John Leggott College

The John Leggott Sixth Form College
Address
West Common Lane Scunthorpe , Lincolnshire , DN17 1DS England
Coordinates	53°34′28″N0°40′07″W / 53.5745°N 0.66857°W / 53.5745; -0.66857
Information
Type	Sixth form college
Motto	Inspiring Education
Established	1968
Local authority	North Lincolnshire
Department for Education URN	130588 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Principal	Leon Riley
Staff	170
Gender	Coeducational
Age	16+
Enrolment	5146
Website	http://www.leggott.ac.uk

John Leggott College is a sixth form college on West Common Lane, in Old Brumby, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England.

History

Technical school

The earliest predecessor to the college was known as Scunthorpe Technical High School on Cole Street, run by Lindsey County Council Education Committee, based in Lincoln, although its Scunthorpe Divisional Executive was based on Wells Street; this followed on from the Central School in Scunthorpe. There were 500 boys and girls, and the headmaster was John R. Leggott BSc. It had a sixth form. The school focused on technical skills which were of help to Scunthorpe's steel industry, the main employer at the time and for many years afterwards.

Grammar school

The college was founded in 1958 as John Leggott Grammar School with 600 pupils aged 11–18. Plans from the new site of the grammar school were ready by August 1960, to start building in April 1961, and to open by 1963. The building was to cost £250,000, with an octagonal hall and a swimming pool, but would be largely a copy of the Bottesford Grammar School (renamed the Frederick Gough Grammar School in 1960). ^[1] Plans for comprehensive education in Scunthorpe were being discussed, and the original plan was for comprehensive education by 1965, with the three grammar schools being 11–19 schools, and the secondary modern schools being for ages 11–16. By December 1962, the cost would be £300,000. ^[2]

The new grammar school opened on Tuesday 10 September 1963. The next phase would open in June 1964, for a roll of 720, with six science laboratories, woodwork and metalwork rooms, and a housecraft room. The coat of arms featured Brumby Hall. The staircase and balustrading was made by Metalcraft of Stamford. ^[3] The first headteacher was Eric Charlesworth. The grammar school catchment area was from the north-east of the borough, towards Winterton and beyond.

Sixth Form College

The Sixth Form College was established in September 1968 due to a reorganisation of education in Scunthorpe. It is commonly known as JLC and now has more than 1600 students. In 1971 there were 500 sixth formers, and by 1973 it was run by the Borough of Scunthorpe Education Committee, in April 1974 run by the Scunthorpe Division of Humberside Education Committee, and in April 1996 by North Lincolnshire. On 30 November 2010 a number of students from the college participated in the nationwide 2010 UK student protests against the rise in University Tuition Fees. In 2010 John Leggott principal Nic Dakin retired from his role to represent the Scunthorpe constituency for the Labour Party. David Vasse succeeded him as principal in 2010, to be replaced in 2016 by new principal Leon Riley.

View of the college in July 2010

Notable alumni

• Martin Simpson, guitarist (1969–70)
• James McDonald, polymath (1970–72)
• Phil Neale, cricketer (1970–72)
• Gordon Dougan ^[4] Head of Pathogen Research at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridgeshire
• Kevin Doyle, actor (1977–79)
• Nina Nannar, ITN correspondent (1980–82)
• Darren Bett, BBC weather forecaster (1984–86)
• Sheridan Smith OBE, actress (1997)
• Ryan J. Brown, Screenwriter (2008–2010)
• Stephen Fretwell, songwriter (1998–2000)
• Matt Sparrow, footballer until 2010 for Scunthorpe United (1998–2000)
• Lt Lee Vessey, the Royal Navy's youngest ever captain (27), taking command of HMS Puncher (1998–2000)
• Jen Pringle, presenter since 2006 of Milkshake! (2000–02)
• Gina Bramhill, actress ^[5]

John Leggott Grammar School

Roger Davies, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford, and President from 2010 to 2012 of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS)

• Sir Ralph Waller, Principal from 1988 to 2018 of Harris Manchester College, Oxford, and knighted in the 2018 Birthday Honours (in the sixth form only from c.1962–64)
• Roger Davies, Philip Wetton Professor of Astrophysics since 2002 at the University of Oxford, and Professor from 1994 to 2002 of Astronomy at Durham University (1965–72)
• Mark Millar, former Chief Executive from 2010 of Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and from 2007 to 2010 of Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust (1965–72) ^[6]

Scunthorpe Technical High School

• Wallace L. W. Sargent (from Winterton), astrophysicist, and Director from 1997 to 2000 of the Palomar Observatory, married to Anneila Sargent (1946–53)

Former teachers

• Christina Baxter (1969–73, Head of Religious Education from 1973 to 1976)
• Richard Vergette, playwright

References

1. Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph Monday 22 August 1960, page 5
2. Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph Thursday 27 December 1962, page 4
3. Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph Monday 9 September 1963, page 7
4. Anon (2014). "Dougan, Prof. Gordon" . Who's Who (online Oxford University Press  ed.). A & C Black. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U281223.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
5. "From Coronation Street to Cleethorpes via Los Angeles". Grimsby Telegraph . 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
6. Bio

External links

• John Leggott College official website
• EduBase

News items

• College principal chosen as Labour candidate for Scunthorpe in November 2009