In September 1920 the Southport Municipal Secondary for Boys was opened, housed in a building named ‘The Woodlands’ and a series of disused army buildings on the north end of Lord Street.

In 1926 the school became King George V Grammar School, in brand new buildings on Scarisbrick New Road. See below for our timeline.

1926

Special permission was granted by Whitehall to rename the Southport Municipal School for Boys after the King. The school was relocated and officially reopened in October 1926 by Lord Derby as King George V Grammar School in brand new buildings, on Scarisbrick New Road.

Initially, students were in six 'Houses' for academic, social, and sporting purposes, named:

Two more were added later to accommodate rising student numbers:

1939-1945

During the Second World War, Bootle Grammar School's staff and pupils were evacuated to share the KGV building.

1947

Former pupils of the grammar school were known as ‘Old Boys’ and leavers were invited to join the Old Boys’ Association. The first chairman, Kenneth Bridge, was appointed in 1947. This later became the Old Georgians Association and still provides valuable networking, events and a treasure trove of archived information.

1979

In 1979, the grammar school was renamed to King George V College, becoming a mixed gender establishment, with girls joining the sixth form for the first time.

1982

The school section ceased to exist 1982 and the college became a specialised Sixth Form provider, in the format it continues to this day.

1997

In 1996, an exciting building project was commenced, and the new Millennium Centre at King George V College was formally opened in the summer of 1997 by Lord Derby, whose grandfather had presided over the opening of King George V School in 1926.

2015

We opened the Creative Arts building in June 2015, which houses fantastic studios for art, computing, graphic design, photography and textiles, plus a dark room, drama studio and The George Theatre. It is also home to our newest music and performing arts offering; The Academy.

2018

We officially merged with Southport College on 31 January 2018 and are now under the management of the Southport Education Group's Leadership Team and Board of Governors. KGV continues to offer advanced level qualifications to the 16-18 year olds of our wider community.

2022

For a long time the college has been colloquially known as 'KGV'. In 2022, a new logo was revealed, using the title KGV Sixth Form College'. The change reflects our passion to progress with modern times and continually innovate with fresh ideas, whilst passionately keeping our long-standing proud heritage alive.

2026

KGV Sixth Form College remains a successful institution providing a wide range of qualifications for school leavers across Southport and beyond. For the 2026-27 academic year, we are offering:

• 28 A-Levels
• 12 A-Level Equivalents (including 3 UAL qualifications)
• 1 T Level
• 3 Level 3 BTEC Extended Diplomas
• 3 Level 2 BTEC Diplomas
• 1 A-Level Foundation Programme
  

We are launching The Academy, a brand-new performing arts provision ready for students starting in September 2026. Students can opt to combine UAL Dance, Drama or Music alongside other A-Levels or create a high-level, stand-alone qualification by combining Dance and Drama.

Plus, brand new for late 2026, we will be opening FA standard football pitches in partnership with Southport Football Club, plus a fully modernised Sports Pavillion with changing facilities, gym and treatment rooms.