Local MP visits ‘Outstanding’ Brinsbury College
Arundel & South Downs MP, Andrew Griffith MP, visited Brinsbury College on Friday 21st May to meet with students and staff, observing the further education delivered to students from across West Sussex at the Pulborough campus.
The 580-acre Brinsbury College, part of the Chichester College Group, was graded Outstanding by Ofsted in all nine areas when it was inspected on in March 2020.
Andrew Griffith MP was joined on his visit by Brinsbury College Prinicpal, Sally Manning-Challis, and Chichester College Group Chief Executive, Shelagh Legrave OBE.
During his visit, Mr Griffith toured a large range of campus facilities from the college’s Equine Centre and Furniture making classrooms through to Brinsbury’s large Forge teaching facilities, Dog Grooming area and Upholstery practical educational areas.
The local MP also met with Brinsbury College’s Farm Manager, Alex Hollands, at the college’s working farm and Farm Teaching Centre. Across Brinsbury College, teaching and learning is heavily integrated with the College’s specialist facilities, allowing students to experience hands-on education which is directly applicable to career paths in a variety of industries. The campus manages 60 acres of woodlands and is home to 154 milking cows producing 5,700 litres of milk a year in the college’s state of the art milking parlour. The College also cares for 190 yews which lamb in early March, as well as a variety of goats, alpacas, ducks ferrets, small mammals and reptiles. The college is also home to 16 working horses, one of which will be starring in a Blockbuster film to be release in January 2022.
The MP’s visit to the College comes as the Government announces the launch of the £2.5 billion National Skills Fund to help adults learn valuable skills to facilitate post-pandemic economic growth.
Andrew Griffith MP said:
“Further and Higher Education institutions have never been more important, and I am glad that our local community can benefit from the industry-leading Brinsbury College.
I was hugely impressed by the genuinely outstanding facilities Brinsbury College has to offer, and the attention staff demonstrated towards boosting the attainment and aspiration of its students. The skills that Brinsbury College support students in developing are not only hugely valuable to employers but will help contribute to a bounce-back recovery from the pandemic, making the most of the agricultural and skills revolution that the government are working hard to facilitate.”
1. Further information on Brinsbury College and the Chichester College Group can be found on their website: https://www.brinsbury.ac.uk
2. Statistics on FTE and apprenticeships can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/893657/16-18_participation_and_NEET_statistics_main_text.pdf
3. Further information on the Chichester College Group and Coast2Capital’s bid to become an Institute of Technology can be found here: https://www.chichester.ac.uk/news/detail/2021/05/12/region-s-institute-of-technology-takes-a-step-forward
