The Stoke-on-Trent Regional College of Art was one of three colleges that were merged in 1971 to form North Staffordshire Polytechnic (later renamed as Staffordshire Polytechnic and now Staffordshire University). The College of Art had achieved Regional Art College status after the Second World War, but its roots lay in the nineteenth century as it was formed from three of the Potteries´ art schools.