Sparsholt College Group (SCG) consisting of Andover College, Sparsholt College and University Centre Sparsholt (UCS) is a thriving community of students studying a variety of post-16 to postgraduate level courses including A levels, T levels and Apprenticeships. The academic year so far has brought some exciting developments across both campuses which will continue to expand and develop the groups educational offering and extensive facilities.

New Facilities

Andover Campus

The Department of Education has invested £2.2 million to SCG to aid the delivery of T Levels. At Andover College, new facilities are being developed in Digital Skills, Health and Social Care and Construction. Digital investment will provide multimedia facilities, offer a broadcasting suite, and create a new cyber security laboratory. The new nursing facility will see mock wards, consultation facilities and mock ups of domestic care settings.

The investment will allow for the expansion of the Technology and Future Skills Centre on campus making room for more bricklaying and carpentry skills as well as providing photovoltaic and air source heat pump training rigs.

The College’s Automotive department will be welcoming a new Automotive T Level that includes the maintenance, installation and repair for Light and Electric Vehicles, a fascinating emerging career path.

Sparsholt Campus

The Sparsholt Campus will see the installation of a new robotic milking parlour, a new Agri Tech Centre for the advancement of green skills and the development of agricultural technologies to support the new Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care T Levels.

University Centre Sparsholt

Sparsholt College has been delivering degree programmes for over 30 years and in 2016 launched UCS which now offers a wide range of degrees and higher apprenticeships.

The Office for Students has awarded UCS with £4 million to develop a new dedicated building to provide students with a modern learning environment built upon sustainable values; incorporating green technologies and improving environmental protection, both integral components of the courses the college will deliver from this building.

This new addition will continue to extend the specialist facilities already on offer which highlight how green technology and sustainable working methods can be successfully integrated into training and the workplace, ensuring graduates are fully prepared for the ever-changing global employment landscape.

New Events

In January SCG hosted the first Jenny Gray Memorial lecture, organised in partnership with the Denmead & District Growmore Club. The lecture welcomed speakers to share their vision for farming development in a sustainable and increasingly diverse environment.

The speakers included James Hewetson-Brown, Managing Director of Wildflower Turf Limited, who provided Wildflower knowledge, training and products for landscaping and biodiversity projects. Sam Watson Jones, the Co-Founder of Small Robot Company, David Evans, Managing Director of Trinity Grain Limited and Josie Palmer, Rural Estate Manager for Hampshire County Council, and head of service for Hampshire County Farms. An initiative which aims to provide inclusive farm opportunities for new entrants into the agricultural industry, supporting them to grow sustainable farming enterprises. The event was an enormous success and welcomed over 100 attendees including both students and the local community.

New Courses

SCG is proud to be a part of the Innovation South Virtual Campus - a learning platform for free courses funded by the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership.

In 2023, a new range of courses, including Business to Business Sales, Carbon Literacy, Retrofitting and Sustainable Land-based skills will be available soon through a mix of online and in person delivery using brand-new facilities at SCG.

These courses are made possible thanks to a collaboration of colleges across Hampshire and Surrey being awarded £2.7m as part of the Strategic Development Fund from the Department for Education.