Bromley College of Further and Higher Education was founded in 1959 – and has been helping to shape people’s lives and careers ever since.
In 2011, the College merged with Orpington College to offer a wider range of educational provision across the area.
Then on 1 August 2016, Bexley College and Greenwich Community College joined forces with Bromley College to create London South East Colleges.
Timeline
- 1907 – Bexley College opens as ‘Erith Technical Institute’
- 1921 – Woolwich College of Further Education opens
- 1959 – Bromley College is founded
- 1971 – A new campus is built in Belvedere (which will later become Bexley College)
- 1972 – Orpington College opens, housed in the tallest tower block in Orpington
- 1993 – The Belvedere college campus becomes Bexley College
- 1998 – Woolwich College merges with Greenwich Community College to deliver a range of FE and Adult & Community learning courses
- 2008 – Orpington College tower block undergoes a £26m overhaul
- 2011 – Orpington College merges with Bromley College
- 2014 – A new Bexley College campus opens in Erith town centre (the Belvedere site closed)
- 2014 – Bromley College’s Hospitality, Food and Enterprise Career College, plus a student-led restaurant (BR6) opens in Orpington
- 2014 – Bromley College creates Bromley Educational Trust (a multi-academy trust) to bring together a number of specialist, vocational and mainstream schools
- 2016 – On 1 August Bexley College and Greenwich Community College merge with Bromley College to become London South East Colleges
- 2017 – In July the charity Skills for Growth became part of London South East Colleges
- 2017 – In September Bromley Educational Trust was renamed as London South East Academies Trust
- 2017 – The Bakehouse opens next to the BR6 restaurant, offering tea, cakes and a lighter lunch menu
- 2017 – The BR6 Restaurant became the first college restaurant in London to be awarded a Highly Commended AA Rosette and a People 1st God Accreditation
- 2018 – London & South East Education Group was formed, encompassing the College, London South East Academies Trust and two apprenticeship companies
- 2019 – London South East Colleges is awarded £166,000 to lead the South East London Mayor’s Construction Academy Hub
- 2019 – London South East Colleges is awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for excellence in construction, supporting some of London’s largest regeneration projects
- 2020 – London South East Colleges launches the national FE Foodbank Friday Campaign to raise over £47,000 for families struggling during the pandemic
- 2021 – London South East Colleges receives the TES award for contribution to the local community, as well as being named the overall FE Provider and FE College of the year
- 2021 – London South East Colleges launches the national Good for Me. Good for FE Campaign which brings together colleges across the UK to fundraise, donate to foodbanks and increase volunteering within the sector
- 2022 – London South East Colleges works with 19 partners to establish the Local London Green and Digital Mayoral Academy to support London’s construction industry to retrofit London’s homes