Suffolk Rural College
| Suffolk Rural College | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
Otley Ipswich , Suffolk , IP6 9EY England | |
| Coordinates | 52°08′28″N 1°12′47″E / 52.141°N 1.213°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Further education college |
| Local authority | Suffolk |
| Department for Education URN | 130821 Tables |
| Acting Principal | Alan Pease[1] |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 16+ |
| Website | www.suffolk.ac.uk |
Suffolk Rural College is an English further education college in the village of Otley, Suffolk.
The college was founded in 1970 as East Suffolk Agricultural Institute. It merged with Ipswich-based Suffolk New College in 2020, having previously been partnered with Easton College in Norfolk.[2]
The college
The college offers full-time courses and apprenticeships in the following curriculum areas:
- Agriculture
- Animal Management
- Arboriculture
- Construction
- Equine Studies
- Fisheries
- Floristry
- Foundation Learning
- Horticulture
Location
The campus has specialist vocational workshops and outdoor facilities, as well as general college buildings.[3]
The campus consists of:
- A working farm for Agriculture
- Equine facilities
- Floristry workshops
- Commercial Dog Grooming parlour
- Facilities for Arboriculture
- Horticulture greenhouses
- Land-Based Service Engineering workshop
- Construction workshops
- Engineering, Motor Vehicle and HGV workshops
- Foundation Learning areas
- Range of Sports facilities
The Farm
On the farm the College have:
- Red-poll cattle.
- Sheep flock and seasonal lambs.
- Poultry and seasonal chicks.
- Goats.
- Horses and equine facilities (inside and outdoors).
- Pigs.
- Alpacas.
- Land-based engineering technology, including tractors.
- Arable crops.
- 95 acres of farmland; made up of grassland, mixed cropping, and environmental areas.
In June 2022, the College announced its desire to open a Farm Shop on campus when visited by MP Dan Poulter[4]
Notable alumni
- Michael Perry (Mr Plant Geek)[5]
References
- ^ "Governance and Leadership".
- ^ Sullivan O (2020) Otley merges with Suffolk New College as expansion plans continue, East Anglian Daily Times, 2020-02-03. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
- ^ "Suffolk Rural".
- ^ Chambers, S (2022). "County college to launch farm shop as student numbers soar".
- ^ "Gardening superstar from Suffolk returns to former college to inspire current students".
