History of Burleigh Community College
Burleigh Community College is nearly three hundred years old. The origins can be traced to the will of Bartholemew Hickling, a leading citizen of Loughborough, who in 1683 provided an endowment for a girls’ school – to match the existing grammar school for boys. The Hickling School for Girls opened in 1690 and lasted till 1876 when, with pressures of industrialisation, it became the Hickling Boys’ School. In 1917 it underwent a further change becoming a Junior Technical College under the control of the remarkable Dr Schofield’s Loughborough Technical Institute (or the Loughborough College as it became known). In 1921 the word “Technical” was dropped and, as Loughborough Junior College, the school became a grammar school for boys.
The first boarder joined the school in 1952 and 10 years later Field House was purchased to house 50 boys from overseas.
In 1938 came yet another change of name; this time to Loughborough College School. Then followed the merger with the Junior College of Art which saw the readmittance of a handful of girls after a break of 75 years. Mr Hickling would have been pleased.
With these increasing numbers the new buildings were planned and in 1957 the College moved to its present site at Thorpe Hill. In 1967 Loughborough College School became a co-educational, upper school taking pupils from fourteen to nineteen under the Leicestershire Plan. In 1971 the boy boarders moved to Charnwood Hall, newly purchased by the Leicestershire County Council and Field House became the boarding house for girls (today both boys and girls use Field House). In 1972 Burleigh Community College was founded “as a base where all members of the community can be involved in their own education” and in 1997 Burleigh became one of the first six Specialist Sports Colleges in the country.
Why “Burleigh”? Because it was the medieval name for Loughborough – so Loughborough’s first Community College was born out of almost three hundred years of educational growth.
The first boarder joined the school in 1952 and 10 years later Field House was purchased to house 50 boys from overseas.
In 1938 came yet another change of name; this time to Loughborough College School. Then followed the merger with the Junior College of Art which saw the readmittance of a handful of girls after a break of 75 years. Mr Hickling would have been pleased.
With these increasing numbers the new buildings were planned and in 1957 the College moved to its present site at Thorpe Hill. In 1967 Loughborough College School became a co-educational, upper school taking pupils from fourteen to nineteen under the Leicestershire Plan. In 1971 the boy boarders moved to Charnwood Hall, newly purchased by the Leicestershire County Council and Field House became the boarding house for girls (today both boys and girls use Field House). In 1972 Burleigh Community College was founded “as a base where all members of the community can be involved in their own education” and in 1997 Burleigh became one of the first six Specialist Sports Colleges in the country.
Why “Burleigh”? Because it was the medieval name for Loughborough – so Loughborough’s first Community College was born out of almost three hundred years of educational growth.