City Technology Colleges (CTCs) teach subjects of the national curriculum pre-16 with a specific focus on science and technology. The one city college for the technology of arts (CCTA), The BRIT School, Croydon, focuses particularly on the technology of the performing arts.
All CTCs offer a wide range of vocational qualifications post-16 alongside A-levels or equivalents with many piloting pre-16 vocational qualifications.
Most CTCs teach a longer day and some operate a five-term year.
CTCs have developed close links with employers. Sponsorship is more than financial, with employers donating equipment, playing active roles on CTC governing bodies, helping to develop units of qualifications, or providing work placements for pupils and staff.
CTCs are being encouraged to convert to Academies. To date ten have become Academies with a further two expected to open as Academies in September 2008. Three CTCs (Emmanuel College, Gateshead, Thomas Telford School, Shropshire and The BRIT School, Croydon) have no plans to convert to Academy status.
The City Technology programme was established by the Education Reform Act 1988. Fourteen city technology colleges (CTCs) and one city college for the technology of arts (CCTA) were opened in urban areas across England in the period 1988 to 1993. The purpose of the CTCs was to provide a broadly based secondary education with a strong technological element offering a wider choice of secondary school to inner city children aged 11-18.
The Schools Standards and Framework Act allowed CTCs to keep their status as independent schools and provided for any CTC wishing to do so to join the maintained sector, subject to local statutory proposals.
