Easton & Otley agricultural college to be split up
Easton campus © Easton and Otley College Easton & Otley agricultural college in East Anglia is to be split in two and merged with other colleges after two disappointing Ofsted reports.
The college has two campuses – one at Easton in Norfolk and the other at Otley in Suffolk.
Subject to approval, its Easton campus will become part of City College Norwich, with the Otley campus joining Suffolk New College in Ipswich.
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If all goes to plan, the mergers will take place from January 2020.
The college said it had spent the past two years working with local business, community and farming leaders to ensure a future for agricultural training in the region.
The decision follows two Ofsted reports which said Easton & Otley College was failing.
‘Business as usual’
Easton & Otley said it would be business as usual for students at each campus, with the highest priority given to them being able to complete their studies at their current site.
College principal Jane Townsend said: “We now have a clear direction for securing the future of land-based provision in the region.
“My team is fully committed to ensuring that during this period of transition we continue to drive improvements in the quality of teaching and learning.”
Ms Townsend said both Suffolk New College and City College Norwich had successful track records of driving quality improvement.
‘Tough time’
She added: “We are now able to benefit from that experience through this collaboration – a model that has proved successful elsewhere in the country.”
College chairman Mark Pendlington said it had been a “tough couple of years” while Easton & Otley got itself in the best possible shape for the future.
“That work prepared the way for attracting strong interest from a number of institutions who wanted to merge with us,” he said.
“We now have an outcome that promises current and future students exciting new opportunities as they prepare for jobs and careers in the rapidly evolving world of work.