Name change for St Philips College

BIRMINGHAM'S only Catholic sixth form college is to become part of one of the city's largest non-religious further education colleges, it was confirmed this week.
On 31 July, St Philip's RC Sixth Form College will officially close, reopening the following day as St Philip's Sixth Form Centre. "We had to take 'Catholic' out of the name," said Alan Birks, Principal of South Birmingham College who will acquire St Philip's, "but we intend to keep it intact with exactly the same ethos and atmosphere Catholic values in a multifaith and multi-ethnic environment."
In fact, South Birmingham College has a greater proportion of Catholic staff and students than St Philip's, due to its location in a very Catholic area of the city, and the two colleges have always had a lot of contact.
"We have 15,000 students, and provisions for technical and vocational education and training, but do not do a great deal in 16-19-year-old full time 'A' Levels," said Mr Birks. "Hence the acquisition is very complimentary, and mutually beneficial to both colleges."
Last week the Herald reported that Birmingham Archdiocese had plans to open up to five new sixth forms at its secondary schools, following years of confusion over Sixth Form education in the city.