Established 1899 DfE URN 130698 Tables Phone +44 1962 776441 | Headteacher Tim Jackson Ofsted Reports Founded 1899 | |
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Type Further education college Location Westley Lane
Sparsholt
Hampshire
SO21 2NF
England Address Westley Ln, Sparsholt, Winchester SO21 2NF, UK Similar Andover College, Basingstoke College of Technology, Fareham College, Farnborough College of Technology, Highbury College Profiles | ||
Sparsholt College is a Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) college located at Sparsholt near Winchester, Hampshire, in the south of England. The college provides courses from sixth form to degree level and recently merged with Cricklade College, Andover.
Contents
The college covers primarily countryside-based subjects including Agriculture, Engineering, Fishery Studies, Equine Studies, Forestry and Woodland Management, Game and Wildlife Management, Horticulture, Sport and Outdoor Education and Animal Management. There are currently more than 1900 full-time and 3000 part-time students including around 450 at HE level.
Origins and history
The college originated as Hampshire's first Farm School, set up by the County Council at Old Basing near Basingstoke in 1899. It moved to its present site at Westley Farm, Sparsholt in 1914.
Higher Education at the college began in 1983 at HND level with Fishery Studies. Current BSc(Hons) degrees include Animal Management and Garden Design.
The college merged with Cricklade College, Andover in 2007. This is now known as Andover College.
In August 2015 it was announced with partner Ecotricity they will be building an Anaerobic digester that will take grass-cutting from local farms and supply the resulting gas to the grid with an overall aim of training students in the technology.
Alumni
Some prominent former students of the college include:
Trivia
The long-running BBC Radio 4 program Gardeners' Question Time has a base at the college known as the Potting Shed, and a demonstration garden. It runs annual open days at the college.