Richard Huish College, Taunton

Richard Huish College

Richard Huish College Front Sign, December 2015
Location	South Road Taunton Somerset TA1 3DZ England
Local authority	Somerset
DfE URN	130808 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Gender	Mixed
Website	Richard Huish

Richard Huish College is named after benefactor Richard Huish, a Taunton wool merchant from the 17th century who made his fortune in London. When he died in 1615, his will included monies to establish an educational facility in Taunton which came into fruition as a grammar school for boys in the 18th century. Since 1979, Richard Huish College has been a sixth form college. It is located on a single site in South Road, about a mile from the centre of Taunton, the county town of Somerset, England.

The College received an outstanding grade from Ofsted in 2007.[1] The College has been consistently ranked in the top 10% when compared to all educational institutions in the country for its students' added value. Added value indicates how well a school/college has brought on pupils from one test level to another. It focuses on how much students have improved, whatever their ability. In November 2015, The Sunday Times Schools Guide published sixth form college league tables showing that Richard Huish College, is the top sixth form college in the South West of England and 15th in the country out of 93.

The College attracts students from a wide geographical area around the town, as well as from the schools in Taunton. The College also attracts students from the strong independent sector in Taunton, from other counties in the United Kingdom and has a growing International student community.

The College has around 2,000 full-time students aged 16 to 18 studying A Levels and BTEC courses, There are also more than 500 students studying Apprenticeships, Higher Education or Professional Qualifications. A small number of GCSEs are offered for 16-year-old students wanting to progress to the sixth form. The College places a strong emphasis on the breadth of its enrichment activities for students.

The College occupies a site of 8 hectares (20 acres), of which 70% is sports fields, in the south of Taunton. The College buildings, which range in age from 1880 to 2015 take their names from some of the trees that cover the campus.The site is alleged to have previously been an Aboretum.

Over the period 2000–2009, a variety of building projects have resulted in the Willow Building, the Hawthorn Building, Linden, and in 2009 Rowan House, each providing outstanding facilities for teaching and learning, with additional facilities for music and sport. In 2003, the Learning Centre at the heart of the campus, which is named after the science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, a former pupil of Huish's Grammar School, was extended and completely refurbished.

In 2006 the sports dome was opened, which at the time was a ground breaking project for an inflatable dome for sports. It is due to be replaced during 2016, by a sports hall, including a viewing area, gym, changing facilities and a classroom.

During 2015, a new cafe area and social space was built, including the first floor Redwood Suite. The cafe area includes a Costa Coffee. The Redwood Centre was renovated to house the drama and dance studios.