College For The Distributive Trades

This is a former college, originally built as Eagle Court Board School between 1872 and 1874, with an extension in 1894. It was designed by the Architect's Department of the London School Board and is constructed of brown/beige brick in English bond, with red brick and stone dressings, and a roof of Welsh slate. The building is in a simplified Queen Anne style.

The main building consists of two symmetrical U-shaped blocks with a central entrance bay. The Eagle Court front presents a facade of five bays, with two windows in the outer bays, a four-window range to the central bay, a six-window bay to the left, and a seven-window bay to the right. Segmental-arched entrances are set between windows. The windows have red gauged brick heads, stone sills, and segmental arches, with the ground-floor and mezzanine windows in the central bay being flat-arched. First-floor windows in the outer bays are recessed and incorporate herringbone brickwork panels. The windows themselves are a mix of sashes, casements, and fixed glazing of varying widths. Red-brick quoins are visible, along with a brick and stone storey band. Continuous floating cornices run along the intermediate bays, with individual floating cornices above the central bay. Parapets define the central bays, while the intermediate and end bays feature gables with coping. The roof is gabled and intersecting. The exposed brick stacks between the intermediate and end gables have recently been shortened.

The Albion Place facade was originally four bays but now appears as five, with projecting outer and central bays and recessed intermediate bays. C19 bay windows and a C20 extension obscure the original central entrance bay. Openings are treated with varying widths of segmental, round-arched, and square-headed forms. The rear facade is largely consistent with the front, with an exposed brick stack where the intermediate and central bays meet.

Internally, the former Boys’ and Girls' Schools on the first floor are accessed via separate rear entrances and staircases. These school rooms are positioned to either side of the front centre, with a recessed area providing end lighting. Additional classrooms are located at the ends and rear of the intermediate bays. The ground floor contains space for an Infant School and a covered playground. The rooms on both floors remain well-preserved, airy, and feature large, unaltered windows.

Eagle Court Board School represents an early purpose-built school in London. The rear playground has been encroached upon by C20 outbuildings and extensions.