From school, to college, now the University of Bedfordshire

As two double-decker buses and a motor scooter negotiated the Park Square roundabout, construction work continued apace at Luton College of Technology.

It was just one of many developments at the site since the early 20th Century.

Today’s university has its roots in Luton Modern School, which was founded in 1904 and moved to Park Square four years later. But by 1919 it had grown so large that it was thought necessary to separate the boys from the girls, so female pupils transferred to the new Luton High School for Girls in Alexandra Avenue.

The Park Square premises continued to be used by the boys and increasingly more in the evenings as the Technical Institute, which was renamed Luton Technical College in 1937. The following year, male students moved to the new Luton Grammar School in Bradgers Hill Road, which was to become Luton Sixth Form College.

The secondary Technical School went to Barnfield Avenue and later became Barnfield College, while Luton Technical College turned into Luton College of Technology.

Another name change, to Luton College of Higher Education, took place in 1976 and university status was gained in 1993. The University of Luton became the University of Bedfordshire eight years ago.