City of Westminster College has its origins in an evening institute established in the First World War providing lip-reading classes for deafened servicemen in the vestry of St George's Church in Hanover Square, Westminster. The institute, which became known as St George's Institute, only ran evening classes and moved to a number of different sites, successively St George's Row School, Ebury Bridge and Dean Farrar Street. A further move was made to the Burdett Cookery School, with some classes held in the Townsend Foundation School, Rochester Row. The institute grew rapidly during the 1930s, becoming one of the largest commercial institutes in London, with classrooms and chemistry laboratories in Westminster City College. In 1936 an arrangement with Westminster Training College was made enabling the institute to provide more student hours than any comparable institute in London and replacing the link with Westminster City College. The institute moved again to the Millbank School, Erasmus Street.
In 1939 two social studies courses were introduced, whilst languages and commercial, administrative and social studies were all well established.The Waterloo Road School site was taken over by the institute in 1951, shared with the Law Department of Kennington College. By 1959 there were 41 full-time staff, more part-time lecturers and over 30 rooms used. Full-time courses were offered in 1959 in the institute's three departments of Civil Service, Commerce and University Entrance, with part-time and evening work. In 1954 the institute moved to Francis House, renting space from the Army and Navy Stores. Further space was rented from them in 1955, enabling matriculation work to be transferred from Regent Street Polytechnic. New departments of Science, Social Studies and Day Release work were created. Awards and courses were rationalised following the 1959 McMeeking report 'Further Education in Commerce', with the introduction of national certificates in business studies, and establishment of new departments of Economics and Arts and Science and Maths. By 1962 there were over 6000 students associated with the institute. In 1965 the work of the Arts Department was transferred to the West London College of Commerce.
In 1959 the institute was renamed City of Westminster College. In the early 1960s the first courses in Hospital Administration were organised, and part of the college moved in 1966 to Blackfriars Road where housing laboratories and the Social Studies Department were accommodated (later to become part of Southwark College). In the mid 1960s new departments of Professional Studies, later renamed Accountancy and Finance, and Business Studies were established. The publication of the White Paper 'A Plan for Polytechnics and Other Colleges', published in 1966, had announced the creation of some 30 polytechnics throughout the country to form what became called the public sector of the binary system of higher education. The 13 existing colleges managed by ILEA were to be reorganised into five. City of Westminster College joined with Borough Polytechnic, the Brixton School of Building, and the National College for Heating, Ventilating, Refrigeration and Fan Engineering to become the Polytechnic of the South Bank in 1970.
The premises were used by the new Polytechnic for a short time after the merger to house the Department of Accountacy and Finance, the Department of Business Studies, the Department of Languages and the Department of Management and Administration.
Rachel McMillan was born in New York in 1859, the daughter of Scottish immigrants. On visiting Edinburgh at the age of 28, Rachel was influenced by Socialism and the following year moved to London to be near Margaret, her governess sister and also attend socialist meetings, write articles, and give free evening lessons to working class girls. The sisters moved to Bradford and joined the Fabian Society, Social Democratic Federation, and Labour Party. In 1892 Margaret with Dr James Kerr published a report on the health of elementary children in Britain and began campaigning for improvements. Rachel returned to London and was active in the Labour Party movement. In 1906 the sisters campaigned for, and had passed, the Provision of School Meals Act. In 1908 they opened the country's first school clinic in Bow and another in 1910 in Deptford as well as a Night Camp for children. In 1914 they started an open-air nursery & nursery staff training centre in Peckham which was accorded recognition by the Board of Education in 1919.Rachel McMillan died in March 1917 and the re-named Rachel McMillan College moved premises to Creek Road, Deptford in 1930. The new buildings housed students studying on three-year full-time courses leading to a Froebel Certificate. In 1961, at the invitation of the governors, the College was taken over by the London County Council (LCC). The LCC created an annexe of the College on the New Kent Road, which provided accommodation for part-time students studying nursery, infant and junior teaching courses leading to a London University Certificate in Education after a four-year part-time course. The New Kent Road annexe merged with South Bank Polytechnic in 1976 to become part of the Faculty of Education, Human & Social Studies. The rest of Rachel McMillan College merged with Goldsmith's College in 1977. In 1989 students and staff were relocated to the Polytechnic's main site.
Minimum Core was introduced in the 2000s and set out the knowledge and skills required by teachers in literacy, language, numeracy and ICT to fulfill their role.
From Lost Hospitals of London: https://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/whippscross.html In 1889 the West Ham Guardians bought Forest House and its estate of 44 acres of grounds as a site for a future infirmary, for which pla ing approval was granted in 1894. The old mansion house was then used from that year as an a exe to the West Ham Union workhouse in Leyton to accommodate elderly infirm men. Building work on the new infirmary began in 1900 and was completed three years later, having cost over £186,000. The West Ham Union Infirmary opened in 1903. It comprised a central administration building with ward blocks on either side.nAlthough originally there had been no operating theatre, this was soon added, although it was known as the 'operating room' as the word 'theatre' was considered to be too alarming to the patients. By 1912 some 350 operations a year were being performed. During WW1, in 1917 part of the Infirmary became the Whipps Cross War Hospital. It was affiliated to the Colchester Military Hospital and 240 beds were given over for wounded and sick servicemen. King George V and Queen Mary visited in November 1917, commenting on the magnificence of the buildings. The Queen presented medals and certificates to the nurses who has passed their Final examinations that years. By the end of the war in 1918 the Infirmary had become a general hospital. Its name was changed to Whipps Cross Hospital. During the 1920s the first specialist consultants were appointed to the medical staff. They established departments in dermatology, ophthalmology, genitourinary surgery and ear, nose and throat conditions. In 1926 the Board of Guardians who managed the Hospital were dismissed by Neville Chamberlain, the Minister of Health, as they had run up a debt of £250,000. In 1930 the Boards of Guardians were abolished and control of the Hospital was taken over by West Ham Borough Council. The Council added new ward blocks and, by 1936, the Hospital had 741 beds and had been recognised as a training school for nurses. During the years 1938-1940 four new blocks were built at the eastern end of the original buildings. During WW2 the Hospital joined the Emergency Medical Service, with 388 of its 744 beds reserved for civilian air-raid casualties. In 1948 the Hospital joined the NHS under the control of the Leytonstone Group Hospital Management Committee, part of the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. It had 1,044 beds, of which 846 were open. In 1951 the Wilfred Lawson Temperance Hotel in Woodford Green was purchased by the Regional Hospital Board as additional accommodation for 50 nurses. The Hospital Management Committee decided to use the premises also as a Preliminary Training School for student nurses; this opened on a temporary basis in October 1951. The nurses' badges bore the Hospital's motto: Semper ad coelum (always aim high). In 1963, when the Hospital had 978 beds, it transferred to the control of the Forest Group Hospital Management Committee. In 1965 a Medical Education Centre opened. It was one of the first in England. An Intensive Care Unit opened in 1968, as did a Hyperbaric Unit. In 1974, following a major reorganisation of the NHS, the Hospital came under the control of the West Roding District Health Authority, part of the Redbridge and Waltham Forest Area Health Authority of the North East Thames Regional Health Authority. It had 862 beds. The Medical Education Centre was extended the same year. In 1982, after another major reorganisation of the NHS, the Hospital came under the administration of the Waltham Forest District Health Authority. In 1987 the Margaret Centre opened to provide palliative care for patients with life-limiting illnesses. In 1992, following the introduction of more reforms of the NHS, the Hospital became a trust - the Forest Healthcare NHS Trust. By 1997 the Hospital was in deep financial crisis, with a deficit of £4m. The long waits in the Accident & Emergency Department for patients on trolleys, cancelled operations and neglect of elderly patients on wards placed it as the second worst in the whole country for complaints (it is not stated which was the first). In 2001 the Forest Healthcare NHS Trust was dissolved and the Hospital came under the management of the Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust. The Hospital celebrated its centenary in 2003. A new Emergency Medical Centre was opened. Work began in 2011 at the northern part of the site for a new £23m Emergency and Urgent Care Centre, which opened in May 2012. The building incorporates the former Accident and Emergency Department and the Walk-In Centre. Because of the continuing financial problems and uncertainties over its future, a scheme for redevelopment of the site intended to begin in 2012 was abandoned. Instead, early in 2011, the Trust negotiated with the Barts and the London NHS Trust and the Newham University Hospital NHS Trust to create a new trust. The mergers were successful and the Barts Health NHS Trust came into being on 1st April 2012, the largest NHS Trust in the country. €¨Newham Archives, Stratford Reference Library, holds administrative records from 1900-1957, ephemera from 1917-1957 and pictoral records from 1900-1939. Waltham Forest Archives holds administrative records from 1875-1975, including staff records from 1932.
From Lost Hospitals of London: https://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/chingford.html By 1893 the population of Walthamstow had greatly increased and, when Plaistow and Highgate Hospitals refused to take any more smallpox patients from the area, the need for a municipal isolation hospital became urgent. For this purpose Larkswood Lodge, with 20 acres, off Hale End Road (later renamed Larkshall Road) was bought by the Walthamstow Urban District Council for £2623. The Walthamstow Sanatorium (or Isolation Hospital) opened in 1901, having cost £33,364 to build. The opening ceremony was held in one of the wards and a 'goodly number' turned up for it, creating a crowd problem. The ground floor of the two-storey administration block contained offices, a sitting room and bedroom for the doctor, sitting rooms for Matron and the nurses, as well as dining rooms for the nurses and the servants. The kitchen, scullery, pantries and storerooms were also on this floor. On the first floor, as well as bathrooms, were bedrooms for Matron, 18 nurses and the servants. Gas was used for cooking and heating; indeed, the Hospital made its own gas (the cost of this was 2d (0.8p) per 1000 cubic ft compared with 7d (3p) for coal gas. The ward accommodation consisted of three pavilions containing 14 beds each, as well as a nurse's room with kitchen and bathroom. There was also a small 4-bedded observation ward. A mortuary was discreetly hidden behind trees at the rear of the site. The engine-house contained two 28 BHP gas engines of the Westinghouse type, which generated electricity for lighting and driving the laundry machines. Patients arrived by horse-drawn ambulances and were admitted to the observation ward for assessment before being transferred to one of the main wards. In 1904 an agreement was reached to admit diphtheria patients from Chingford. The Hospital was enlarged in 1905, with additional bedroom and sitting room accommodation for six nurses and five maids in the administration block. A bacteriological laboratory and office were also built, as well as a 2-storey block for 24 convalescent patients, with a day room on the first floor. By this time the Hospital had 72 beds. A pavilion for patients with tuberculosis (TB) opened in 1914. The new building was divided into six compartments, with two beds in each. At the west end there was a room for two acute patients, with bedrooms for the nurse and ward maid and, at the east end, a small kitchen and dining room. In 1938 the Leyton Council bought a half-share in the Hospital and it became known as the Leyton and Walthamstow Joint Hospital. At the begi ing of WW2 a First Aid post with a Gas Cleansing Section was established at the Hospital. In 1940 and 1941 the Hospital was bombed, but little damage occurred. In 1946 it was renamed the Walthamstow Infectious Diseases Hospital and Sanatorium. In 1948 it joined the NHS, when it had 100 beds for patients with infectious diseases and 18 beds for those with TB. In the following year the war damage was repaired. By 1953 the Hospital had ceased to deal solely with infectious diseases, becoming a general hospital providing postoperative (no surgery was performed here), medical and orthopaedic treatment. It was renamed Chingford Hospital. In 1956 a new Out-Patients Department opened, at the cost of £24,000. Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Departments were added in 1958. By 1970 Chingford Hospital had become a busy acute general hospital with 100 beds. The closure of Co aught Hospital in 1977 was expected to affect the role of Chingford Hospital, making funds available for improvements and expansion. Plans were made to sell off five acres of land, while retaining the rest for a possible Health Centre. In 1978 the former TB ward was converted to a medical ward for female patients and renamed Larkshall Ward. Throughout the 1980s there was much debate about the future of the Hospital, as to whether it should become a community hospital for the care and rehabilitation of local people (so there would be no need for the elderly to go to Langthorne Hospital), and a Health Clinic with family pla ing, a baby clinic, chiropody and occupational therapy. The terminally ill would be sent to Whipps Cross Hospital. At this time the Hospital had 58 beds for geriatric patients and 15 beds for younger disabled people. The in-patients side closed in 1991 but the Out-Patients Department continued until 1996, when the Hospital finally closed.
From Lost Hospitals of London: https://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/woodfordjubilee.html The Hospital, financed by Sir John Roberts, Bt, was built to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. It opened in 1899 with 12 beds. The patients were looked after by their GPs. In 1911 it was extended to 54 beds, the money being raised by public subscription. In 1937 a new X-ray room and apparatus were installed. The women's ward was extended, with an additional 6 beds. The work cost £3,877. In 1948 the Hospital joined the NHS under the control of the Forest Group Hospital Management Committee, part of the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. In 1974, following a major reorganisation of the NHS, it came under the administration of the West Roding District Health Authority, part of the North East Thames Regional Health Board. Following another major reorganisation of the NHS in 1982, it transferred to the control of the Waltham Forest District Health Authority. The Hospital closed in 1986 under the orders of the then Health Minister, Ke eth Clarke, because it was considered too small, with only 47 beds.
From Lost Hospitals of London: https://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/barking.html In the early 1890s Barking Urban District Council built an infectious diseases hospital on Upney Lane, to the west of Rookery Hall. The Upney Isolation Hospital opened in 1893, dealing with those suffering from scarlet fever, diphtheria and other infectious diseases (but not smallpox). In July and August 1896 some 13 patients were admitted to the Hospital following an outbreak of typhoid fever which affected 23 people in the region. In the early part of the 20th century the Council acquired more land nearby and the Hospital was extended, with the addition of a new ward block at the southwest part of the site. By the mid 1930s Barking Corporation had acquired the rest of the land bordering Upney Lane to Upney station, and a new isolation hospital was built on Upney Meadow to the south of the original building, parallel to the railway line. In 1936, a maternity pavilion was built on the site of the original isolation hospital in response to the need for more maternity beds (the nearby Becontree Estate had a birthrate which was double the national average). The Hospital now comprised two parts on the 18 acre site - at the southern part was the Upney (Isolation) Hospital with 108 beds and, at the northern, the Upney (Maternity) Hospital with 22 beds. In 1938 an ENT Department was established, dealing mainly with the removal of tonsils and adenoids. During WW2 the Upney (Maternity) Hospital became a principal casualty hospital for the Emergency Medical Service. It had 24 beds. Both Hospitals joined the NHS in 1948 as a maternity hospital under the name of Barking Hospital, under the control of the Ilford and Barking Group Hospital Management Committee, part of the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. The Hospital had 108 beds, which had been reduced to 74 by 1951. By 1954 the Hospital had 76 beds - 54 for maternity patients and 22 for chronically sick elderly females - in the former isolation section at the south, whilst the northern building became the Out-Patients Department, also housing the Borough Chest Clinic and Physiotherapy Department. At the end of the 1950s, because of the shortage of beds, the Hospital Management Committee decided it should become a general hospital for the group. The site was to be redeveloped, as the scattered bungalow buildings used for fever patients were no longer suitable as ward accommodation. The work was to commence in 1963 and be completed by 1967. In the meantime upgrading works were carried out on the existing facilities. In January 1958 the lighting on the labour ward was improved with the installation of mobile operating lamps. The operating theatre was modernised and re-equipped for £5,000. The 4-bedded wards in both maternity units were cubicled and curtained. Glass partitioning for weather protection was erected on the verandah of Sydenham Ward (the antenatal and gynaecological ward), which had the only verandah that had remained open to all the elements. All the woollen blankets on the wards were replaced by cellular cotton blankets (which were boilable). In 1958 work began to convert Ross Ward into an up-to-date surgical ward with 16 beds, at a cost of £9,000. Je er Ward, the medical ward, was to be modernised and become a geriatric ward. The mortuary remained a problem. Post-mortems were carried out in the same room where corpses rested; relatives were only allowed to see the deceased through a window, as the body lay on a slab beside the post-mortem table. nIn May 1959 the renewed Ross Ward opened - the Hospital's first modern ward - for surgical and gynaecological patients. The Hospital then had 98 beds, used variously for maternity, surgical, gynaecological and chronic cases. In addition, there were 4 cots for premature babies. Although some 90% of nurses were non-resident, it was recognised that there was a need for a Recreation Hall; the Hospital's League of Friends raised some £25,000 towards the cost of this project. The Hall was built at the far southeastern part of the site. The Out-Patients building - the Upney Clinic - now also accommodated an orthopaedic clinic. By 1960 the Hospital admitted mainly female patients. Plans were prepared for the expansion of the Hospital from its current 102 beds to 250 general beds by the erection of a 4-storey block at a cost of £1m. In the meantime, improvements to the existing wards continued. Stainless steel sinks were provided on all wards and in the main kitchen. The verandah to Je er Ward, now the female geriatric ward, was made into a pleasant sitting room and fitted with Venetian blinds. During the 1950s a severe shortage of nursing staff, especially midwives, meant that some beds had had to be closed but, in June 1960, deliveries resumed in Harvey Ward, relieving the pressure on Williams Ward, the main maternity ward. A Special Baby Care Unit for premature babies opened in Williams Ward (babies were also accepted from other hospitals). The need for a Leg Unit had been recognised, and this opened in April 1961 in Paget Ward. The 15-bedded unit had cost £5,500. Patients were seen in the Out-Patients Department at King George Hospital, Ilford, and operated on at Barking Hospital. A special X-ray service was supplied by Chadwell Heath Hospital. In 1965 the Hospital had 110 beds for mainly female patients. The new £1m building, built just to the north of the existing ward buildings, was officially opened by Princess Alexandra in April 1967. In 1970 the Hospital had 286 beds for mainly acute and maternity cases. Following a major reorganisation of the NHS in 1974, the Hospital came under the control of the East Roding District Health Authority, part of the North East Thames Regional Health Authority. The Hospital was rebuilt during the 1980s and, in 1987, a new maternity wing was opened, built on the site of the old Out-Patients building. The Hospital then had 314 beds for mainly acute and maternity patients. In 1990 the Hospital was under the control of Redbridge District Health Authority and had 362 beds for acute and maternity cases. In 1993 it came under the Redbridge Health Care Trust, when it had 254 beds for acute care and rehabilitation. By 1995 it had 96 beds for acute care and geriatric patients. In 1999, most of the site was sold off to Wilcon Homes for housing development, and a small part to Hanover Housing for apartments with associated care facilities for elderly people. In 2000 the Hospital had 96 beds, but only three of its four wards were operational as services began to be run down. In 2003 it came under the control of the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust; there were notionally 105 beds. In 2007 medical and surgical in-patient services moved to King George Hospital in Barley Lane, while mental health in-patients were transferred to Grays Court, an intermediate care centre in Dagenham.n
From Lost Hospitals of London: https://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/oldchurch.html Oldchurch Hospital originated from the Romford Union workhouse, which had been built during 1838 and 1839 to the southwest of Romford. The 5-acre site on Oldchurch Road was purchased by the Union from a Mr Philpot at £160 an acre. The 2-storey workhouse building was cruciform, a popular design with the dormitory blocks laid out in a cross-shape. It could house 450 inmates. The administration block was at the south of the site, while the main accommodation blocks radiated from a central hub. Observation windows in the hub enabled the workhouse master to observe the inmates in each of the four exercise yards. The dormitories and Day Rooms for the female inmates were on the eastern side in the northeast and southeast arms of the cross, while the males occupied the western side in the northwest and southwest arms. The kitchens and dining rooms were located at the north of the building. In 1893 the workhouse was renamed the Romford Poor Law Institution. An infirmary block was added at the north of the site. During WW1 the infirmary of the Institution became the Romford Military Hospital, an auxiliary hospital for the Colchester Military Hospital, with 82 beds for wounded and sick servicemen. In 1924 further additions were built at the north and east of the site. In 1929, following the abolition of the Poor Law Guardians, the workhouse and its infirmary came under the administration of Essex County Council, who converted the buildings into the Oldchurch County Hospital. The Hospital, which incorporated the old workhouse buildings, was much expanded during the 1930s to have over 800 beds. Hainault Lodge became an a exe to provide accommodation for elderly chronically ill female patients. During WW2 it joined the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) with 868 beds, of which 96 were EMS beds for air-raid casualties. In 1948 the Hospital joined the NHS under the control of the Romford Group Hospital Management Committee, part of the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. In 1950 it had 750 beds for general and maternity cases but, by 1952, some 718 beds. It remained an acute hospital and, by 1962, it had 651 beds for acute and maternity patients. In 1974, following a major reorganisation of the NHS, the Hospital came under the control of the Havering District Health Authority, part of the Barking and Havering Area Health Authority of the North East Thames Regional Health Authority. Its maternity services had closed and it had 629 beds for acute cases. In 1980 it had 600 beds. In 1982, after another NHS reorganisation, it came under the control of the Barking, Havering and Brentwood District Health Authority. By 1986 it had 530 beds. In 1993, following another NHS reform, the Hospital was under the control of the Havering Hospitals NHS Trust. In 2000 it had 473 beds. Despite local opposition, the old cruciform workhouse building was demolished so that a temporary single-storey building could be erected in its place. In 2003 the Hospital was administered by the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust. By 2005 there were 565 beds. The Hospital closed in 2006, with the last patient being seen on 15th December. Services were transferred to the nearby newly built Queen's Hospital and to the King George Hospital in Chadwell Heath.
The first meeting of the Governing Body was held on 23 October 1891 at the offices of the London School Board. It was originally made up of 12 members:
5 members nominated by the Committee of the South London Polytechnic Institutes;
3 members nominated by the Central Governing Body of the City Parochial Foundation;
2 members nominated by the London County Council;
2 members nominated by the School Board of London.
The Chair of the first meeting was Sir Philip Magnus. The Chair was shared between Sir Philip Magnus, Evan Spicer and Edric Bayley until Edric Bayley was chosen as the permanent Chair at the meeting of 18 February 1892.
At its meeting of 31 March 1892 the Governing Body appointed three committees of seven members each. A Finance Committee, Educational Committee and Recreational Committee. The Educational and Recreation Committee sat together as the General Purposes Committee. The General Purposes Committee advised on the classes to be provided and the teaching staff.
With the formation of the Polytechnic of the South Bank a Council of Governors was created, whose first meeting was held on 24 September 1970, with Harold Shearman as Chairman. The last meeting of the Governing Body of the Borough Polytechnic was held on 12 November 1970.
This became the Board of Governors in 1989.
The Audit Committee oversees the University's audit activities including auditing the financial statements, appointing the internal and external auditors and advising the Board of Governors on the effectiveness of the internal control system. It is a committee of the Board of Governors.
The terms of reference for the Library Committee in 1968 were "to formulate general Library policy" and to ensure that the Librarian sought the advice from the Departments for the selection of books suitable for the courses run by the Polytechnic.
In 1889 the Morley Memorial College for Working Men and Women was established to organise lectures and classes held in the Old Victoria Hall ('Old Vic' theatre). The intention was to promote the study of subjects other than technical ones amongst working men and women, as well as promote social interaction. A scheme of co-operation existed between the College and the Borough Polytechnic Institute and students at Morley College were granted access to the Polytechnic's social facilities. In 1917 commercial classes, printing and some language classes were transferred from the Polytechnic to Morley College. In the 1920's, the Old Victoria Hall and Morley College went their separate ways when funds were acquired for a separate site nearby where Morley College could grow. From that time on all plans to merge the Polytechnic with Morley College ceased and today Morley College is one of the oldest adult education colleges in the country.
As its work was complementary to that of the Borough Polytechnic, and it was in the same neighbourhood, an arrangement was made between the two institutions and a Joint Committee formed. The Committee focused on academic matters at the two institutions between 1910 and 1914.
RAG Week is an annual fundraising event, raising money for different charities. In the late 1960s until 1970 the Borough Polytechnic contributed to a joint RAG Week organised by London colleges. After the creation of the Polytechnic of the South Bank it organised its own RAG Weeks.
The Board was established to consider the academic development of the Polytechnic of the South Bank prior to its establishment in 1970. The Board consisted of representatives from the Borough Polytechnic Institute, Brixton School of Building, City of Westminster College and National College for Heating, Ventilating, Refrigeration and Fan Engineering.