Abingdon & Witney College is a further education provider in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. It was established in April 2001 after the merger of Abingdon College and West Oxfordshire College. It has four campuses: Abingdon, Witney, Common Leys Farm and a Construction Skills Centre in

Bicester Bicester ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of Oxfordshire, England, north-west of Oxford. The town is a notable tourist attraction due to the Bicester Village shopping centre. The historical town centre � ...

History

it was established in April 2001 after the merger of Abingdon College and West Oxfordshire College. After it underwent a £7.4 million redevelopment, it reopened in July 2012. A new building had been built both on its Abingdon campus, and on its Witney College campus in

Witney Witney is a market town on the River Windrush in West Oxfordshire in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is west of Oxford. History The Toponymy, place-name "Witney" is derived from the Old English for "Witta's island". The earliest kno ...

. The new buildings according to the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

included "TV and radio studios, editing suites, two beauty salons, two hairdressing salons, art and design studios, science labs and conference facilities." The college was graded "good" with "outstanding" leadership and management by Ofsted in January 2014, and also graded as 'good' in 2024. In 2015 the college was the No.1 Further Education College in England for 16-18 year old success rates. In June 2015, the Oxfordshire Skills and Learning Service (OSLS) transferred from Oxfordshire County Council to Abingdon & Witney College. In 2024, Jacqui Canton remained CEO of the college as well as Principal.

Campuses

Abingdon Campus

The Abingdon Campus has undergone major refurbishment over the years, with the building work completed in late 2015. Part of the refurbishment was the Advanced Skills Centre, funded by the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Witney Campus

The redevelopment of the Witney campus was completed in early 2016. Among the new facilities is a television studio. A Construction Skills Centre is also on-site.

Common Leys Campus

The Common Leys campus is a 60-acre plot in

Hailey, Oxfordshire Hailey is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish about north of Witney, Oxfordshire. The village comprises three neighbourhoods: Middletown on the main road between Witney and Charlbury, Poffley End on the minor road to Ramsden, ...

designed for land-based courses. Witney Stud Farm is based at the Common Leys campus and is home to a thoroughbred stud and equestrian center, which has been awarded a Queen's Anniversary Prize. The facility houses animals such as a family of

meerkats The meerkat (''Suricata suricatta'') or suricate is a small mongoose found in southern Africa. It is characterised by a broad head, large eyes, a pointed snout, long legs, a thin tapering tail, and a brindled coat pattern. The head-and-b ...

, cows, donkeys, sheep, goats, and alpacas. It opened a livestock technology building in May 2019 for agritech classes. It also has a horticulture unit, equine facilities, a dog grooming room, and a canine hydrotherapy center. The Common Leys Campus was graded "outstanding" by Ofsted in January 2014.

Bicester Construction Skills Centre

Bicester Construction Skills Centre, opened in 2021, as part of the College's commitment to delivering more apprenticeships across the county, providing over 100 apprentice places each year, including provisions for adults.https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/19262995.abingdon-witney-college-open-new-bicester-site/

Programs

As well as vocational qualifications, Abingdon & Witney College is an apprenticeship provider. Abingdon & Witney College provides vocational courses for post-16 students, as well as Higher Education, part-time and Professional programmes.

Higher education

Abingdon & Witney College has developed working links with

Oxford Brookes University Oxford Brookes University (OBU; formerly known as Oxford Polytechnic) is a public university, public university in Oxford, England. It is a new university, having received university status through the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Th ...

on higher education courses.

References

External links

Official website
Schools in Abingdon-on-Thames Further education colleges in Oxfordshire Educational institutions established in 2001 The Abingdon Consortium 2001 establishments in England {{UK-university-stub