Highbury College

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).

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

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

• Further education
• Vocational training
• Apprenticeship programs
• Adult learning
• Technical qualifications

Headquarters

HQ city

Portsmouth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Further Education Government Funding: Funded by UK Government for 16-19 students and adult learners meeting eligibility criteria
2. Advanced Learner Loans: Government-backed loans for adult learners (19+) to fund their education
3. 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

Core 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

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Lake SolutionsminorOthersWebsite development and maintenance partner responsible for the college website design and functionality
• AoC (Association of Colleges)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in Association of Colleges - industry body representing UK colleges
• Disability Confident EmployerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment scheme member demonstrating commitment to inclusive employment practices
• Shaping PortsmouthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community partnership initiative supporting Portsmouth's economic and social development
• Portsmouth AmbassadorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal initiative promoting Portsmouth as a destination for visitors and businesses
• Armed Forces CovenantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommitment to supporting armed forces personnel, veterans, and their families with educational opportunities
• Astute PeopleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal recruitment agency partnership providing industry exposure for marketing students through visit days

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/highburycollege
• YouTubeyoutube.com/HighburyCollegeUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/highburycollegeuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/city-of-portsmouth-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/yourcopc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highbury College