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The HISTORY of REDDITCH New Town

decided that Redditch Council should pay for it, and the County Council and the School
of Art should pay a rent equivalent to the debt charges on the loan that the Redditch

Council took out. The newly formed County of Hereford and Worcester administered the
Library from 1974, and the new ibrary was officially opened in Market Square in January
1976. From the early 1980s the Church Road building housed the Training Restaurant
of Redditch College and from 1988, after the college merger, North East Worcestershire
College. It is now occupied by offices of the Redditch Standard.

An Institute Trust Deed, however, safeguarded the position of the School of Art. It was
laid down that the School of Art would retain all its privileges, even if the building was
handed to the Public Library Authority. By 1961 the School of Art had become a
department of Redditch College, but remained in the same premises, as the college
already had insufficient rooms. In 1972 it moved to the building in Peakman Street
vacated by St. Steven’s first school.
Performing Arts College, Arrow Vale a Sports College and St Augustines became a Science
College (until 2013). Several schools have become Academies, the first one being Trinity
in 2011. Ipsley C. E. First School and Arrow Vale High School have joined the Family of
RSA Academies.
Redditch now has 29 schools and most are performing well. All the High Schools have
seen dramatic improvements in their examination results over the last few years. Following
the 2012 examination results Trinity High School and Sixth Form Centre was adjudged
to be the most improved school in England.

The decision to make Redditch into a New Town had consequences for further education.
With increased numbers at Redditch College it had to be decided whether to expand on
the existing site in the town centre or to move to a site out of town. The dilemma was
compounded by not knowing where the new Redditch Centre would be built. Eventually
the decision was made to expand on the existing site. In 1966 St Stephen’s Infant School
on Peakman Street moved to new premises and the building was used by the college until
1983 when it was deemed to be unsafe and was demolished. Temporary classrooms were
then used on the St Stephen’s site.
In 1973 new buildings were
added including a three-storey
teaching block, a new
gymnasium and a two-storey
section with changing rooms and
a seminar room. However,
accommodation continued to be
an issue. This was alleviated to
some extent when in 1984 C
Block in Easemore Road was
opened although it was shared
with the Halcyon Centre.

The main building at New
College was a landmark sight
for many years.

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