READING'S first University Technical College - to be known as UTC Reading - will open on the site of the former Alfred Sutton School in September next year.

As reported regularly in The Chronicle since the idea was floated last year, the college will be on the Crescent Road site which is being sold by Thames Valley University.

The move was confirmed today by The Oxford and Cherwell Valley College (OCVC) Group, lead sponsors of the new establishment which will cater for 600 students at full capacity. Its catchment area will take in young people aged 14 to 19 within a 15-mile radius of its east Reading postcode RG1 5RQ, including Newbury, Slough, Basingstoke and Farnborough.

UTC Reading will be retaining the site's extensive playing fields for sport and recreational activities and the search for a principal is under way, with the aim of having someone in place by January and other teaching and support staff being recruited after that.

A funding agreement has been signed between the sponsors and Schools Minister Lord Hill, and OCVC chief executive Sally Dicketts said: "That means that this project is really happening. Now that we have a name, location and this funding secured we are on the right path in seeing the dream of UTC Reading become a reality.

"By 2013 I am confident we will have a leading edge facility that Reading and the region will be proud of, that can inspire the next generation of computer science and IT specialists through education."

UTC Reading will specialise in computer science and software engineering, taught alongside the national curriculum. Students are promised the benefit of practical study of specialist subjects while taking GCSEs and A-Levels. The specialist curriculum is targeting secondary school-aged pupils interested in computer science and engineering as a future career.

Sponsors and partners, including Reading College, Reading School, Reading University, Microsoft, Cisco, Network Rail and engineering consultants Peter Brett Associates, believe they can combine education and industry to give teenagers the best start in their professional life.

Steve Beswick, Microsoft director of education, said: "Microsoft has a long and proud history supporting education in the UK. One area of focus for us is the promotion of computer science in schools for young people. This promotion is essential so that we can develop talent and ensure the UK continues to produce world class computer science and programming graduates.

"The Memorandum of Understanding we have signed with the new UTC Reading represents a further deepening of our commitment to this cause and underlines Microsoft's strategy of transforming the way technology is used and taught in schools."