Berkshire College of Agriculture

About the school

BCA is the regional centre for education and training for land-based industries within the Thames Valley and West London.

The College also offers a diverse range of vocational courses in further and higher education. These spread across many disciplines including Horticulture, Countryside Management, Floristry, Landscape Design, Animal Management, Equine Studies as well as Early Years, Sports Studies, Health & Social Care, Public Services, Motor Vehicle and Construction.

The campus is set in a unique and beautiful 400 acre estate with a combination of historic grounds and buildings blending with purpose built new facilities completed through a £17m planned investment programme. The college runs a comprehensive daily bus and coach service collecting from eight mainline rail stations across the region. Hostel residential places cater for students from further afield.

The core vocational curriculum is focused on 14-19 delivery and the student base of around 1500 is drawn from across the region. Strong links have been established with a number of local authorities, universities and other partners. BCA is an accredited Action for Business College and provides an employer focused service through Hall Place Business Solutions.

The college holds the Matrix quality standard for Information, Advice and Guidance. We aim to develop our learners as individuals, encouraging achievement of qualifications, raising aspirations and enhancing capability to progress within Further or Higher Education. As a relatively small college we pride ourselves on getting to know our students.

A baseline objective for all staff teams is that our learners achieve their qualifications and enjoy the experience of coming to college. A comprehensive tutorial service supports this ideal.