Croydon School of Art

There has been a school of art in Croydon since 1868 when Croydon School of Art was first established. Twenty years later, in 1888, the Pitlake Technical Institute (which later changed its name to Croydon Polytechnic) was founded. These two institutions continued to educate separately in and around Croydon until the Polytechnic was destroyed by fire during World War II, prompting plans to combine both on a new site in the heart of Croydon. The new Croydon Technical College (later known as Croydon College of Design and Technology) opened its doors for the first time in 1955 and was finally completed and formally opened by HM The Queen in 1960.

Past students and alumni teachers include some of the most iconic figures of the 20th century, such as Malcolm McLaren, who went on to manage the Sex Pistols, Ray Davies, lead singer of the Kinks, painter Bridget Riley, international fashion designer John Rocha, Peter Hide, Mervyn Peake, Phillip Boydell, Cicely Mary Barker, Ruskin Spear, Derek Boshier and Bruce McLean. More recent alumni include Turner Prize nominees Helen Chadwick and Sean Scully.