History

Our journey to amazing began almost 200 years ago, with our history tracing back to the very start of Sunday school education and the foundation of St. John’s Sunday School in Manchester. 

We’ve been progressive thinkers and innovators in education ever since then, and by 1921, Byron Street was one of the first day continuation schools in England, taking up residency in the old school premises at St. John’s Parish. By the 1950s, we were pioneering the way in technical education, with hundreds of young civil servants and post offices workers attending St John’s and Openshaw Technical College opening its doors for the first time. 

To meet the ever-changing needs of the educational community, Openshaw and St. John’s were soon merging to form The Central College Manchester, and later, The Manchester College of Arts (MANCAT).  Over in South Manchester, Fielden Park, Arden and Wythenshawe were merging to eventually form City College Manchester. 

We’ve been at the heart of Manchester life for decades, and by 2008 we had united as The Manchester College.. Since then, we’ve continued to expand our offering and invest in our communities, opening new campuses and Centres of Excellence, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in learning and training. Today, we’re the number one provider of 16-19 education, adult education and higher education in FE in Greater Manchester.