31-475: Woolwich Polytechnic and Woolwich Polytechnic School are names shared by more than one institution: Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys , a school located in Thamesmead, London Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls , a school located in Thamesmead, London University of Greenwich , previously known as Woolwich Polytechnic [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
62-460: A dividend in proportion to their spending with the society – at one point in embossed tin tokens, later by the quoting of a "Divi Number", towards the end by stamps. To support its retail activities the RACS established bakeries, bought farms and piggeries and built food processing factories. It owned stables and railway wagons, an abattoir, dairy, a frozen food plant, a fleet of coaches and two hotels on
93-463: A Political Secretary, published magazines and newspapers (such as Comradeship and The Wheatsheaf ) and housed Basque refugees from the Spanish Civil War (see also Milk for Spain ). The RACS supported the campaign for working-class political representation (see Labour Representation Committee ) and the election of Will Crooks as MP for Woolwich. In 1929, the RACS affiliated directly to
124-461: A clock by Gillett & Johnston ). It was designed by the Society's architect, Frank Bethell, and built in three phases: 1902–03, 1912 and 1926. Above the main entrance is a statue of the founder, Alexander McLeod, by Alfred Drury , and the society's motto. In 2011–13 it was converted into a hotel with 120 rooms and shop units. The RACS department store (138–152 Powis Street) was built in 1938–1940 in
155-457: A day school for boys was opened, Woolwich Polytechnic Boys Secondary School ; Woolwich's first secondary school started with 72 boys. Woolwich Polytechnic Junior Technical School for Boys was established in MacBean Street in 1912 to train boys for jobs at engineering works. The school became the responsibility of London County Council in 1956, as Woolwich Polytechnic Boys School . In 1974
186-934: A reading room and a coffee bar, besides some small hall where meetings can be held.” Didden campaigned passionately, raising some funding through a sports meeting held in July 1888 in Charlton Park , supported by the London Polytechnic, the Royal Arsenal and Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society . In 1890 T.A. Denny, a Woolwich bacon merchant, provided most of the £1,000 needed to buy a house in William Street (now Calderwood Street). Woolwich Polytechnic had its foundation. It grew rapidly. In 1891 it offered 38 courses to 504 students. In 1892 there were 80 courses offered to nearly 800 students. True to Hogg's model, Didden ensured that there
217-467: A streamlined Art Deco style. The large, metal-framed windows emphasise the horizontal lines in the faience-tiled gable, set between two end towers. The elegant east tower contains an open stairwell with wrought-iron railings with the letters 'co op' integrated in the design. The west tower is less pronounced and stands over an access road to Mortgramit Square. In 2013-16 it was converted into apartments ("The Emporium"), adding three recessed storeys on top of
248-485: Is a former RACS farm that was threatened by redevelopment in the 1990s and is now run by a community trust. The two large landmark buildings at the west end of Powis Street in Woolwich are evocative of the co-operative movement that was such a major force in this town. The Neo-Victorian RACS Central Stores (125–153 Powis Street) has an 82 m long red brick and terracotta façade with a 32 m high copper-domed clock tower (with
279-538: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys (founded 1912) is a secondary school for boys located in the Thamesmead area of the Royal Borough of Greenwich , London, England. The school is part of PolyMAT , a multi-academy trust. Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys has its roots in
310-683: The Isle of Wight . From 1878 onwards 2.5% of the society's profits were spent on education. The RACS had an Education Department, ran classes and sports days, opened reading rooms, supported the Woodcraft Folk and the Co-operative Women's Guild , youth clubs at Falconwood and Coldharbour, a cricket club, orchestras and at one point two choirs conducted by (Sir) Michael Tippett . The society opened its first library in Woolwich in 1879 some 20 years before
341-659: The Labour Party , rather than to the Co-operative Party as was more usual for such societies. It also affiliated to the London Labour Party and various borough and local labour parties. As well as the usual co-op dividend to its customer-members, the RACS also paid a "bonus to labour" – for instance paying the tradesmen building the Bostall Estate a halfpenny an hour above the trade union rate. Overall control of
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#1733086267109372-588: The Royal Polytechnic Institution at Regent Street was Francis (Frank) Didden. In 1884 Didden moved to Woolwich to take up a job as a fitter at the Royal Arsenal . He also had a burning ambition to set up a polytechnic in the Woolwich. In 1884 Woolwich had a population of about 34,000 people, many of whom were employed as engineers at the Royal Arsenal, or the other large factories in the area. Despite its industries Woolwich had many slums, drunkenness
403-488: The UK consumer co-operative movement being the provision of cheap unadulterated food) but also milk, bread and fuel deliveries, department stores, a bookshop, jewellery department, shoe shops and chemists. Other services included removals, catering, undertakers (customers included Herbert Morrison ), hairdressers, laundry, a travel agency, insurance and savings clubs. As was usual for such co-operative societies, members were paid
434-506: The 2012/13 academic year the school decided to elect a Head Boy, two Deputy Head Boys and a Head Girl. These are assisted by sixth form prefects, headed by a Senior Prefect. Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society The Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society (RACS) was a large consumer co-operative based in south east London , England . The co-operative took its name from the Royal Arsenal munitions works in Woolwich and its motto was: "Each for all and all for each". In 1985 it merged into
465-616: The Poly was reorganised as a six-form entry comprehensive school spread over two sites. Years 1 and 2 (now 7 and 8) remained in MacBean Street, while the Upper School occupied the premises of the old Woolwich Central School in Sandy Hill Road. In 1997 the school was designated a Technology College. The school maintained a presence in Woolwich up to 1999 when the Upper and Lower Schools were combined in
496-591: The Poly was the most improved boys' school in England in 2010. Woolwich Polytechnic was inspected by Ofsted in October 2011 and judged as 'outstanding'. The school got top marks in 21 out of 24 indicators on the report. Previously a community school administered by Greenwich London Borough Council , Woolwich Polytechnic School converted to academy status on 1 August 2014. However the school continues to co-ordinate with Greenwich London Borough Council for admission. From
527-521: The Polytechnic movement of the late 19th century. These polytechnics, of which Woolwich was the second, were set up with the aim of educating and 'improving' adult members of the working classes. Quintin Hogg , a successful London sugar merchant and philanthropist, had been involved in the ragged school movement for many years, but in 1871 focused his efforts on forming an Evening Institute for those at work in
558-524: The RACS rested with a full-time Management Committee elected by society members under proportional representation . The RACS directly sponsored Labour Party candidates in several Parliamentary elections, many of whom were successful. By the late 1970s the RACS was in trouble. Greater customer affluence and competition from supermarket chains such as Sainsbury's were changing the society's market – its size and democratic ownership structure made it slow to adapt . Membership numbers declined, weakening
589-617: The RACS) and its Works Department led by architect Frank Bethell constructing over a thousand homes between 1900 and 1914. In 1925 the RACS bought the 1250-home Royal Arsenal workers estate at Well Hall in Eltham from the Government, which it then renamed the Progress Estate . The RACS was always one of the more political co-operative societies. Its motto was "Each for All and All for Each"; it employed
620-409: The day. This was to approach the whole person, both by education, but also by moral example, giving access to meetings, opportunities for physical activities and enriching debates. There was a strong evangelical Christian input in these aims. Hogg's early aims were realised by the establishment of the London Polytechnic at Regent Street, which was set out to improve the whole person. An early student at
651-470: The former Waterfield School buildings in Thamesmead. The Upper school site was turned into a modern apartment complex; the Lower school was demolished and the site currently stands empty. The school gained a good reputation for the quality of its pastoral care. Until the re-formation of its sixth form in 2011, it was (at 8 forms of entry) the largest all-boys 11–16 comprehensive in England. Exam results improved and
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#1733086267109682-468: The local authority provided such a facility. In July 1888, the society helped Frank Didden raise funds to establish Woolwich Polytechnic , supporting a sports meeting held in Charlton Park . The Polytechnic eventually opened in 1891, also spawning day schools. In 1900 the RACS became a large-scale housing developer by building the Bostall Estate on its farmland in Abbey Wood – Robert Mackay (chairman of
713-496: The national Co-operative Wholesale Society . Co-operative trading had been rooted in Woolwich and the Royal Arsenal since the mid 18th century. In 1868 the Royal Arsenal Supply Association was established by William Rose (1843–1909?) and Alexander McLeod (1832–1902), consisting of 20 workers from the Royal Arsenal. The first base and store was at Rose's house at 11 Eleanor Road (now Barnard Close). In 1869 Rose
744-548: The restored building. The former RACS store on Lewisham High Street with a decorative facade has now been converted to flats. The Bostall Estate in Abbey Wood consists of over one thousand late-Victorian houses. The streets still bear co-operative-themed names, such as Owenite (after Robert Owen ), Commonwealth, Rochdale (after the ' Rochdale Pioneers '), McLeod and Will Rose (after founder-members Alexander McLeod and William Rose). The Progress Estate in Well Hall , Eltham ,
775-489: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about schools, colleges, or other educational institutions which are associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Woolwich_Polytechnic&oldid=1086354737 " Category : Educational institution disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
806-628: The society's democratic basis . Reserves dwindled and dividend payments – for many, the Co-op's unique selling point – all but ceased. In 1985, after a century of expansion in size and scope the RACS avoided collapse by 'transferring its engagements' to the national Co-operative Wholesale Society . Many of the former RACS supermarkets and funeral homes remain as Co-op outlets. Some of the former RACS buildings and farms have survived and are protected as cultural heritage. Woodlands Farm Trust in Shooters Hill
837-585: The store moved to larger premises in Powis Street , next but one to the house in which the Woolwich Equitable Building Society had been established in 1842. Membership grew from 232 in 1873 to 1,597 in 1879 and 6,721 in 1889. By that time it was the largest co-operative society in London and the 21st largest (of more than 1500) in the country. According to the social reformer Charles Booth , there
868-728: Was "nothing at all like it within the boundaries of London". In the century that followed, the society's activities expanded from food retail into a huge range of commercial, social and political activities. In 1902 it had over 20,000 members. Shops opened up in areas beyond Woolwich and house-building took place beyond the parish boundaries in Abbey Wood and Eltham . In 1924 membership had surpassed 100,000 and in 1938 this number had quadrupled. At its height (circa 1975), membership had reached 500,000 and sales exceeded £60 million. The society had outlets across most of South London and parts of Hampshire , Berkshire , Kent , Surrey and Sussex . The RACS ran not just food shops (a founding aim of
899-427: Was a very strong sporting and social side to attract and reform the habits of members. Woolwich Polytechnic founded a number of day schools and junior technical schools with a history of beating the military spirit into children only to be sent to war, partly in response to the fact that much of its premises was left empty during the day as much of the teaching and activities took place in the evenings. In September 1897
930-567: Was laid off at the Arsenal and emigrated to Canada (where his son William Oliver Rose became a well-known politician). McLeod took over as secretary and moved the store to Parry Place (Spray Street Quarter). The society adopted the Rochdale Principles of profit-sharing and renamed itself Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society in 1872. At first, the store was only open four evenings a week and on Saturday afternoon, but this improved after 1873, when
961-459: Was widespread, and many jobs offered little or no real security. For many people a lack of education and dissolute habits prevented them from "getting on". Didden saw a polytechnic as a way forward, and in 1886 he asked Hogg for support (Hogg had founded a ragged school in Castle Street, Woolwich). Hogg's reply is illuminating. “You certainly require, as a minimum, a gymnasium, a few class rooms,