History
Early Days
Canterbury Christ Church College was the first teacher training college established by the Church of England in the twentieth century. It was founded in 1962 particularly to meet the needs of Church schools at a time of an acute teacher shortage.
Classes were originally held in a building adjacent to St Martin’s Church, St Martin’s Priory, which had been the home of Bishop Rose, a Bishop of Dover.
The task confronting the first Principal, the Reverend Frederic Mason, was a daunting one. Without any new buildings in which to teach or accommodate his students, Dr Mason commented: "It is perhaps symptomatic of conditions today that before the sketches and plans had been passed we had been asked to take 460 students."
On Tuesday 25th September 1962, the first students, 75 young men and women, arrived to register and commence their studies. The following day, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Michael Ramsay, attended morning prayers in St Martin’s Church.
He welcomed everyone and wished them much happiness in being those who were helping to create what was going to be a great tradition. "As students you are free to choose your subjects and the way in which you should study them," Dr Ramsey said in his address, "You are seeking freedom and truth, which is an exciting adventure. You are free to believe what you are convinced is true and refuse what you are convinced is untrue. All this freedom is yours."
After the service, the Primate accompanied by Dr. Mason, walked to the Priory and there, over a cup of coffee, chatted informally to students.
