Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College

About Us

Joseph Chamberlain College is a hugely popular and highly successful Sixth Form College that was established in 1983 and now offers a wide range of academic courses at all levels to around 2600 school leavers and approximately 700 adults on a separate site.

Our curriculum offer and entry criteria are highly inclusive, offering clear progression routes to success for all students, regardless of their starting points and backgrounds. Approximately 80% of our work is with 16-18 year olds at Level 3, who study AS/A Levels or Level 3 BTEC Extended Diplomas. At Level 2, we offer BTECs and GCSE programmes to 16-18 year olds; at Entry Level and Level 1, we have an extensive ESOL provision. In addition, our separate Adult Learning Directorate offers classes in ESOL, Literacy, Numeracy and Access to HE in a range of community venues. We also offer Teacher Training in partnership with Birmingham City University. Our wider curriculum is also rich and varied allowing students to benefit from a great deal of choice in sports, additional languages, performing arts, citizenship, and various other student-led clubs/societies.

In 2023, students at Joseph Chamberlain College achieved outstanding exam results, placing us in the top 25% of all schools and colleges nationally for the tenth consecutive year. In the most recent Ofsted inspection of December 2023, we were graded as ‘outstanding’ in all categories for the second time; we are the only College in the West Midlands to achieve this in two consecutive inspections. Our College continues to provide a broad, inclusive and high-quality education to all of our students which results in exceptionally high levels of progression to Higher Education. We were in the Parliamentary Review for a second time for best practice in further education, and we have been awarded the Teachers’ Development Trust (TDT) Silver award for our comprehensive package of innovative and high-impact professional development. As part of a local Teaching Alliance, we support all newly qualified teachers, from both secondary and post-16 backgrounds, to complete their ECT year and achieve either QTS or QTLS.

The College is situated within easy reach of Birmingham city centre in a state-of-the-art building with superbly equipped classrooms and outstanding facilities.

We are an ambitious institution, with a clear strategy to keep being highly successful for our students. Staff, students and visitors often comment on the warm and welcoming atmosphere at the College and the strong sense of community that permeates the organisation.