Sparsholt College Hampshire will be launching its new programme for 2016 at the first of its open days on October 3rd, 10am – 2pm. The College is using the event to celebrate its recent accolade of being the country’s leading land-based college for student satisfaction, achieving an impressive 94% satisfaction rate among Higher Education students in the National Student Survey (NSS) 2015 representing a 7% increase on 2014, putting Sparsholt way ahead of many of the UK’s leading universities.

The College’s team of specialists and experts will be on hand to guide prospective new students from Year 10 upwards into their new careers.  The College will also be launching new programmes in Nature, Wildlife and Action Photography and the Sparsholt Riding Academy as well as its new degree programmes in Equine Performance; Horticulture and Plantsmanship and its MSc programmes in Equine Behaviour; Aquaculture and Fisheries and Applied Zoo Biology

Tim Jackson, College Principal said: “To receive such a resounding endorsement from our students is fantastic and we are delighted that young people and adults who are keen to make a future in our specialist areas of study can come along to the campus next week and share the experience. We know we go the extra mile to ensure that our students get the highest level of academic teaching but we also provide practical applied skills that are so valued by employers – using industry standard facilities and equipment.

“Many of our teaching areas were awarded an ‘OUTSTANDING’ rating by Ofsted last year so the quality of our work has now been endorsed at both ends of the scale.”

The College has continued to invest in its campus building a new sporting complex with the largest collegiate climbing wall in the region and a new Motor Vehicle and Agriculture Engineering department. The extensive campus facilities also include an Equine Centre where Sparsholt delivers ‘Outstanding’ teaching and learning in Equine Studies as endorsed by Ofsted in 2014.  Another ‘Outstanding’ department is Animal Management and Veterinary Nursing which has a comprehensive collection of rare and exotic animals and a zoo license.

That’s not all – there is a Game and Wildlife Centre, a fishing lake, a dedicated Aquatic Centre plus a Fish Hatchery. The College has a 400 hectare farm with sheep barn, pig unit, beef barn, dairy unit and a modern fleet of tractors.  There are acres of gardens, glasshouses and polytunnels and the Horticulture Department is home to the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time Potting Shed as well as being Gold medal winners at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The College offers courses in Agriculture, Animal Management, Arboriculture and Forestry, Conservation Management, Equine Studies, Fishery Studies, Game and Wildlife, Horticulture and Garden Design, Motor Vehicle, Public Services and Sports. Courses are available from postgraduate Masters through to Apprenticeships.

Become tomorrow’s expert here at Sparsholt. For more information and to register please call 01962 776441 or visit our Open Day page here