Berkshire College of Agriculture has a diverse and extensive campus to meet the needs of a variety of land based studies. Within its 400 acres of land there are commercial and rare breed sheep flocks alongside poultry, goats, pigs, cows and camelids.
BCA has excellent partnerships with local farms to ensure that students are exposed to a range of arable and dairy enterprises, complementing the resources at BCA. These farms include J Raynor Ltd, who has a shared farming tenancy with BCA to farm 54 acres of arable on site with the students. Farley Farms have entered into a calf rearing agreement with BCA and will also be teaching the Year 2 dairy module at the Farley site from September 2015.
Visits to lambing enterprises, grain stores and other working farms, coupled with work placements will enable students to work closely with the industry whilst undertaking their studies.
Alongside our full-time courses, students will be given the opportunity to undertake a variety of certificates of competency; such as Tractor Driving, Pesticides and Machinery Operation. Short courses will also be offered in addition to the main programme, allowing learners to develop knowledge and skills within specialist pathways.
For those wishing to progress on to Higher Education, BCA has an excellent working relationship with the University of Reading, who offer Higher Education courses in both Agriculture and Agricultural Business Management. Students undertaking an Extended Diploma will be given the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into these programmes and spend time with their teaching staff in preparation for study at that level.
