100 years of Oaklands

1921

Oaklands College, as it is known today, started out as the ‘Hertfordshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture’. Oaklands begun its service to the community by taking ex-service men of the First World War for training under the Officers’ Agricultural Training Scheme, and during the war, as many of the colleges normal courses were curtailed, Women’s Land Army members received their training at the college. Oaklands welcomed its first cohort of students in 1921. Seen posing for a photo outside the Mansion House at the St Albans campus, John Hunter Smith’ stands with Sir Harry Lauder on the backrow. Sir Harry was a famous Scottish singer and comedian, well known for filming skits with the iconic Charlie Chaplin in the late 1910s.

1952

An early example of the Oaklands College student magazine in its simpler form. The magazine was a yearly edition which covered all of the key stories throughout the year. Aspiring nursery nurses and police cadets were able to sample careers within the industry as bespoke courses began to broaden the curriculum. In the present day, students looking to pursue a career within the same field can study Childcare & Early Years at our Welwyn Garden City Campus, or Public Services at our St Albans Campus. Have you picked up a copy of one of our course guides recently? This example from the 1979/80 prospectus shows you how far the design has come over the years in comparison to our latest course guide for 2022/23.

1936

The first Oaklands Rugby Football Team was established in 1936 and paved the way for what is now the elite Oaklands Wolves Sports Academies at the college, with teams in men’s and women’s basketball, football, rugby, cycling, athletics, hockey and women’s netball academies. The majority of the students pictured became farmers, but J. S. Pugh (circled), was sadly killed serving his country in the Second World War

1950

Founder and first Principal John Hunter Smith’s last year as Principal, after a hugely influential 29 years in the post, stepping down to enjoy a well-deserved retirement. Upon his retirement, John was presented with a TV set (a prestigious gift during the 50s) by a local farmer named Tommy Craig, who coincidentally went on to have two sons (David and Dougal) who would later attend Oaklands as Agricultural students.

1956

Art students painting in traditional 50s fashion; suited blazers and smart dressed garments – a stark contrast to the branded, casual clothing worn by students in the modern day (also pictured).

1971

An image of the staff group from 1971 features a very special member of staff: Leo Boon (circled). Leo has taught and worked at Oaklands College for over 50 years and recently received a Long Service Award from the college. Pictured is Leo outside the same set of stairs leading up to the Sapsed Room, taken in 2021.

Marked a landmark time in the history of Oaklands, as the merger of three colleges combined to form Oaklands College. These were De Havilland, the Hertfordshire College of Agriculture & Horticulture and the St Albans City College. Mark Dawe took office as the eighth Principal of Oaklands College. Mark joined the college at a challenging time for further education and helped Oaklands achieve a ‘Good’ OFSTED rating, a reflection of his impact on the college throughout his five-year tenure. In 2010, Mark moved on into a new role as Chief Executive of the OCR awarding body. The Discovery Centre (DC) at the college’s St Albans Campus opened in March 2013, providing new state-of-the-art facilities for students, including a gym, physiotherapy rooms, sports hall, and changing rooms to help the college’s Oaklands Wolves Sports Academies thrive. Not only does the DC house the Sport provision, the second wing also created space for Art, Fashion, Design & Photography students to let their creativity flourish, with pottery, textile, print and sewing rooms, as well as a photography suite with a professional ‘dark room’. Oaklands took ownership of the brand-new Residential Homestead, as phase one of the £62 million redevelopment. The facilities transformed the offering of the college, creating student living quarters for up to 80 students from up and down the country.

2000 2021

1985

Have you ever attended one of our popular Lambing events? Before these events, the college ran agricultural shows, encouraging locals to try their hand at planting, cultivating and farming land.

2001

Helen Parr became Oaklands’ seventh Principal and the second female to serve in the role, replacing Liz Cristofoli who was in-post from 1997-2001. Helen led the college through difficult times and steered it back to financial health before leaving office in 2004.

2010

On 29 November 2010, Oaklands College opened two exciting new hair and beauty salons. Based at the Welwyn Garden City Campus, the new facilities provide students with everything they need to develop professional skills in hairdressing, beauty techniques, complementary therapies and more. Students learn treatments including microcurrent, microdermabrasion, eyelash extensions and a range of massage techniques.

2019

On 19 November 2019, the college’s ninth Principal Zoe Hancock unveiled an exciting new learning presence in the heart of Borehamwood. Zoe opened the brandnew centre alongside Norman Jennings of the Hertfordshire LEP, which part-funded the project. The new facility provides a dedicated learning space for the local community and widens the college’s presence within the local area with a range of courses including English as a Secondary Languages.

2021

Fast-forward 100 years from the original founding, Oaklands now looks ahead to an exciting new era with a brand-new St Albans Campus befitting of the college’s ambitions and committment to providing exceptional further education to the local community. The project will be overseen by Andrew Slade, the 10th and current college Principal, who will lead into a new and exciting era.