Jerome Bruner Building

Was Jerome Bruner Building always two buildings? No. The Jerome Bruner Building in Oxford wasn’t always a single entity. Originally, it consisted of two separate structures, 28 and 30 Norham Gardens. These buildings were later joined together and in 2007, the newly unified structure was christened the Jerome Bruner Building. The building serves the University of Oxford’s Department of Education. Jerome Bruner himself, a renowned psychologist and educator, had a strong connection to this place. He led the Oxford Preschool Research Group there from 1975 to 1980, his office residing within number 28. Bruner’s team held regular meetings in the building. They often enjoyed coffee breaks in the small Senior Common Room, which overlooked a magnolia tree at number 15. The research conducted at Norham Gardens culminated in Bruner’s 1980 book, “Under Five in Britain”. In this work, he passionately advocated for combined research and training in early childhood education. He envisioned a system that maintained high intellectual standards while providing practical training for caregivers. Bruner’s influence extended beyond his research group. He was an early member of the editorial board of the Oxford Review of Education. He invited experts from various disciplines, including philosophy, sociology, history, and psychology, believing that a comprehensive understanding of education required diverse perspectives. Even after returning to the United States, Bruner maintained his connection to Oxford. In 2007, he returned to deliver a lecture titled “Cultivating the Possible”. This lecture marked the official opening of the Jerome Bruner Building. The Department of Education, housed in the Bruner Building, continues to honour his legacy. It’s said that those working within its walls occasionally raise a toast of white burgundy, one of Bruner’s favoured drinks, to commemorate his contributions to the field of education.