Faculty History
In 2008, the Faculty celebrated 100 years of excellence in teaching training. The Faculty was established in 1908 as a small ladies teacher training college in Sunderland under the guidance of two academic tutors. By 1992 the college had become the School of Education and Lifelong Learning in the new University of Sunderland and committed to excellence in all phases of education, both nationally and internationally.
The Faculty has grown significantly over the past 100 years and now provides a wide range of courses including Education, Social Sciences and Culture gaining the new title Faculty of Education and Society in 2008.
The Sunderland Teacher Training College opened in 1908, with 70 students, male and female and tuition fees of £10 per annum. In 1922, students moved into Langham Tower in Ryhope Road which was bought for £8,000. At the same time the College became `women only' and remained that way until 1959. Sunderland Polytechnic was created on January 1, 1969, with a new Department of Education for teacher training, established in the same year.
The Polytechnic was among the first 3 of the 30 such national institutions, which were set up to concentrate on professional and vocational courses and develop part-time provision. In 1973 the Polytechnic mounted the first part-time, in-service BEd (Bachelor of Education) in the country. Today the Faculty is recognised as one of the most innovative in the UK, with recent initiatives including the foundation of the Sunderland Centre for Excellence for Teacher Training, the Childrens, Young People and Families Centre and the successful launch of the Early Years Professional Status national pilot.
Since the Faculty of Education and Society has entered its centenary year, it has continued to match its strong commitment to research, scholarly activity and teaching excellence alongside a strong portfolio of courses.
