 of Surrey Constabulary
• Chris Stamp (1953 onwards), psychodrama therapist and former manager/producer of The Who and Jimi Hendrix
• Richard Jenkins OBE (1954 onwards), Ambassador to Georgia from 1998–2001
• John Glester (1958 to 1965), Chief Executive from 1988-96 of the Central Manchester Development Corporation
• Malcolm McFee (1960 to 1965), former actor
• Chris Paraskeva (1964 to 1971), Professor of Experimental Oncology at University of Bristol since 1993
• Lynne Peacock, nee Beare (1965 to 1972), former CEO of The Woolwich, Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank
• John Boyce (1970 to 1972), founder and Managing Director of Mighty Oak Brewery
• Paul Brush (1969 to 1974), from 1977 to 1990 a professional footballer in the English football league

References

• Jeffery. G. (2005). The Creative College: building a successful learning culture in the arts. Trentham Books. 

External links

• Newham Sixth Form College website
• Ofsted report, 2005
• London Development Agency
• Stratford Circus
• Circus Media Centre
• Edubase