History
The College traces its immediate origins back to 1948 when osteopathy sought to re-establish itself after the war. Even from these early beginnings, the grouping together of individuals from varied backgrounds and experiences proved to be a feature and strength, just as it is today. These early osteopaths formed study groups that eventually evolved into the Fellowship of Osteopaths by 1960. Instrumental in this development was Dr William Grunbaum, a Hungarian doctor who arrived in the UK in 1940 and eventually trained to become an osteopath at the British School of Osteopathy (BSO).
A two-year Diploma course was initiated in 1961 aimed at mature students working in the medical field. Its development led to the formation of a professional body, the Society of Physiatricians, and an associated college, the School of Physiatrics. Following discussion with the then Ministry of Education, the Memoranda and Articles of Association were completed on the 8th February 1966 and signed by seven osteopaths, amongst them Sidney Rose-Neil, a graduate of the British College of Naturopathy and Osteopathy (BCNO, now BCOM).
The society changed its name in 1974 to The College of Osteopathy and Manipulative Therapy and in 1979 to the College of Osteopaths where students graduated with a Diploma in Osteopathy (DO). In 1978 Joseph Goodman, a graduate of the BCNO, was appointed Dean of the College and the DO course was developed further. It still retained its mature student focus spurred on by the popularity and success of the Open University and its targeting of adult learners.
In 1988 the College became associated with the full-time course delivered by the Maidstone College of Osteopathy then under the guidance of John Wernham, a Fellow of the College of Osteopaths. Wernham, a graduate of the BSO, had previously been involved with the emergence of the European School of Osteopathy (ESO). The Maidstone College evolved into what is known today as the Surrey Institute of Osteopathic Medicine (SIOM).
Following the 1988 report on osteopathic education prepared by the British Accreditation Council, the then president of the College, Jane Langer (the daughter of Dr Grunbaum), became one of the few osteopaths involved with the King's Fund Working Party on Osteopathy (1989-1991). Significant developments that arose subsequently were the Osteopaths Act (1993) and the formation of the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) in which Jane Langer remained active until 2006.
In 1997, the existing Diploma course offered by the College was validated by Middlesex University as a five-year BSc (Hons) programme of study. In 2001 under the guidance of the then Principal, Caroline Stone, the course gained Recognised Qualification (RQ) status.
During 2002/3 the College provided an RQ programme of training for those who had been unable to enter the GOsC's register of practitioners. Graduates were awarded a Certificate in Osteopathic Competence (COC) and were subsequently able to register. In 2005 under the guidance of the current Principal, Mark Lawrence, the College became the first to gain university recognition for a programme established in the North of England. The BSc (Hons) programme was successfully validated by Keele University and subsequently gained RQ status in 2008.
The College is justly proud of its historical emergence and values the contributions made to its growth and development by numerous individuals and organisations. To this day the College ethos, make-up of its faculty and the College’s contribution to the development of the osteopathic profession reflects the importance of this history.