On Thursday 13th June two Friends of Rotary , Linda Pawson and George Arksey , joined 12 members and partners for a vocational visit to the Askham Bryan Agricultural college.
Tim Whitaker , Principal and CEO welcomed us and gave a succinct summary of the range and scale of college activities. It is one of the top specialist land based colleges in the country and the only one with degree awarding powers. Almost 50% of the 3500 students are aged between 16- 19 and for 350 the on-site residential accommodation has been graded ‘outstanding ‘ on the last three Ofsted visits . The college campus covers 80 acres but there also three working farms on the 260 ha estate which implement best practice in sustainable arable farming, woodland management , animal husbandry including sheep, pigs, beef and dairy herds .
In total over 460 people are employed including 189 directly involved in teaching. Last years expenditure of £28.6m included £14.2m for staff costs. Income of 28.5m came largely through educational grant funding but there is a growing element from commercial activities.
The extensive curriculum is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of potential employers – surprisingly only 18% of the students pursue a subsequent farm based agricultural career. There is a very low student drop out rate and a high job placement record.
We were then given a tour of the zoo facilities by the education officer, Connor Mc Millan . The wildlife park opened in 2017 serves as a hub for the local community, welcoming 20,000 visitors a year as well as hosting schools, young people and other local community groups for tours, talks and workshops. The park is home to over 100 species of mammal, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates – many of which are threatened. Again the curriculum is designed to prepare youngsters for a wide range of job opportunities now available in pet shops , kennels , zoos , theme parks. We were all very impressed by the knowledge , enthusiasm and commitment of our very articulate guide.
The visit finished with a WOW experience in the virtual reality suite. Stacey Vipas , head of Digital Learning demonstrated the equipment which gained Askham Bryan the top place in the recent annual UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards for Digital Futures. They are the first land based college in the UK to use virtual reality technology to improve the student experience. Using the VR headset gives the wearer a totally different perspective of everyday images and Stacey believes the potential benefits are significant. The images below show the group having a tour of a heart.
Our conclusions on the visit – The population of York should be more aware of the contribution Askham Bryan Agricultural College makes to the wider community!
Frank Paterson
Comments