‘Waltham Forest College has a long, proud and distinctive history stretching back to 1938 since its formation as the South-West Essex Technical College and School of Art. It has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. I am proud of the significant achievements of the College in recent years and the role it continues to play within the local community.’
- Paul Butler, Chair of the Corporation, 2023.
The period of 1990 to 2023 was a tumultuous time at Waltham Forest College. The College had its largest turnover of principals, received a series of negative reviews by inspection bodies and was in financial trouble on more than one occasion. However, the late 2010s and 2020s saw the College turn itself around to become one of the top general further education colleges in London, get voted as London’s top college for learner satisfaction by students[1] and receive a Grade 2 ‘Good’ by Ofsted in 2018.[2]
In stark contrast to the welcoming and optimistic words of the foreword in Principal Fuller’s first prospectus in 1972, his welcome in the 1990-1991 Student Handbook reads as though there is a great unknown ahead and provides a reminder that complacency will not lead to success:
‘In my office I have chunks of the now demolished Berlin wall, ending the most tangible evidence of the cold war. It is a reminder of the rapid change now taking place in the world. This opens up great opportunities for freedom in eastern Europe and therefore will affect all our futures as trade opens up. At the same time the last barriers to trade between nations of the European Community come down by 1992, with the free movement of labour, capital and trade. New laws, new currency, greater movement of workers, new opportunities. That can and will affect you. There will be greater competition for jobs and those who are well trained and qualified, and especially those who speak two or more European Community languages, will have the greatest opportunity in the marketplace for jobs. Don’t be content with being second best - and remember the world does NOT owe you a living.’[3]
In the 1991-1992 prospectus foreword Principal Fuller speaks accurately about the future challenges that the College will face:
‘The Education Reform Act has now been implemented and colleges are expected to be more independent and at the same time live within their own tight budget. Regrettably, therefore, there will be courses we cannot run and options we cannot offer because we do not have the funds to pay for them. It is not our wish but has been forced upon us. Rest assured that Waltham Forest College will do its utmost to serve its students and give value to the community’.[4]
In 1991 Jack Fuller retired making way for Vice Principal Mike Bourke. It was during Principal Bourke’s tenure that the front steps were renewed completely for the first time in the early to mid-1990s. He would remain Principal until the summer of 2000 when he stood down amid a growing financial deficit. As prophesied by Principal Fuller, this was a period of financial difficulty for colleges and required new leadership to bring the College back under financial control. Carol Gibson took over the principalship in February 2001 and spent the following seven years making various cuts to curriculum, budgets and staff in an attempt to stabilise the College’s finances and set it on the right track for the future.
Waltham Forest College has traditionally been at the forefront of many new educational ventures and at the turn of the millennium the College opened The Learning Shop, which was situated on Hoe Street. The shop served the community by providing advice and guidance, and there were computers where students could study by utilising the recently formed Learndirect online learning provision (a response to the Labour government’s concept of a ‘University for Industry’).
In 2002 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Prince Phillip, visited Waltham Forest as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations. Waltham Forest College students and alumni from the past ten years staged a ‘50 Years of Fashion’ show in front of the Town Hall. They presented a range of garments inspired by the style of each decade from the 1950s to the 1990s and featured different cultural attire from around the world.[5]
Education reform in the 2020s meant that many courses were scheduled to be defunded as the government wanted to streamline post-16 qualifications in England. In anticipation of this the College started to deliver the new T Level courses with an initial batch of six subjects in September 2023.
A unique part of this period compared to those before it is the speed of technological change. The College, along with its peers across the country, strived to keep up with the speed of adoption as each new product quickly made the previous technology obsolete.
The delivery of IT courses had started to develop in the 1980s. These were mostly short courses such as Word Processing and The use of Computers in Business. In the 1990s IT courses expanded and the College began to offer qualifications such as Access to Computing, HNC in Computing, NVQ in Using IT, GNVQ in Advanced Information Technology and Computer Aided Design. ‘The evolution of a Computing Section was a gradual process, and the number of lecturers slowly grew. In the late 1990s GCSE ICT was a popular choice with younger learners.’[6]
Staff social life at the College has evolved over the years. At least since the 1970s the College had a staff bar although it is likely that it existed in previous decades. The bar moved to different locations until in the 1990s, showing a sign of changing times, the bar was moved to a more discreet location in the form of a portacabin in the west quad:
‘Although the surroundings were not particularly pleasant, it remained a popular place to socialise and get to know staff from all around the College. Many people used to pop down for a coffee, or took their lunch there, even though the air was often heavy with smoke. In those days staff did not have computers on their desks so didn’t sit at their screens eating their lunch.’[6]
There was a period in the 1970s when the bar was open to both staff and students. Former student Peter Lewis recalled:
‘I remember seeing The Cure at the College on 23rd March 1979 in the staff and student bar. The place was locally known as The Snake Pit although I think its official name was The Precinct Bar’.[7]
The College bar was permanently closed sometime in the early 2010s with the reason provided as the arrival of ‘new financial regulations for colleges that would not allow staff members to run the bar.’
Although the bar was a significant part of staff social life, ‘other events were organised by the Staff Committee such as cocktail evenings, occasional live music and day trips to Calais.’ The staff would also stage revues in the College bar.
Liz Arkless remembered:
‘[The revues] were written by very talented members of staff and acted out at the end of term celebrations in the bar. Standing room only and [it was] often the only time we saw managers in the bar as they tended not to use it very much. The content was always topical and would have everyone in fits of laughter. I had a small part in a couple of these revues and remember how extremely funny they were - glad to say the managers never took offence even when they were the targets.’[6]
After Carol Gibson left the College in 2008 Robin Jones was appointed Principal in 2009. During his tenure he initiated the first significant modernisation programme of the College estate for many years, developing state-of-the-art facilities for students. Robin Jones retired in 2014 and Penny Wycherley was appointed in 2015.
One of the most important events during Principal Wycherley’s time was the opening of the College’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Centre in 2017. The Centre, officially opened by Deputy Mayor of London Jules Pipe, was a £4 million development funded by the Greater London Authority and the College to bring Engineering and Automotive Engineering provision back to the Forest Road campus from the Priestly Way annex off Blackhorse Lane.[8]
Following the government policy of area reviews in 2015 aimed at restructuring the post-16 sector, Waltham Forest College began talks to explore a merger with two other further education colleges before deciding to remain a standalone college. This was a defining moment for Waltham Forest College and the start of a new era. Less than a year later the College received its Grade 2 ‘Good’ rating by Ofsted.
Joy Kettyle took over the principalship in 2018. During her tenure she developed important strategic relationships with external stakeholders, helping to raise the profile of the College. Joy left the College in 2020 and Janet Gardner was appointed as Principal and CEO.
The start of the 2020s was arguably the second most trying time in the College’s history, as the Covid-19 global pandemic struck and the country went into multiple lockdowns. Thanks to the considerable commitment and resilience of staff and students, the College emerged from the pandemic in a strong position.
During the pandemic most students and staff members transitioned to working from home. Some key members of staff remained on site to ensure the building was maintained, the IT infrastructure was not compromised and face-to-face teaching and learning was still available for those most vulnerable.
Tutors had to adapt to a new way of delivering lessons in a matter of days and new skills and teaching innovations were developed during this time. Electrical Lecturer Kenn Starr shared amusing photos of his home workspace with colleagues and stated:
‘I want my students to stay well and mentally active during this period where there is too much uncertainty. You might have noticed the old-school clapperboard I have been using to engage my learners which give my videos a bit of a twist.’[9]
During the pandemic comparisons were made with the way the country came together during World War 2. In an echo of Mrs Lowery’s knitting party in the 1940s, Fashion Technician Joanne Aldridge, who at the time had been working for the College for over 20 years, transformed her home into a production suite where she sewed scrubs for National Health Service (NHS) workers at Homerton University Hospital.[10]
The College worked closely with Public Health England and Waltham Forest Council to develop the first Covid testing centre in a further education college in the country. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan visited the facility in December 2020 and positively endorsed the initiative:
‘Increased testing is key to getting the spread [of Covid-19] under control, which is why I want to see regular asymptomatic testing extended to all those unable to work from home and to students and staff at London’s secondary schools, sixth-form colleges and further education colleges.’[11]
This reinforced the College’s role as an important anchor institution within the local community.
Coming out of the pandemic the College partnered with William Morris Design Line and artist The Fandangoe Kid to celebrate the resilience and determination of Waltham Forest College students to move on from the pandemic. This art installation was inspired by William Morris’s statement ‘art made by the people and for the people’.
The Fandangoe Kid said:
‘The piece is about gathering young people’s voices, speaking out and pushing change forward. Every young person I have worked with to develop the narrative for this piece has said that there is no longer a place for apathy, we have to push change forward together now and 2020 has been exemplary of this - things are urgent; we can’t afford to stay silent, any of us.’
The 2020 to 2023 period has seen the role of the College as an anchor institution and raising the profile of education and skills across London. This marked the start of the most successful period for the College including the achievement of accreditation as a WorldSkills UK Training Centre of Excellence. The College also gained accreditation for its high quality provision in key sectors including Green, Digital, Hospitality, Health, Creative and Construction.
Waltham Forest College continues to develop its curriculum, significantly meeting skills’ needs of the region, which has led to excellent outcomes for students, and is now one of the highest performing further education colleges in London.
The College is currently undergoing £20 million of capital investment upgrading the estate and facilities to ensure it continues to lead the way by providing high quality training and skills for future generations.
The past 85 years of the College can overall be seen as a resounding success. There have been many challenges along the way, but staff, students and the local community have consistently overcome them, helping to make the College the successful place it is today.
References
- FE Week and Pearson, “NICDEX 2018,” FE Week, 2018.
- Ofsted, “Waltham Forest College: Rating and reports,” 19 March 2018. [Online]. Available: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/31/130456. [Accessed 07 September 2023].
- J. B. Fuller, “Welcome,” in Waltham Forest College Student Handbook 1990/91, London, 1990, p. 2.
- J. B. Fuller, “Principal’s Foreword,” in Waltham Forest College for Further and Higher Education Prospectus 1991/2, London, 1991, p. 2.
- London Borough of Waltham Forest, A Celebration of Youth & Fashion, London, 2002.
- S. Wills and L. Arkless, Interviewee, [Interview]. 01 September 2023.
- P. Lewis, Interviewee, Peter Lewis Anecdotes. [Interview]. 04 October 2019.
- Waltham Forest College, “New £4m STEM Centre officially opened by Deputy Mayor of London,” 14 December 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.waltham.ac.uk/news/987-new-4m-stem-centre-officially-opened-by-deputy-mayor-of-london. [Accessed 07 09 2023].
- Waltham Forest College, “Waltham Forest College Transition to Online Learning,” 16 April 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.waltham.ac.uk/news/1319-waltham-forest-college-transition-to-online-learning. [Accessed 07 September 2020].
- Waltham Forest College, “Fashion Technician and Garment Demonstrator launches ‘NHS Production’ Project on Facebook,” 29 April 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.waltham.ac.uk/news/1321-fashion-technician-and-garment-demonstrator-launches-nhs-production-project-on-facebook. [Accessed 07 September 2023].
- Waltham Forest College, “Waltham Forest College Pilots New Rapid ‘Lateral Flow’ COVID-19 Tests,” 17 December 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.waltham.ac.uk/news/1465-waltham-forest-college-pilots-new-rapid-lateral-flow-covid-19-tests. [Accessed 04 October 2023].
Researched and written by Thomas Barden
