Peter Symonds College
Peter Symonds College is a state-funded sixth form college in Winchester, Hampshire, serving approximately 4,300 students aged 16-18 via A Level and BTEC programmes, plus adult learners through its AHED subsidiary. The college has held Ofsted Outstanding status for 20 consecutive years.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1897
- HeadquartersWinchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Peter Symonds College does
Peter Symonds College is a state sixth form college located in Winchester, Hampshire, UK, founded in 1897 and serving approximately 4,300 students aged 16-18 from central Hampshire. The college operates as a state-funded further education institution with exempt charitable status, receiving core funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). It has held an Ofsted Outstanding rating continuously for 20 years, most recently confirmed in October 2024. The institution is governed by a Board of Governors, with two nominees from the Mercers' Company (the premier livery company of the City of London), and there is no venture capital or private equity ownership. Revenue is generated from ESFA grants, boarding fees (79 places across Falkland Lodge at £6,870/term and School House at £6,380/term for 2026-2027), and fee-paying adult education programmes delivered through the Adult & Higher Education (AHED) wholly-owned subsidiary at the Stoney Lane campus.
The college's core product offering centres on A Level and BTEC vocational qualifications, augmented by specialised programmes including the Hampshire Specialist Music Course (HSMC) and BTEC Popular Music Performance. Technology infrastructure is built on standard education platforms — Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Moodle for virtual learning — underwritten by notable proprietary infrastructure in the £5.4 million Russell Music Centre (1,205m², opened summer 2025, funded by the Department for Education), which operates as an All-Steinway establishment featuring professional-grade recording studios, acoustically treated rehearsal rooms, and a recital hall. The college serves additional student segments including 79 boarders (including students from the Falkland Islands), SEND students with dedicated support services (Academic Skills/ASK, Study Support), and adult learners pursuing Middlesex University-validated degrees and Access to Higher Education programmes.
The college operates a domestic, multi-channel distribution model within a single-country geography, recruiting primarily through direct application via the apply.psc.ac.uk portal, open evenings, taster days, school partnerships with feeder secondary schools, and a 360° virtual tour. Marketing channels include Facebook, Instagram, and dedicated programme-specific social media accounts. The institution is led by Principal Sara Russell OBE (since 2018, the college's first female Principal, previously Principal at Alton College), supported by two Deputy Principals covering welfare and progression, and stakeholders, systems and services, with a departmental leadership structure across music, study support, film studies, and student services. Notable customer outcomes include approximately 50+ Oxbridge places annually for over two decades, 19 conservatoire offers including 8 scholarships for the 2024-2026 music cohort, and Ofsted-validated progress in excess of national expectations.
Peter Symonds College firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Peter Symonds College
- Legal name
- Peter Symonds College
- Website
- https://psc.ac.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1897
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Peter Symonds College is a state-funded sixth form college in Winchester, Hampshire, serving approximately 4,300 students aged 16-18 via A Level and BTEC programmes, plus adult learners through its AHED subsidiary. The college has held Ofsted Outstanding status for 20 consecutive years.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Peter Symonds College industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Further Education / Sixth Form Education
- NAICS
- Junior Colleges (61121), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting) (EDAHADAC)
Keywords
Where Peter Symonds College is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Winchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Peter Symonds College business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Government Funding (ESFA): Primary funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for 16-18 year old students, as a state sixth form college.
- Boarding Fees: Termly boarding fees for residential students: Falkland Lodge at £6,870 per term (£20,610 annually) and School House at £6,380 per term (£19,140 annually) for 2026-2027.
- Adult & Higher Education Tuition: Tuition fees for adult education courses including postgraduate (Masters, PGCE), undergraduate degrees (validated by Middlesex University), access courses, modern foreign languages, leisure courses, and professional training.
- Bursary and Financial Support Administration: Administering government-funded bursaries including 16-19 Bursary, Vulnerable Student Bursary, and Free College Meals programme.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Termly | Falkland Lodge Boarding - Purpose-built co-educational boarding house with en-suite single and twin bedrooms |
| Subscription | Termly | School House Boarding - Victorian co-educational boarding house with 2-3 bedded high-ceilinged bedrooms |
| Subscription | Daily | Free College Meals |
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Peter Symonds College product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Peter Symonds College is a state-funded sixth form college in Winchester, Hampshire, delivering A Level and BTEC vocational qualifications to approximately 4,300 students aged 16-18. The college also runs a specialist Hampshire Specialist Music Course (HSMC), a boarding programme with 79 places, and an Adult & Higher Education division offering degrees (validated by Middlesex University), postgraduate programmes, and leisure courses. It is funded primarily by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and has held Ofsted Outstanding status for 20 consecutive years.
Product overview
Peter Symonds College is a sixth form college providing a unified educational offering centered on A Level and BTEC vocational qualifications for approximately 4,300 students aged 16-18. The college operates as a single institution with distinct divisions: the main sixth form campus offering academic courses alongside specialist programmes like the Hampshire Specialist Music Course (HSMC) and BTEC Popular Music Performance; boarding accommodation for 79 students; the Adult & Higher Education (AHED) division at Stoney Lane campus delivering degree programmes validated by Middlesex University alongside adult learning and leisure courses; and the newly opened Russell Music Centre providing professional-standard music facilities. Student support services including Academic Skills (ASK), Study Support, and an Enrichment Programme of over 170 activities complement the academic curriculum.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- A Level Courses Traditional academic qualifications across a wide range of subjects for students aged 16-18, forming the core academic offering of the college and the main route to university entrance including Oxbridge preparation.
- BTEC Vocational Qualifications Vocational and applied learning qualifications including BTEC Popular Music Performance that combine practical skills with academic assessment for students aged 16-18.
- Hampshire Specialist Music Course (HSMC) Specialist music programme for gifted young people combining A Level Music with extra training in performance skills and chamber music coaching, including free tuition on first and second study instrument; designed as a conservatoire pathway.
- A Level Music Technology Technology-focused music qualification covering music production, sound recording and the technological aspects of music creation and manipulation.
- Boarding Accommodation Residential boarding across two co-educational houses: Falkland Lodge (purpose-built with en-suite single and twin bedrooms) and School House (Victorian with 2-3 bedded high-ceilinged bedrooms), serving 79 boarders including students from the Falkland Islands and remote parts of Hampshire.
- Adult & Higher Education (AHED) Division at Stoney Lane campus offering postgraduate degrees (Masters, PGCE), undergraduate degrees validated by Middlesex University, Access to Higher Education courses, modern foreign languages, adult learning and leisure programmes for adult learners.
Quantifiable outcome
- Students achieve in excess of the progress that would be expected - Ofsted 2024
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Peter Symonds College
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Peter Symonds College technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Peter Symonds College partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Peter Symonds College competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Wells Cathedral School: Specialist music school (state-funded music and chorister scholarships) with conservatoire-level outcomes; comparable niche adjacency to Peter Symonds' All-Steinway HSMC programme.
- Chetham's School of Music: Specialist music school in Manchester with a comparable young-musician pathway; relevant peer for benchmarking the HSMC specialist music division's outcomes and positioning.
Regional players
- Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT): Hampshire further education provider with a technical/vocational focus; adjacent rather than direct competitor to Peter Symonds' sixth-form-heavy mix.
- Eastleigh College: Hampshire-based further education college operating in the same regulatory environment, with overlapping employer and adult learner relationships although a different core mission.
Direct peers
- Alton College: Hampshire state sixth form college with a similar academic profile; directly comparable institution and notably the previous employer of Peter Symonds' current Principal Sara Russell.
- Richard Taunton Sixth Form College: Southampton-based state sixth form college offering A Levels and vocational pathways, serving the same Hampshire cohort and competing head-to-head for central Hampshire applicants.
- Barton Peveril Sixth Form College: Large state sixth form college based in Eastleigh, Hampshire — direct same-type competitor serving overlapping 16-18 cohorts across the central Hampshire catchment as Peter Symonds.
- Itchen Sixth Form College: State sixth form college in Southampton with comparable scale and academic/vocational A Level/BTEC mix, competing for the same Hampshire-wide Year 11 applicants as Peter Symonds.
- Reigate College: Surrey-based state sixth form college known for strong academic outcomes and university progression; a like-for-like comparator for Peter Symonds' academic-track offering.
- Havant and South Downs College (HSDC): Hampshire further education college offering sixth form, vocational and adult learning — closely comparable in mission and regulatory environment to Peter Symonds.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Peter Symonds College social profiles
Digital presencePeter Symonds College compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Peter Symonds College financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Peter Symonds College leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Peter Symonds College subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Peter Symonds College funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Peter Symonds College M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Peter Symonds College
What does Peter Symonds College do?
Peter Symonds College is a state-funded sixth form college in Winchester, Hampshire, delivering A Level and BTEC vocational qualifications to approximately 4,300 students aged 16-18. The college also runs a specialist Hampshire Specialist Music Course (HSMC), a boarding programme with 79 places, and an Adult & Higher Education division offering degrees (validated by Middlesex University), postgraduate programmes, and leisure courses. It is funded primarily by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and has held Ofsted Outstanding status for 20 consecutive years.
Is Peter Symonds College a public or private company?
Peter Symonds College is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Peter Symonds College founded?
Peter Symonds College was founded in 1897.
Where is Peter Symonds College based?
Peter Symonds College is headquartered in Winchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Peter Symonds College make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Government Funding (ESFA) is the primary driver. The others are boarding Fees, adult & Higher Education Tuition and bursary and Financial Support Administration.
Who are Peter Symonds College's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Wells Cathedral School and Chetham's School of Music. Regional players are Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) and Eastleigh College. Direct peers are Alton College, Richard Taunton Sixth Form College, Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, Itchen Sixth Form College, Reigate College and Havant and South Downs College (HSDC).
Does Peter Symonds College have an API?
No public API is recorded for Peter Symonds College.
What industry is Peter Symonds College in?
Peter Symonds College's product category is Further Education / Sixth Form Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHADAC, Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting). Its NAICS code is 61121 and its SIC code is 8200.