Background Information on the Working Men's College
The Working Men's College (WMC) was founded in 1854 and was associated with the Cooperative Movement and the Christian Socialists stemming from the same tradition as The
Worker’s Educational Association. It is the oldest surviving adult education institute in Europe.
Early supporters include F.D. Maurice, John Stuart Mill, Tom Hughes, Dante Gabriel Rossetti,
John Ruskin, and Ford Maddox Brown. We’ve also had support from E.M. Forster, Sidney &
Beatrice Webb, Octavia Hill, George Bernard Shaw, Sarah Lucas and Rosalind Franklin.
Originally based in Great Ormond Street, the college has been in its purpose built, now listed,
building in Camden Town since 1904. In 1967 WMC merged with the Frances Martin College
for Working Women which was itself founded in 1874. We have continued to develop the
tradition of liberal education and today the college serves the whole community, with women,
unemployed and refugee students forming the majority of the student body.
Mission
To be a learner-centred college dedicated to widening access to education for all that will
provide opportunities for lifelong learning for the diverse range of London adults who may not
be able to study full time, particularly those who have missed out on their initial education.
We are committed to:
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A high quality educational environment suitable for adults within a relatively small college
community, in which all learners can achieve their personal, educational and training goals.
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An inclusive learning environment which removes the barriers to participation particularly for
those who have failed to benefit from educational opportunities in the past and which will enable
learners to maximise their potential.
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Ensuring that the basic educational needs of the local population are met.
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Ensuring equality of opportunity by opening our offer to the diverse communities with
programmes that promote access for all.
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Work towards partnership arrangements with other colleges and other providers that recognise
the culture and the history of our organisation and the diversity of our communities.
We will:
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Provide an education of the highest quality, rigour and standards.
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Offer access to basic education, ICT skills and lifelong learning through the use of ILT to
enhance and diversify the learning experience of our students, using multiple modes of delivery.
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Offer courses that allow people to enhance their skills and understanding, with external
accreditation where appropriate.
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Offer areas of study that are not widely available locally.
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Offer a mixture of courses that allow students to combine ‘vocational’ and ‘non-vocational’
elements.
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Promote equality of opportunity, openness, freedom of expression and social responsibility.
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Value and respect our learners and staff.
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Involve learners and staff in the decision-making processes of the college.
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Develop a multi-ethnic multi skilled staff team that delivers effective and efficient learning.
Curriculum
The Working Men’s College has grown rapidly in recent years. But we are still small enough to
know all our students and to respond to their individual needs. Approximately 3,000 students
attended the College in 2009-10 on courses that ranged from a single session IT taster through 1
term courses in various arts and languages to full time courses in Access to Art and Design and
ESOL.
The programme offer consists of
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Visual and Performing Arts – 2D and 3D arts and music from non-accredited general
interest courses up to Access and Foundation Degree
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Languages –popular European and community languages together with EFL
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Skills for Life – ESOL, adult literacy and numeracy including provision in the community
and with employers

ICT and Business – beginners and general ICT courses up to ECDL Advanced,
management development, business admin, medical administration
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Working with children – childcare and supporting teaching and learning in schools
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Employability – Response to Redundancy and Personal Best
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Business Development - workbased learning
Visual and Performing Arts and Languages are a major part of the programme bringing in over a
quarter of our funding. ESOL is the largest area producing almost half our funding and the other
areas make up the remaining 25%.
We have a thriving community programme, consisting mainly of Skills for Life with some ICT,
operating at over 20 schools and community venues in the central Camden area. We see local
employers as part of our community and are increasingly active in engaging with employers,
ensuring our provision meets their needs and that local people will be able to acquire the skills
they need for local jobs. With Arts and Languages we also reach out to students from a wider
geographical area including people who find the College convenient because it is close to work
and people who travel considerable distances for some specialist and higher level courses.
The College was inspected by Ofsted in June 2008 with excellent results. Visual and Performing
Arts is good, ESOL is outstanding and all other subject areas good. Leadership and
management, capacity to improve, equality of opportunity and meeting the needs and interests of
learners are all outstanding, and all other cross college areas are good. As a result the College
has acquired Beacon Status and this brings the new opportunities and challenges in sharing our
best practice with other providers.
Key current developments for the College include moving on to the second stage of a £9million
accommodation strategy, building on income generating provision, growth and change in Arts
and Humanities, developing Apprenticeships provision, working with 14-19’s and new
initiatives around employability.
Arts and Humanities at WMC
The Arts and Humanities programme area is fundamental to the college’s mission and has grown
significantly over the last four years. In creating the new post of Head of Arts and Humanities we
have brought together Visual and Performing Arts and Languages; the rationale being that these two
areas have much in common in regards to both targeted students and management of many part time
specialist staff.
The staff team currently consists of
 Head of Arts and Humanities (vacant)
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Curriculum Manager – Access to Art and Design
Curriculum Manager – Foundation Degree Professional Practice in Art and Design
Curriculum Manager – 3D Arts
Curriculum Manager - Music
Curriculum Manager – Modern Foreign Languages
Approximately 25 Sessional Arts and Languages Teachers
4 Technicians
All teachers are suitably qualified or working towards qualified status. The team is enthusiastic and
very committed to developing and improving the provision and delivering excellent provision to
learners. New teachers are well supported through an established mentoring and coaching system.
Arts and Humanities is the second largest area of the college provision; accounting for 28% of total
college income and bringing in over a million pounds per annum. As well as mainstream SfA
funding (£720K VPA and £130K Languages), we run a Foundation Degree programme with HE
funding via Middlesex University (£80K) and sub-contract the Adult and Community Learning Arts
provision for Camden local authority (£170K).
Visual and Performing Arts currently offered
include:
Painting and drawing
Graphic design
Digital arts
Ceramics
Jewellery
Sculpture
Framing and gilding
Etching and printmaking
Ballroom dancing
Singing
Harmonica
Drums
Guitar
Music Theory
Music Technology
Learning to play the Blues
Languages currently offered include
French
Spanish
Brazilian Portuguese
Italian
Arabic
Hindi
Turkish
WMC has a range of specialist arts facilities including a ceramics suite, sculpture, jewellery and
printmaking rooms, a soundproofed music room, a large hall with stage, an Apple Mac suite and
several general purpose studios.
There is an effective learning support structure in place, excellent student involvement which ensures
that students really feel their voice is heard and an exciting programme of events and activities which
celebrate success, inclusion and diversity.
The College has about 120 staff members altogether including managers. The staff team is small, very
friendly and extremely committed, hardworking and professional. People here are passionate about
adult learning and it’s a vibrant and exciting place to work. I hope you’ll be interested in joining us!
Theresa Hoenig
Deputy Principal, Curriculum and Community Engagement