Beyond the gates of this 1927 Art Deco building in central Reigate lies a college that has quietly become one of England's strongest sixth form providers. Founded in 1976 as part of the educational reorganisation that separated post-16 education from secondary schools, Reigate College now educates approximately 2,800 students aged 16 to 19. The college attracts learners from up to 100 state and independent schools across south east Surrey, positioning itself as a genuine alternative to traditional school sixth forms. Located between Reigate High Street and the railway station, it brings specialist sixth form education to a generation of young people determined to chart their own academic path outside their original schools.
Reigate College ranks 719th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), sitting in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). The college is regularly placed in the top ten of UK colleges when success rates are used as the criteria, a distinction earned through consistent delivery rather than selective admissions. Nick Clark, Principal since 2014, leads a college that balances academic rigour with genuine student support.
The college occupies a distinctive campus that blends heritage with contemporary facilities. The main building, constructed in 1927 for the Reigate County School for Girls and designed by the architecture firm Jarvis and Porter, anchors the site with its period charm. Subsequent additions — the purpose-built Dramatic Arts Centre (DAC), the Rispoli Theatre, and the Lindley Sports Centre — reveal an institution committed to infrastructure investment.
Walking through the college reveals a community atmosphere that differs markedly from traditional secondary schools. Students move between lessons with evident purpose. The college day runs from 9:00am to 4:15pm, structuring time around compulsory lessons and timetabled support. Unlike school sixth forms, there is an intentional separation from younger pupils, creating a distinctly post-16 environment where 19-year-olds feel genuinely at home.
Leadership is embedded in a dedicated management team. Principal Nick Clark is supported by Chief Executive Christopher Whelan, Deputy Principals, Assistant Principals, and a team of Directors of Learning. Staff turnover is low, and teaching expertise is evident across disciplines. The college employs over 250 teaching and support staff committed to "sixth form education at its best, both for results and in the development of students as responsible citizens."
The values of equality, diversity and inclusion permeate college life. Staff deliberately create a supportive environment where students settling in from different schools find community quickly. Student mentors, trained to guide younger arrivals, operate Lunch Hubs — dedicated spaces where new students can eat and meet peers without overwhelming social pressure. A comprehensive induction programme helps the transition from secondary school to independent sixth form study.
A-level outcomes place Reigate College among consistent performers in the sixth form sector. In 2024, 31% of grades awarded were A* or A, against the England average of 24% (well above average). The percentage achieving A*, A or B stood at 58%, compared to the England average of 47% (well above average). These figures reflect a college culture where A-level study is treated with appropriate gravity, underpinned by structured teaching and targeted support.
The college cites value-added metrics as a particular strength. Students are predicted grades based on their GCSE entry scores using nationally generated predictions. Reigate College reports that students typically achieve three times the number of high grades they are nationally predicted to achieve. This value-added measure suggests that teaching quality and support systems work effectively to move students beyond their initial trajectories.
The 2024-25 academic year saw a record number of students receiving interviews for Oxford and Cambridge, with 38 candidates pursuing Oxbridge applications at the point of reporting. In the previous cycle (2024 leavers), 9 students secured Oxbridge places from 52 applications, representing an 12% acceptance rate — statistically modest but notable given the college's open admissions.
Beyond Oxbridge, nearly 900 leavers progressed to university in 2024, including Russell Group universities. The college identifies specific destinations regularly: students have progressed to London School of Economics, Warwick, Bristol, Edinburgh, Southampton, and others. The college's Aspire Programme, designed for high-achieving students targeting competitive universities, provides targeted advice and guidance; students scoring around 6 or above at GCSE are invited to join. The MVD pathway offers specialist support for aspiring medics, veterinary surgeons and dentists; 11 students secured places to study Medicine or Veterinary Science in 2024.
The 2023-24 leaver cohort (1,429 students) followed diverse paths. 48% progressed to university. 35% entered employment directly. 4% secured apprenticeships. 1% progressed to further education. The college supports these varied outcomes through distinct career pathways: a University Pathway guides UCAS applicants; an Apprenticeship and Employment Pathway supports students seeking level 3 and 4 apprenticeships with major employers.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
A-Level A*-B
58.24%
% of students achieving grades A*-B
The college offers over 50 A-level courses, alongside BTEC Level 3 qualifications and Technical Level qualifications. Curriculum breadth allows genuine choice: students can pursue traditional academic pathways (further mathematics, classical languages, sciences) alongside vocational options (engineering, health and social care, performing arts).
The teaching model relies on specialist subject expertise. Class sizes typically average 14 pupils, dropping below 10 for some A-level sets in less popular subjects, enabling close working relationships between teacher and student. The college emphasises "mixed and match" academic programmes, allowing students to combine A-levels, BTECs and technical qualifications within a single study plan. This flexibility recognises that post-16 learners have varied aspirations — some destined for research-focused universities, others seeking direct entry to employment or apprenticeships.
A distinctive feature is the tutorial system. All students are allocated to tutor groups of 6–8 students, with a designated tutor providing academic oversight and pastoral support. Tutors deliver specialist career pathways: students can join pathways focused on law, medicine, architecture, psychology, biosciences, performing arts, and other fields. These pathways supplement core timetabled lessons with additional guidance aligned to career interests.
Additional support is embedded within teaching allocations. Every course receives "Plus" support sessions — additional study periods built into teaching allocations rather than requiring staff to give free time. This approach ensures that pupils needing more support access help without stigma or informal arrangements.
Enrichment life at Reigate College is expansive and genuinely inclusive. The college offers approximately 70 clubs and activities, running during lunchtimes and after college during autumn and spring terms. Coverage spans hobby, leisure, sport, wellness, art, culture, and academic interests.
Music is central to college life. Three separate A-level courses in music — Music, Music Technology, and Music Performance — underpin a vibrant musical culture. The Winter Concert, held annually in December, draws over 70 musicians from across music courses and ensembles. The college's music programme includes a Session Orchestra, Chamber Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble and Choir. Lunchtime recitals, competitions, and the Music Awards ceremony punctuate the academic year. Notable student performers have included Marthinus Louw, recently awarded a scholarship to Trinity Laban Conservatoire, and Cam'ron Pindi, a grade eight violist.
The Dramatic Arts Centre (DAC) provides state-of-the-art facilities: flexible, high-tech performance and rehearsal spaces with technical sophistication. The Rispoli Theatre, with its excellent foyer and auditorium-style seating, complements this provision. The annual performing arts calendar includes Shakespeare Schools Festival, the Hot Feet Dance Show (featuring complex choreography and professional-level production values), two cross-college shows, performing arts showcases, and Equality and Community Day performances. The 2024-25 season features the College Musical Sister Act and a college production of The Tempest, both demonstrating the ambition of student-led productions.
Specific ensembles named on the college website include the Reigate College Choir, Guitar Ensemble, Chamber Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Session Orchestra, and Rock Band Sessions. Technical Theatre Club attracts students interested in stage production. Musical Theatre Dance and Street & Commercial Dance offer specialist tuition. The college also runs a Film Club, Advanced Film Making course, and Music Film Club, indicating substantial creative provision beyond traditional classroom music.
The college offers competitive sport within the Surrey Sixth Form Colleges League. Men's football fields four separate teams (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th), women's football, men's rugby, women's rugby, netball (A and B teams), and basketball. Additional teams operate in tennis, table tennis, badminton and swimming subject to demand. All teams compete on Wednesday afternoons; fixtures run throughout the academic year. Students can also represent South East Colleges and British Colleges through Association of Colleges (AoC) competitions in cross-country, athletics, table tennis, and golf.
The Lindley Sports Centre houses a 24-station gym accessible to students at selected times during the college week, including lunchtimes and after college. The gym operates a structured induction and access system managed by sports centre staff. Beyond gym access, the college offers sports leadership courses and opportunities to develop fitness and exercise knowledge across diverse activities including badminton, cricket, dodgeball, gymnastics, netball, self-defence and karate, table tennis, trampolining, volleyball, and yoga.
Sport is presented as available to all rather than elite-only. The college explicitly states it aims to give all students an opportunity to enjoy sport and physical activity, whether as members of a college team or "just for pleasure." This inclusive approach contrasts with schools where sport provision is often competitive and selective.
The breadth of clubs reflects genuine student interest rather than formulaic provision. Specific clubs named on the enrichment opportunities list include:
Hobby and Leisure: Anime Club, Board Games Club, Book Club, Chess Club, Colouring & Journalling Space, Embroidery, Harry Potter Club, International Society Club, Knitting & Crochet, Lego Club, Minecraft, Origami, Rainbow Club, Step Forward, Walk & Talk, Wildlife & Gardening, Young Carers Group.
Community Service: Activity Ambassadors, Missing Maps.
Academic: Beginner & Intermediate Latin, Classics Club, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Criminal Justice Club, Creative Writing Club, Debating, French Café, German Café, Intermediate Ancient Greek, Learn Mandarin, Maths Club, Medieval History Club, Model United Nations (MUN), Politics Society, Sociology Club, Spanish Café, Student Investment & Trading Hub, Women in STEM.
Art and Culture: Advanced Film Making, Chamber Ensemble, Classic Album Club, Cross-College Play, Cross-College Show, Film Club, Guitar Ensemble, Street & Commercial Dance, Music Film Club, Musical Theatre Dance, Percussion Ensemble, Reigate Actors Agency, Reigate College Choir, Rock Band Sessions, Session Orchestra, Technical Theatre Club.
Named speakers and external partnerships enrich provision. Politics students attended the PolEcon conference at Methodist Central Hall in London, hearing from MPs including Nigel Farage, Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, Michael Gove, and others. Engineering students visited Gatwick Airport's STEM Centre for workshops and behind-the-scenes tours. Performing Arts students attended TheatreCraft24 at the Royal Opera House, experiencing backstage visits to West End productions including The Lion King and The Devil Wears Prada. Product Design students visited the Design Museum and V&A in London.
The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a distinctive feature of the Aspire Programme. In 2023-24, 277 students undertook EPQs on topics ranging from environmental science to social policy, ethics, film representation, and veterinary medicine. 90% of 2024 leavers achieved A*-B in their EPQ. This qualification develops independent research skills and often results in more favourable university offers.
Super-curricular enrichment actively bridges gap between school and university study. The college identifies specific academic competitions: 145 mathematics and further mathematics students participated in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge 2024, earning 15 golds, 31 silvers, 67 bronzes and 31 certificates of participation. Four students competed in the Maths Olympiad for Girls, achieving two merits and two distinctions. Students have won the Mary Renault Classical Reception Essay Competition (run by St Hugh's College, Oxford) and the Philosophy Script-Writing Competition (organised by The Philosophy Garden in association with the University of Birmingham; the winning script was animated and featured in an exhibition at the Philosophy Museum in Milan). Flo Rowson reached the final of the Oxford Scientist Schools Science Writing Competition, restricted to years 10-13 nationally.
Around 60 students enrol on the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Programme annually. The 18-month programme includes volunteering, skills development, physical recreation, expedition and residential components. The 2024 qualifying expedition took place in Snowdonia, North Wales, involving four days and three nights trekking and camping. The DofE is positioned as providing "an excellent additional qualification for students to gain and adds weight to both job and university applications."
Students can stand for positions on the Students' Union at the end of their Lower Sixth. Roles include Union President, Charity Officer, Wellbeing Ambassador, and Equality Representative. The SU organises the college's social calendar, including the Freshers' Party (featuring live DJ, college bands, photo booth and sideshows), music and dance events, and competitions and fundraising activities.
Specialist careers pathways operate alongside general support: students can join 13 specialist Career Pathways including Law, Medicine/Veterinary Science/Dentistry (MVD), Oxbridge, Psychology, Performing Arts, Architecture, Biosciences, Creative fields, Computer Science and IT, Music, Humanities and Languages, and Apprenticeships. The MVD pathway includes weekly tutorials, reflective portfolio construction, work experience guidance, contemporary health issue research, medical ethics debates and talks from practicing professionals. The Oxbridge pathway provides additional support for serious applicants via structured tutorials and Cambridge widening participation visits.
Admissions to Reigate College are non-selective at entry. The college accepts students with a minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4 or above. This open access policy contrasts with selective schools and some sixth forms, creating a deliberately inclusive admissions model.
Students apply directly to the college. Admissions include interviews with experienced staff to discuss proposed study programmes and address questions. The college runs Applicants' Events covering specialist topics (Women in STEM, Medicine and Veterinary Science, Further Maths, Film and Media, and others). An Introductory Day in July allows prospective students to try out subject choices. Choices Day, held in August after GCSE results, provides a final taster session to firm up study programmes. Enrolment interviews in August and September, conducted alongside support team members, address learning needs and mentoring arrangements.
The Settling In programme is comprehensive. A Support Hub operates as a drop-in centre during the first term for students needing extra support. Lunch Hubs, run by trained Student Mentors, provide smaller, welcoming spaces for new students to eat and meet peers. Community Day, held in September, breaks the timetabled week to allow tutor groups (comprising most students who also share lessons together) to bond. The Freshers' Party, held in September with live DJ, college bands, photo booth, henna art and face painting, is positioned as a highlight of the college's social calendar. For all Lower Sixth students who have never attended the college before, settling in is actively supported through structured transitions.
The college draws from seven partner schools — Oakwood School, Reigate School, Carrington School, de Stafford School, Merstham Park School, The Priory Church of England School Dorking, and The Beacon School — but accepts applications from any school. This attracts students from approximately 100 different secondary schools annually, building cohort diversity.
The college day runs 9:00am to 4:15pm, with common morning and lunch breaks. All lessons are compulsory, though students have some agency in timetable arrangement. The college is situated in Reigate town centre, between the High Street and railway station, providing convenient access for students using rail transport from surrounding areas. Castlefield Road is the main college address; parking is available on campus and nearby.
The campus includes multiple named facilities: the Independent Learning Centre, Dance Studio, Rispoli Theatre, Dramatic Arts Centre, Refectory, Soundproofed Recording Studio, Science Laboratory, and 24-station Gym (all located within the Lindley Sports Centre). Trips and visits are integral to provision; international destinations in recent years have included Rome (Classics), The Azores (Geography), Disneyland Paris (Performing Arts), Budapest (Travel & Tourism and Business), Berlin and Paris (History), New York (Visual Arts, Film and Media), and language exchanges in Spain, France and Germany. The college provides financial support to a limited number of students unable to afford trip participation.
Student support is systematic and multi-layered. Tutor groups of 6–8 students provide day-to-day pastoral oversight. Tutors are trained to identify when students may be struggling and escalate concerns appropriately. Learning Support facilitators operate across the college, identified during enrolment interviews and ongoing assessment. These staff provide additional support in lessons and may offer specialist guidance for students with declared learning differences.
The Support Hub, operating throughout the first term, provides a dedicated drop-in resource for students needing extra help. Lunch Hubs, staffed by 20 trained Student Mentors, offer smaller spaces where students can eat and meet peers without overwhelming social pressure. Students can elect to become Student Mentors themselves, providing one-to-one mentoring to peers.
Counselling support is available. A trained counsellor provides individual support for students facing emotional or psychological challenges. The college addresses wellbeing through structured tutorial content: topics including Online and Personal Safety and Healthy Relationships are delivered during tutor time.
The college works with Future First, a charity focused on widening opportunity and raising awareness of career pathways. The college describes itself as "proud to be working with Future First" to address barriers some students face in accessing relatable role models, networks and knowledge about progression options.
Non-selective entry with open admissions: While the college is non-selective at entry, the cohort self-selects toward academically ambitious young people. Students choosing to study A-levels at a dedicated sixth form college are typically motivated to continue academic study. Parents should understand that the college does not filter entry; rather, the college context attracts those planning to pursue higher education or competitive apprenticeships.
Independent study expected: Sixth form is a significant jump from secondary school. The college extends school day to 4:15pm and structures teaching around A-level content, but students are expected to manage independent study, produce extended essays, and take responsibility for revision. The transition from school to college environment requires genuine maturity and self-direction.
Limited sports selectivity: Sport is available to all, but competitive teams are selective. Students hoping to join college sports teams must trial and earn selection. Those seeking recreational sport have access to the gym and activity clubs, but competitive team membership is competitive.
Commuter culture: The college draws students from across south east Surrey and beyond. For some, the college experience is primarily academic, with limited engagement in social or extracurricular life. Students travelling 45 minutes to an hour may have less opportunity for lunchtime clubs or after-college activities. Families should consider whether isolation or limited social integration could be a concern for their child.
Reigate College delivers sixth form education that balances academic rigour, student choice, and inclusive support. The open admissions model attracts bright, ambitious young people without requiring selective entrance exams or elite prior achievement. Results demonstrate that value-added teaching and support systems work effectively; students achieve well above what their GCSE grades alone would predict. The college's size — approximately 2,800 students — provides critical mass for diverse enrichment activities whilst retaining a sense of individual support through tutor relationships.
For families seeking a sixth form option that breaks from traditional school structures, offers breadth of subject choice, and prioritises student development beyond examination results, Reigate College offers a compelling alternative. The college is best suited to self-directed young people ready for independence, motivated by personal academic interest rather than peer pressure, and prepared to engage with the substantial enrichment offer available. The main challenge lies in realistic assessment of whether a student thrives in a specialist sixth form context rather than remaining embedded within a school sixth form where pastoral continuity is greater.
Reigate College is a strong sixth form provider. The college is regularly placed in the top ten of UK colleges when success rates are used as the criteria. A-level results are consistently above England averages; in 2024, 31% of grades were A*/A (England average 24%) and 58% were A*/A/B (England average 47%). Nearly 900 leavers progressed to university in 2024, including 9 to Oxbridge.
Reigate College is non-selective. The main requirement is a minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4 or above. All applicants participate in an admissions interview to discuss proposed study programmes. Applicants from all secondary schools are accepted, not just the seven partner schools.
The college offers over 50 A-level courses, alongside BTEC Level 3 and Technical Level qualifications. This breadth of provision allows students to combine traditional A-levels with vocational qualifications within a single study plan.
The college offers approximately 70 clubs and activities spanning hobby, leisure, sport, wellness, art, culture, and academic interests. Specific examples include competitive sports teams (football, netball, rugby, basketball), music ensembles (choir, guitar ensemble, chamber ensemble, session orchestra), drama productions, Model United Nations, debate, philosophy society, multiple language cafés, and numerous hobby clubs. Music is particularly strong, with three separate A-level courses and numerous ensembles. Performing arts facilities include the Dramatic Arts Centre and Rispoli Theatre.
Yes. The college runs an Aspire Programme for high-achieving students (average GCSE score around 6 or above). Within Aspire, the Oxbridge pathway provides targeted support through structured tutorials and Cambridge university widening participation visits. In the 2024-25 academic year, 38 students received interviews for Oxbridge, with 9 securing places in 2024.
The college runs an MVD (Medics, Vets and Dentists) pathway for students taking Chemistry and Biology A-levels with an average GCSE score around 7 or above. The pathway includes weekly tutorials, work experience guidance, reflective portfolio development, medical ethics discussions, and talks from practicing professionals. The college reports an excellent track record in helping students gain offers to study Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science at leading universities.
Reigate College is situated in Reigate town centre, between the High Street and railway station in Surrey. The location provides convenient access for students using rail transport. The college draws students from approximately 100 different secondary schools across south east Surrey and surrounding areas. Some students may travel 45 minutes to an hour to college.
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