Ashton Under Lyne Sixth Form College

It was the largest Sunday school in England at the time but unfortunately the famous day school closed in 1926 and the pupils were transferred to the new council school on Mossley Road. Our journey to our campus now on Darnton Road began with Titus Tetlow Esq of Ashton-under-Lyne. He left a sum of money in his will (June 26th 1890) to promote the education of both sexes. He also left money to the trustees in order to devote money for prizes and for the salaries of Science and Art teachers at the Mechanics Institute. Technical Schools and Colleges then emerged from the Mechanics Institutes. In addition, George Hegginbottom another Albion man and mill owner amongst his many instances of goodwill left the sum of £10,000 in his Will to the Corporation. The money was used to erect a "Free Library and Technical Institute" on Old Street. The Hegginbottom Technical School opened in 1892 - one of the first in the country and one of the most important in Lancashire. Then in 1903 the Education Act paved the way for the formation of Secondary Schools in Britain.