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A High Performing Specialist Academy for Technology & Applied Learning

History of Collingwood

Collingwood College was created in 1971 through the amalgamation of Bagshot County Secondary School, Barossa County Secondary School and Frimley and Camberley Grammar School.  Collingwood is now one of the largest schools in Surrey with nearly 1800 students on roll.

In 1991 the school’s application for Grant Maintained Status was overwhelmingly supported by parents following unanimous votes in favour by the Governing Body.

In September 1994 Collingwood College became a Self-Governing Technology College. Successful phases of Technology College extension funding were granted in September 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2007.  The additional funding resulting from the acquisition of TC status has been used primarily to fund extensive investment in ICT, with the College now having a 1:2 ratio of computers to students, well ahead of the national average of 1:3.  The College benefits from a purpose built Sixth Form Centre and a fully networked ICT system with fast Broadband internet access, electronic registration and electronic whiteboards.

Following a successful Ofsted inspection in March 2007, the College was designated as a High-Performing Specialist School (HPSS) and, with effect from 1 April 2008, took on a second specialism in Vocational Education, building on its past successes with a range of initiatives in this area. 

It is important to note that there is no Further Education provision in Surrey Heath and there is strong competition for post-16 students from Farnborough Sixth Form College, Farnborough College of Technology (FCOT) and other providers.  Despite this competition, Sixth Form numbers remain buoyant. 

On 1 July 2011 the College became the first High Performing Specialist Academy in Surrey Heath.  This new independent status was again supported overwhelmingly by parents and unanimously by Governors, with the aim of further developing the College towards an Outstanding assessment at our next Ofsted inspection.

In 2015 the College was founder member of the 2015 Learning Partnership.  There are five schools in the partnership (Bishop David Brown School, The Magna Carta School, Winston Churchill School and Bishop Wand School) who are all currently graded ‘Good’ by Ofsted and are all on ‘a journey of continuous improvement’.  The Partnership is an effective, respected and influential group of North-West Surrey Schools.  

In 2022 the College received a Section 8 Ofsted Inspection which retained the College’s ‘good with outstanding Leadership and Management’ for the third successive time.

Curriculum Information