| Individual or organisational biography | On 10 Aug 1878 a Royal Commission was established to investigate parochial charities. It reported on 12 Mar 1880 and resulted in a new emphasis on enhancing the technical workforce, in the face of new technologies and foreign competition, as well as a greater understanding of how parochial charities could be better administed to help the poor. The resultant legislation was the City of London Parochial Charities Act, 1883. This provided that the five largest parishes should continue to administer their own charitable endowments, but that the charities of the remaining 107 parishes [about 1,400 separate charitable gifts and bequests stretching back over 400 years] should be administered by a new corporate body the Trustees of the London Parochial Charities [now named City Parochial Foundation]. This in turn led to a number of educational foundations in deprived areas of London, where people needed to retain relevant practical skills to remain in, or gain employment. The St Bride Foundation Institute was one of the establishments. A Central Governing Body was established for the Trustees, nominated by local London government bodies and educational establishments.
St Bride Foundation Insitute, Bride Lane, Fleet Street was founded 1883 and, in Nov 1894 the St Bride Foundation Printing School opened to teach part-time courses.The School was located on St Bride Street in the heart of the historic book production district in London. In 1894 the Foundation had approximately 124 evening class students. Evening classes were a major part of the school's activities. The school's aims were to provide a technical printing school, reading and lecture rooms and swimming and wash baths.
In 1911, the school appointed their first full-time Principal, J.R. Riddell who instigated a move from text book based learning to practical teaching. In 1912 there were around 400 students enrolled in the school. The facilities at the schools soon grew insufficient. A 1912 report by J.C. Smail highlighted the limited and cramped conditions at St Bride Foundation Printing School and called for consolidation of technical schools in London. From 1894 to around 1919 only evening classes were taught. Each session, or course, extended from September until April. The Fisher Education Act of 1918 overhauled the British education system and made school attendance compulsory for a number of working hours for young people aged 16-18. This led to an increase in students at St Brides, so much so that the school had to put a stop to enrolment for a short while as they could not keep up with the number of students seeking to enrol. The first full-time courses began at St Brides in 1919. Staff numbers were uplicated to try and keep up with the increased number of students, but still the school could not accommodate the needs of all who wanted to attend courses. To be able to accommodate all students who wanted to attend, the school had to expand their premises or move premises. For some time students of St Bride Foundation Printing School and Bolt Court Technical School and its successor the London County Council School of Photo-Engraving and Lithography, shared some classes. This was due to the similar subjects taught at the schools and that students required usage of equipment held at the schools.
The Right Honorable Lord Riddell later President of the school, called a meeting of representative men in the printing trades to discuss how to accommodate additional students and to suggest solutions. The suggestion which was ultimately settled on was approaching London County Council for assistance. It was agreed the printing industry would contribute £3,000 per year to the school to help with the finding of new premises with the rest of the balance made up of grants from the Local Education Authority and Board of Education. A school at 61 Stamford Street, was found and rented from the Duchy of Cornwall estate. It had been built in 1797 by the Benevolent Society, although many alterations and additions were made to the school whilst used as a printing college. It too, was not sufficient to keep up with the school's needs.
In 1922 the school's Central Governing Body placed it under the direct guardianship of London County Council, prior to this the Foundation was under the control of the Trustees. In 1922 after coming under County Council control, the school was re-named London School of Printing and Kindred Trades. In 1925 an additional story to 61 Stamford Street was erected. During the 1924-1925 academic year school enrollment reached 2,324 students, with about one half of the apprentices attending during working hours and receiving theoretical and practical instruction.The school was open 6 days a week, Sunday through Friday, 9am to 9:30 pm with a school staff of 32 of which half were part-time instructors. In 1924-1925 the school had already begun planning for a larger, stand-alone school which could meet the needs of around 3,000 students.
In 1933 61 Stamford Street was extended further so it could greater meets its students needs. The School became independent from London County Council control in 1949 when in merged with the London County Council School of Photo-Engraving and Lithography, Bolt Court to form the London School of Printing and Graphic Arts. The schools merged after the 1944 Education Act had stated that smaller technical schools should merge to better serve their communities and students needs. |