60 proud years of learning excellence (From Basingstoke Gazette)

60 proud years of learning excellence

9:32am Thursday 25th June 2009

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OVER the past 60 years, thousands of skilled engineers, builders, plumbers, car mechanics, caterers and hairdressers have been trained at one of Basingstoke’s most successful centres of learning – one that has played an important role in the prosperity of the town.

The seat of learning in question is Basingstoke College of Technology (BCOT), which has its main sites in Worting Road.

From modest beginnings, the college has grown beyond recognition and now has close to 9,000 students from across the community – just over 1,900 of them are full-time students – studying a staggering 835 courses.

Originally, the college was known as the Basingstoke Technical Institute. It first opened its doors to 200 students back in 1948, with many of them being Thornycroft engineering apprentices. Back then, the courses offered were described as day classes in engineering and building.

The man behind setting up the institute was a Mr R F Norman, who was managing director of Thornycroft, having previously organised the Thornycroft Apprentices School.

The Worting Road site has in fact been an important place of learning for more than 160 years as it was the home of Queen Mary’s Grammar School.

After the war, the institute was the only further education organisation in Hampshire. As a result, it provided training for most of the county, including the British Railways works at Eastleigh, and as late as 1970, for training organisations as far afield as Fareham.

With the creation of Eastleigh and Fareham Colleges, Basingstoke Technical Institute focused its training and education to meet the needs of north Hampshire.

The institute was funded by Hampshire County Council, but it had no principal. However, a mildly critical inspection report led to the appointment of a J Neville Bradley as the institute’s first principal – a post he held for 21 years.

By 1954, student numbers had grown to more than 700, with many studying new areas including office studies and catering. Subsequently, the institute changed its name to Basingstoke Technical College.

In 1960, the first phase of new buildings on the south side of Worting Road, on the site of what had been council allotments, were built. Ten years later a second building, connected to the first, was opened.

It was in July 1989 that the technical college was renamed Basingstoke College of Technology.

In 1996, the college established a new building on the site of the old grammar school, and this was opened by the Princess Royal.

Her mother, The Queen, had previously paid a visit to the college on her trip to Basingstoke in 1973. When she visited, the monarch was given a guided tour of the college, where students served lunch to more than 150 guests.

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