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Spring Grove House site Redevelopment Condensed from full details available from West Thames College Oct 2007
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The recent reunions at Spring Grove House have given us the opportunity to revisit the place where we spent, and it seems most of us enjoyed, our senior school years. Many had left the area at or soon after the end of their school days and not previously been back but on their return all were appalled at the way in which the historic house had been surrounded by hideous 1960s buildings. At the October reunion West Thames College principal Thalia Marriott [pictured right] kindly volunteered to give a short briefing to those present on the redevelopment to the site to be undertaken by West Thames College. These met with the universal approval of the OSGs present. An extract from their prospectus is below.
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Spring Grove House, as we knew it, is a listed building now enclosed on three sides by largely 1960s, three-storey blocks. One new building, the Millenium Building, was constructed in 1999 on London Road at the front of the site. West Thames College, which now occupies the site, is amedium-sized college of further and higher educ ation, is an associate college of Kingston University and also has good links with Thames Valley, Brunel, St Mary's and other universities. A total of approx 6,000 students study at both sites of the college on full-time and part-time courses every year. The college offers a wide range of specialist, vocational, academic and professional courses. In some vocational areas it is possible to progress from basic skills through to higher education. The College is also one of the largest local providers of higher education (HE) courses, with a specialised range of HMDs and Foundation Degrees to meet local skills needs.
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Ray Harwood ‘44 has volunteered to be our man on the spot and keep us up to date with progress on site. |