Situated on the north side of Bradgers Hill Road in the Barnfield area of Luton, Bedfordshire, Luton Sixth Form College occupies a building that dates back to 1938. When it was constructed, the site sat on the northern edge of Luton’s developed area, with open countryside stretching beyond it. Today the college is one of the most historically significant sixth form institutions in the country, having been the first of its kind established in the United Kingdom.
From Grammar School to Sixth Form Pioneer
The college’s origins stretch back to 1904, when Luton Council acquired the Modern School, a mixed-sex secondary school. That school relocated to Park Square in 1908 – a site now occupied by the University of Bedfordshire – and grew considerably over the following decades. By 1919, further expansion was necessary, leading to a separate building on Alexandra Avenue for girls, named Luton High School for Girls, while the boys remained at Park Square. A further move in 1938 brought the boys’ school to the current Bradgers Hill Road site. In 1944 it became Luton Grammar School. Then, in 1966, it was converted into a sixth form college – the first in the UK – drawing together the sixth forms from Luton’s three selective schools. The founding College Principal was Brian David Dance B.A. Oxon, formerly Headmaster of Cirencester Grammar School, who led the college from 1966 to 1973. In 2011 the Luton News noted that under his leadership the college became a model of excellence for many other local education authorities, offering the widest possible range of A level course combinations.
Broadcasting and National Competition
The college built a notable public profile through BBC appearances. On 16 February 1965, while still operating as Luton Grammar School, a radio programme called Sporting Chance was broadcast on the BBC Light Programme, with the school’s team facing Maurice Edelston, Peter West, and Alan Clarke, hosted by John Snagge. In 1971 the college took part in the BBC television quiz show Top of the Form, winning three consecutive rounds against Oxted County, Merthyr, and Weston-super-Mare Grammar Schools before reaching the national final against Kenilworth Grammar School, broadcast on 8 June 1971. That same year, the college team joined schools from Oban and Kenilworth to compete in the BBC TV and USA TV Trans World Top Team competition, facing teams from Baltimore, New Orleans, and St. Pauls. Of the six competing teams, the college finished close second to Baltimore. In December 1981 the college established an educational link with the Indian subcontinent.