Catalogue description Department of Education and Science and predecessors: Technical Branch and Further Education Branch: Major Art Establishments, Registered Files (T Series)

Alphabetically under counties and county boroughs. In a few cases, where certain colleges were affected by the re-organisation of the outer London boroughs in 1965, the re-allocated file number is shown in brackets.

In 1959 the National Advisory Council for Art Education (NACAE) was established to advise the Secretary of State on all aspects of art education in establishments of further education in England and Wales.

The NACAE produced three reports on which the future system of art education became largely based: the first, in 1960, recommended the introduction of courses leading to the award of the Diploma in Art and Design (Dip AD) to replace the existing system of art examinations administered by the then Ministry of Education; the second, in 1962, made recommendations about vocational courses; and the third, in 1964, recommended a system of post-diploma courses leading to a Higher Diploma in Art and Design.

Following the Council's first report, the National Council for Diplomas in Art and Design (NCDAD) was established in 1961 to administer a system of courses leading to the award of the Dip AD.

The NACAE was dissolved in 1971 and in 1974 the functions of the NCDAD were merged with the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) the Dip AD being superseded by appropriate CNAA degrees.

The majority of art colleges evolved from art classes and art schools. Many of the smaller art establishments either ceased to exist or were merged with larger colleges in the area and in some cases art establishments were subsequently merged with technical colleges or polytechnics.