Homerton’s Heyday

Homerton has finally been declared an official College of Cambridge University.

Sir David Harrison, the Chairman of the Homerton Board of Trustees, formally handed the Royal Charter to the Principal and Fellows of the College last week.

The announcement will be celebrated in May Week with a huge garden party booze-up, attended by the Vice-Chancellor.

Homerton has more undergraduates than any other College in the University, and dates back to the late 17th century.

Founded as a teacher–training college in Homerton, East London, the institution moved to Cambridge in 1894.

Homerton became an Approved Society of the University in 1976, allowing students to matriculate for a Bachelor of Education degree from Cambridge.

The College branched out from teacher-training in 2001, and now its 600 undergrads study all triposes other than medicine and veterinary medicine.

A vast majority of its postgrads however are studying for the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), maintaining the College’s role as the foremost teacher-training college in England.

The news follows controversial plans for a shake-up of the Education faculty, expected to hit Homerton harder than most Colleges. 20% of Homerton undergrads are Education students.

Dr Kate Pretty, the Principal, said: “We are delighted to have finally reached this stage of recognition by the University and the Privy Council, which marks the College’s coming-of-age after 115 years in Cambridge.

"We are proud of our long tradition in Education and look forward to taking a full-part in Collegiate Cambridge”.

However not everyone is as optimistic as Dr Pretty.

2nd year Homerton mathmo Jon Crook told The Tab: "Does this mean we’ll be taken more seriously by the ‘town’ colleges?

"Doubtful. But we are a bunch of teachers from a council estate and we don’t care."