The formal training of teachers in England began on a small scale with Borough Road College, London, around 1798, and developed slowly for the next hundred years.
During the final two decades of the nineteenth century, many professional bodies emerged and grew quickly.
ATCDE was founded in 1943 and merged the Training Colleges Association and the Council of Principals.
ATCDE membership was principally drawn from teacher training colleges and university education departments.
One of ATCDE's subsidiary roles was to supply information concerning the admissions process, involving the Central Register and Clearing House and the Graduate Teacher Training Registry.