The college has undergone a major redevelopment of accommodation and facilities and completed a £56.4m building programme across the City of Portsmouth, culminating in the opening of the new Highbury Campus by Princess Anne in October 2009.

Former Highbury journalism students include political correspondent John Pienaar, presenter Simon Reeves and former ITV news reader Mark Austin.

The history of Highbury College can be traced back to the Borough of Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and Art, a privately funded organisation that was founded in 1870.

In 1894, the school's science and technology courses were brought under the control of the local authorities as the Borough of Portsmouth Municipal Technical Institute.

The college's language laboratory was the first of its kind on the South Coast of England, which included soundproof cubicles and audio and visual equipment.

The language laboratory was introduced with the Common Market in mind and was popular with local businesses wanting to train their staff as a result of increases in exports.

A new block for science teaching was officially opened on 9 February 1966 by Reginald Prentice, then Minister of State for the Department of Education.

In 1970, responsibility for the Dockyard Technical College was transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the Local Education Authority, resulting in another 700 students for Highbury.

The department's rapid growth necessitated the use of annexes around the city until H Block (pictured above), a new facility for Hotel & Catering courses, was opened in 1981 by Lord Romsey.

The library development included study areas and seminar rooms and was officially opened in 2001 by John Monks, then General Secretary of the TUC.

That same year also saw the official opening of Highbury Apex Centre, which now caters for 14- to 16-year-old school pupils, teaching them vocational skills such as bricklaying, plastering and decorating.

New teaching and learning environments have replaced old and outdated buildings at the Cosham site, many of which dated back to the opening of the college in 1963.