2017 marks an important year in the history of Richmond upon Thames College. As the college lays the first foundations for a brand new building and starts its new journey to becoming a major technical and professional hub for south and west London with a reputation for academic excellence, it is also a year to reflect on the educational heritage over the past eight decades as the Egerton Road site in Twickenham celebrates its 80th anniversary.
The early days
With the rapid industrial development which took place in Middlesex between the two world wars, and the consequent increase in the demand for technical education, it became clear that more technical colleges were needed and between 1928 and 1939 seven new colleges were founded in the county of Middlesex and on 13th September 1937, Twickenham Technical College in Egerton Road opened its doors to hundreds of students.
Between 1937 and 1972, ‘looking backward, looking forward’ was the adopted motto of the college. This motto reflected on the growth and achievements of the college during this period.
In 1962, the college changed its name to Twickenham College of Technology and would become one of only three centres in the county of Middlesex to focus on advanced work in the field of engineering and in 1977 Twickenham College of Technology merged with local sixth form colleges to create Richmond upon Thames College. In 1993 all colleges in England were transferred from the control of local government to become self-governing statutory corporations.
Today’s college
Today, Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) is a college of general further and higher education providing education and training, including Apprenticeships, to 16-18 year olds and adults from across Richmond, London, Surrey and Berkshire. The college is one of London’s best colleges* offering a wide range of technical, academic and professional qualifications for the 16-18 year old and adult markets – it is a college for careers and business providing access to school leavers, adults and employers.
RuTC’s purpose is to drive aspiration, ambition and achievement and to help all learners achieve their goals. By working closely with employers, learners benefit from life changing opportunities that enhance their careers through inspired provision and a commitment to the college’s community values of mutual respect, honest, integrity and personal accountability.
*www.education.gov.uk (Jan 2016 KS5 courses)
RuTC is more than just a college - it is a place to mature, challenge yourself, enhance your skillset, discover your passion and experiment while all along getting the support, guidance and encouragement you need to be the best you can be.
The future
With the commencement of a new building in early 2018, RuTC moves one step nearer to achieving its strategic vision of becoming a technical and professional hub for south and west London with a reputation for academic excellence and establishing the college as a destination for the public, local community and employers while creating a major gateway to employment and higher skills.
The new state of the art building will welcome existing and new students in 2019 and the college will focus on providing high-quality value for money programmes and services and create a college of further and higher education that is recognised locally and across London for its technical, professional and academic rigour, where students and the college work in partnership with business, parents, carers and the local community.
We’d love to hear from you
Are you a former student or member of staff? Would you like to share your story? Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]
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