Royal College of Music

The Junior Department of the RCM was begun in 1897 with 16 pupils, following an aborted scheme of 1895 which had proposed to divide the College into 'Upper' and 'Lower' divisions, though admittedly based on musical experience and ability rather than age. In 1926 a new Junior Department was established on the advice of Angela Bull (the Director's Appointment's Secretary and subsequently General Supervisor of the Junior Department) and Percy Buck, then a Professor at the RCM, which consisted of 36 Junior Exhibitioners from London County Council schools who were taught at the RCM by 36 members of the Teachers' Training Class. By 1966 the Junior Department had grown to 345 pupils of whom 226 were exhibitioners, and a teaching staff of over 100.