Established in 1888, we continue to welcome everyone who shares and celebrates our values.
1888: a group of art school principals recognise the need to raise the standard of art teaching and improve the status of art teachers and found the Society of Art Masters (SAM).
1899: HRH Edward Prince of Wales (later to become King Edward VII) becomes Honorary President of the Society and its Patron two years later.
1940: The Art Teacher's Guild amalgamates with theNew Society of Art Teachersto form the Society forEducation through Art (SEA) with a key objective to explore new ideas in art and education, proposed by Henry Moore, Eric Gill, Sir Herbert Read and Alexander Barclay Russell.
1944: the Society adopts the title National Society for Art Education (NSAE), as art and crafts becomes part of general education, and both men and women are appointed as full-time specialist art teachers in schools.
1982: NSEAD launches the Journal of Art & Design Education (now TheInternational Journal of Art & Design Education) with Henry Moore as its founding patron.
1984: NSEAD becomes a certified Trade Union.
1988: SEA and the NSAE merge their interests to become the National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD)
1995: The Association of Centres for Art and Design Teacher Education decides to merge with NSEAD and a Teacher Education Board is established to serve the special interests of this group.
2010: A4 (formerly the Association of Advisers and Inspectors of Art and Design) merges with NSEAD and a revised constitution and rules is implemented.
2018: NSEAD is accepted as a member of the TUC to work alongside other Trade unions to promote and protect the rights and interests of our members in their workplace, and work towards the regulation of relations’ between workers and their employers.