Highbury College
City of Portsmouth College is a UK further education institution operating four campuses in Portsmouth, delivering A Levels, T Levels, vocational diplomas, apprenticeships, and higher education to school leavers, adult learners, and employer clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersPortsmouth, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Highbury College does
City of Portsmouth College (COPC) is a UK further education institution operating four campuses across Portsmouth — Arundel, Highbury, North Harbour, and a dedicated Sixth Form campus — serving school leavers, adult learners, and employer-sponsored trainees. The college was formed in 2021 through the merger of Highbury College with other local Portsmouth colleges, consolidating post-16 provision under a single multi-site institution. It delivers a mixed curriculum spanning A Levels, T Levels, vocational diplomas, apprenticeships, and higher education qualifications, alongside commercial training for employers.
The revenue model is anchored in UK public sector funding: per-student grants from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for 16-19 provision, Advanced Learner Loans for eligible adult learners, and fee income from apprenticeship contracts and employer-sponsored commercial training. The institution holds an Ofsted "Good" rating, which preserves funding eligibility and supports quality signaling to prospective students and employer partners. Marketing and recruitment operate through the institutional website and a broad social channel footprint (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn), supplemented by a recently launched 360° Virtual Tour for prospective student engagement. External partnerships span civic bodies (Shaping Portsmouth, Portsmouth Ambassadors), sector associations (AoC, Disability Confident, Armed Forces Covenant), and commercial suppliers (Lake Solutions, Astute People).
Highbury College firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Highbury College
- Legal name
- City of Portsmouth College
- Website
- https://highbury.ac.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- City of Portsmouth College is a UK further education institution operating four campuses in Portsmouth, delivering A Levels, T Levels, vocational diplomas, apprenticeships, and higher education to school leavers, adult learners, and employer clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Highbury College industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Further Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Junior Colleges (61121), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Urban/Metropolitan Community Colleges (EDAHADAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting) (EDAHADAC)
Keywords
Where Highbury College is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portsmouth
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Highbury College business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Further Education Government Funding: Funded by UK Government for 16-19 students and adult learners meeting eligibility criteria
- Advanced Learner Loans: Government-backed loans for adult learners (19+) to fund their education
- Commercial Training: Fee-paying vocational and professional courses for employers and individuals including gas training, refrigeration, air conditioning, and commercial training
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Highbury College product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Highbury College, now operating as City of Portsmouth College (COPC) following a 2021 merger, is a multi-campus further education institution in Portsmouth, UK delivering academic, technical, vocational, apprenticeship, adult learning, and commercial training programmes across four campuses (Arundel, Highbury, North Harbour, and Sixth Form). It serves school leavers (16-19), adult learners (19+), and local employers with funded and fee-paying courses ranging from A Levels, T Levels, and BTEC diplomas to gas, refrigeration, and air conditioning training.
Product overview
City of Portsmouth College (incorporating Highbury College) operates as a multi-campus further education institution offering a unified portfolio of educational products and services. The college provides academic qualifications (A Levels), technical qualifications (T Levels), vocational diplomas (BTEC), and apprenticeship programs across four campuses (Arundel, Highbury, North Harbour, and Sixth Form). Adult education services include Access to Higher Education, GCSEs, Functional Skills, CELTA, ESOL, distance learning, and online learning. Commercial training services support local employers with industry-specific programs. The college also operates community facilities including Honeypot Nursery, Sports Centre, and Retreat Salons. The product portfolio spans school leavers (16-19), adult learners (19+), and commercial clients, unified under the City of Portsmouth College brand following the merger of Highbury College with other institutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- A Levels
- T Levels
- Vocational Diplomas
- Apprenticeship Standards
- Access to Higher Education
- GCSEs & Functional Skills
- CELTA
- Distance Learning
- Online Learning
- Commercial Training
- ESOL
- Hobby & Leisure Courses
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
- Honeypot Nursery
Companies that use Highbury College
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Highbury College technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Highbury College partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Lake SolutionsminorWebsite development and maintenance partner responsible for the college website design and functionality
- AoC (Association of Colleges)minorMembership in Association of Colleges - industry body representing UK colleges
- Disability Confident EmployerminorGovernment scheme member demonstrating commitment to inclusive employment practices
- Shaping PortsmouthminorLocal community partnership initiative supporting Portsmouth's economic and social development
- Portsmouth AmbassadorsminorLocal initiative promoting Portsmouth as a destination for visitors and businesses
- Armed Forces CovenantminorCommitment to supporting armed forces personnel, veterans, and their families with educational opportunities
- Astute PeopleminorLocal recruitment agency partnership providing industry exposure for marketing students through visit days
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Highbury College competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chichester College: Multi-campus FE college in West Sussex offering A-Levels, vocational qualifications and apprenticeships. Comparable as a multi-site UK FE college of similar scale and product breadth.
- Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT): Hampshire-based FE college with a strong technical and vocational focus including trades, engineering and apprenticeship programmes. Comparable as a UK FE college of similar scale and curriculum breadth.
- Fareham College: Further-education college in Fareham, Hampshire, offering vocational, technical and apprenticeship pathways. Comparable as a Hampshire-based FE competitor with a similar product mix and commercial training activities.
- Eastleigh College: Further-education college in Eastleigh, Hampshire. Comparable as a same-region UK FE peer offering vocational, apprenticeship and adult-learner programmes across technical trades.
- Portsmouth College: A-levels-and-vocational sixth-form college located in the same city of Portsmouth. Directly comparable in geography and offering mix, competing for the same school-leaver and adult-learner segments.
- Bournemouth and Poole College: Further-education college on the South Coast offering vocational, technical and apprenticeship programmes. Comparable as a coastal-region FE peer with similar commercial-training and apprenticeship focus.
- Havant and South Downs College: Multi-campus FE college serving Havant and the South Downs region of Hampshire. Comparable as a multi-site further-education institution with overlapping A-Level, vocational and apprenticeship offerings.
- Southampton City College: FE college serving Southampton with A-Levels, vocational courses and apprenticeships. Comparable as a nearby Hampshire/South Coast FE peer competing for similar regional learners.
Regional players
- New College Durham: Multi-campus FE college in the North East of England offering further and higher education programmes. Comparable as a similarly sized UK further-education institution with a comparable product portfolio, though serving a different region.
- Weston College: Further-education college in the South West of England recognised for technical and vocational pathways including trades and apprenticeships. Comparable as a UK FE peer with strong technical and employer-tied training programmes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Highbury College social profiles
Digital presenceHighbury College compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Highbury College financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Highbury College leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Highbury College funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Highbury 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 Highbury College
What does Highbury College do?
Highbury College, now operating as City of Portsmouth College (COPC) following a 2021 merger, is a multi-campus further education institution in Portsmouth, UK delivering academic, technical, vocational, apprenticeship, adult learning, and commercial training programmes across four campuses (Arundel, Highbury, North Harbour, and Sixth Form). It serves school leavers (16-19), adult learners (19+), and local employers with funded and fee-paying courses ranging from A Levels, T Levels, and BTEC diplomas to gas, refrigeration, and air conditioning training.
Is Highbury College a public or private company?
Highbury College is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Highbury College founded?
Highbury College was founded in 2021. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Highbury College based?
Highbury College is headquartered in Portsmouth, United States, in the North America region.
How does Highbury College make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Further Education Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are advanced Learner Loans and commercial Training.
Who are Highbury College's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chichester College, Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT), Fareham College, Eastleigh College, Portsmouth College, Bournemouth and Poole College, Havant and South Downs College and Southampton City College. Regional players are New College Durham and Weston College.
Does Highbury College have an API?
No public API is recorded for Highbury College.
What industry is Highbury College in?
Highbury College's product category is Further Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHADAL, Urban/Metropolitan Community Colleges, with a secondary code of EDAHADAC, Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.