Peoples College Old Boys Society

The following is take from "A history of People's College of Further Education" - Margaret Carter - January 1975

1846
This was the year of the founding of People’s College. Mr. George Gill, an inhabitant of the town, provided the sum of £3,000, a considerable amount of money in those days, and appealed most successfully for subscriptions from the public. It was intended that the College should provide a sound education of the kind offered by lower grade secondary schools at a moderate price.

1847
People’s College was opened in August 1847 to boys only.

1850
A section for girls was added and at this time the School catered for 170 boys and 75 girls.

The boys were given instruction in the three Rs and singing, with object lessons, natural history, physiology, social economy, history, natural philosophy, mathematics, Latin and French.

The girls were given a sound English education and were taught plain needlework.

Evening classes were organised for those already in full-time employment.

1855
Official recognition was given to evening classes by the payment of Government Grant. Those attending came not only from the town but also from the surrounding villages.

The first evening classes dealt with the three Rs, English grammar, algebra, book-keeping, French, German and singing, but the variety of subjects quickly expanded to include, for example, metallurgy, chemistry, physics, astronomy and machine drawing. People’s College enjoyed a very high reputation and was a flourishing institution from the outset.

1880
The day school was handed over to the School Board as the first Higher Grade School in the Nottingham area and expanded rapidly during the remainder of the 19th century.

1896-7
The College came to be known as an “Evening Continuation School” and was open for classes in commercial and technical subjects on three evenings a week.

Admission to the College was by ticket, which was issued free of charge by the School Board offices or the Superintendent of the School. However, a charge of 2d. was made for each ticket to deter irresponsible applicants, the money being devoted to the prize fund.

140 students enrolled for this session. The subjects taught were:—

Arithmetic - Writing - Reading and Elocution - French - German - Life and Duties Book-keeping - Shorthand - Typewriting - Geography - History - Mensuration - Needlework - Singing - Machine Drawing - Mathematics - Physiology - Hygiene.

1899-1900
The College was constantly under the vigilant eye of H.M. Inspectors who visited the evening classes regularly. The Government Report for the year stated that:”Sound and useful instruction was imparted in all classes and the general organisation of the school merits special recommendation.”

1900—01
This was a most notable year for two reasons. Firstly, by the end of October 1,000 students had enrolled at the College. Secondly, on October 12th the electric light was installed.

1902-03
Admission Fees were charged for the first time – 4/- per session.

The amount of Government grant awarded each year was based on the number of students who made at least twenty attendances in each subject taken. The admission card incorporated a declaration to be signed by the student, who undertook to attend at least twenty times in each of his or her chosen subjects, unless prevented by illness.

1906—07
A rather amusing extract from H.M. Inspector’s report for the year:—

“The class in woodwork is conducted more on philanthropic than educational lines. The boys are very rough and can apparently only be induced to attend by letting them do what they please at the class. No definite course of instruction is insisted on and strictly speaking much of the so-called ‘work’ is quite undeserving of grant.”

Nevertheless, the total grant paid for the year was £355 11s. 6d.

1907—08
The People’s College was now classified as a special “Commercial and Technical Centre” for students who had already completed a course of study at an Evening Continuation School. The syllabuses were devised with the intention of linking up with more advanced courses at University College.

The day school was developing into a Junior Technical School, of the kind recognised by the Board of Education in 1913.

1912
Students from People’s College were taking examinations conducted by the Board of Education, the Royal Society of
Arts and the National Union of Teachers, but a new examining body was emerging at this time which was to prove very popular in later years: the East Midland Educational Union.

1914-15
The effects of the First World War were being felt. The total number of students admitted was 663, a decrease of 314 on the previous year. The Superintendent, recorded in the Log Book the following reasons for the reduction in numbers:

1. “The large number of men who have joined H.M. Forces. The bulk of the male students are between the ages of 16 and 30. Nearly 40 men students have left during the session to join the Colours in addition to those who enlisted before the commencement of the session.

2. Last session 175 of the employees of Boots -Limited attended the School, their fees being paid by the Firm. The scheme adopted last year by Messrs. Boot was abandoned. This accounts for a large falling off in the numbers admitted.

3. The standard of attainment required of the students on admission was considerably higher, a large number of students being refused admission and recommended to join Continuation Schools.

4. The general unsettlement caused by the War, lack of employment among persons engaged in the Lace Trade, and working overtime among men employed in the Engineering Trades.

In spite of many distractions, there has been no falling off in the regularity of attendance compared with the previous session.

My thanks are due to every member of staff for, their zealous and loyal support.”

1915-16
This session started well with an increase in numbers over the previous year. However, during January and February, 1916, the German air raids over Nottingham became more frequent and it was declared on February 29th that all evening classes should be closed.

Just before this decree, the Superintendent was fined £3 for “failing to shade or reduce the inside lights”.

When at last the War ended, the following was recorded in the Log Book of the College:—

“Owing to the public expressions of joy on receipt of news of the signing of the Armistice, on which the War was brought to an end, the Evening Classes were not held this evening.” -

1924—25
In December 1924, an entry was made in the Log Book to the effect that after Christmas the rate of payment for assistant instructors was to be reduced.

1932—33
This session saw the introduction of the National Certificate Courses in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, although the National Certificate scheme had actually been started in 1921. People’s College became a contributory centre to the University College for the first year of these courses.

1930s
The College continued to flourish in the years leading up to the Second World War and a greater number of students registered for Grouped Courses and entered for examinations conducted by the EIM.E.U.

During the War there was little reduction in the volume of work and special courses were arranged for members of H.M. Forces.

1944-45
Prior to the 1944 Education Act, People’s College was an Evening Institute providing both commercial and technical classes. In 1945, the commercial classes were transferred to Clarendon College and the first day release classes for the building apprentices were organised at People’s College. The day release students during this session totalled 334 and this number increased steadily.

1946-47
Additional day release classes were arranged for engineering apprentices, juniors in the cinema
industry and grocery trade.

1947-48
The re-organisation following the 1944 Education Act resulted in People’s College Junior Technical School becoming a Secondary Technical School for the Building Industry and Allied Trades. This meant that there was no accommodation during the day in the main building of People’s College, causing accommodation problems which were to increase until, in 1958, classes were being held in 17 different buildings.

1949-50
“People’s College Senior Technical Institute was renamed “People’s College of Further Education”.

1950-51
This session saw the enrolment of almost three times the number of students than in 1945-46.

1952-53
The timetable for this year included a new full-time G.C.E. course, for which 41 students enrolled. Additional evening courses were provided in Pest Control, Horology, Fire Engineering and Boiler House Practice.

1953-54
A new laboratory and workshop block at Chesterfield Street was ready for occupation in September 1953, which gave some relief to the accommodation problem, but with the rapid expansion in the work of the College there was still a serious shortageof space to meet existing and future needs of the College.

1955-56
Plans were approved for the erection of a new College under the shadow of Nottingham Castle between Castle Road and Maid Maria n Way.

1956-57
During this year, the Education Committee approved a scheme for the concentration of advanced work at Nottingham and District Technical College, with People’s College dealing with the work up to Ordinary National Certificate standard. By 1960-61 the transfer of these courses was virtually completed.

People’s College Secondary (Technical) School admitted its final intake at 13+ during the year. From September 1958 pupils will only be admitted at the age of eleven. -

1958-59
To return to the new People’s College of Further Education, the workshop block was completed in September 1958 and the main block, assembly hail and gymnasium in September 1959, ready for occupation during the following session.

1962—63
The last reference to People’s College Secondary (Technical) School was made in the Education Committee’s Annual Report for the year 1962—63, where it was stated that a further two—form entry of boys aged 11+ would be admitted in September 1963. What happened to those ‘boys in the year 1963-64 is something of a mystery as far as the Annual Reports are concerned, for no further reference is made to the School in subsequent years.

At People’s College of Further Education, this session saw further changes in the structure of the Engineering courses as a result of the White Paper “Better Opportunities in Technical Education”. Based on the support promised by local industry, the College agreed to provide block release courses from September 1963 for the first year of the new Ordinary National Certificate in Engineering.

1965—66
Following the move of the College into its new premises, the number of students increased steadily, as can be seen from the summary table. The introduction of block release courses resulted in a further swelling of numbers and this rapid expansion of the College necessitated additional extensions. These extensions, mainly in the form of workshops and classrooms, were added in September 1966, and provided accommodation for new courses such as those in Welding, Sheet Metalwork, Mechanical Engineering and Motor Vehicle Technicians
(which were transferred from Nottingham Regional College of Technology).

1972—73
The College now consists of the main building, 22 laboratories, 10 workshops, 10 drawing offices, visual aids room, specialist and demonstration rooms, class rooms, general office, library, gymnasium, refectory, assembly hail and various departmental staff rooms.

The summary table, which shows the growth of the College up to the year 1965—66, also shows a decline in terms of student numbers up until 1972-73 (the most recent data available). However, due to the complicated combination of full time, block release, day release and evening courses, a more accurate picture of the growth of the College can be seen from the total number of student hours.

However, it can be seen that 1965-66 was a particularly high year in terms of numbers of students and student hours. This was probably due to the fact that many children of the post-War ‘bulge’ years (the latter 1940s) would have been of college age.

The data for 1970-71 shows a fall from this ‘peak level but there was a recovery in 1971-72. The fail in 1972-73 could, be the first signs of a continuing decrease in student numbers due to the reduction in the rate of popuilation growth, as a result of the development of reliable birth control methods and a greater awareness of the problems of the environment generally.