Suffolk Rural

Welcome to Suffolk Rural, a haven for education nestled in the scenic beauty of Otley, Suffolk.

As a distinguished campus of Suffolk New College, we invite you to explore a diverse array of courses in Agriculture, Arboriculture, Animal Care, Equine Studies, Horticulture & Floristry, Construction, and Inclusive Learning. Immerse yourself in the tranquility of nature as you nurture your passion for the rural landscape and acquire valuable skills.

Join us at Suffolk Rural, where the heart of Suffolk’s picturesque countryside becomes the canvas for your educational journey. Uncover a future filled with possibilities in agriculture, animal care, and beyond, as your aspirations take root and bloom in this unique learning environment.

Courses at Suffolk Rural

A photo of the Suffolk Rural reception building with signage that says Suffolk Rural in College branding.

Discover our exceptional facilities

The campus is located in the heart of the countryside and benefits from a range of specialist vocational workshops and outdoor facilities, as well as general college buildings.

Travel to Suffolk Rural

Virtual Tour

A working farm for Agriculture
Equine facilities
Floristry workshops
Commercial Dog Grooming parlour
Facilities for Arboriculture

Horticulture greenhouses
Land-Based Service Engineering workshop
Construction workshops
Engineering, Motor Vehicle and HGV workshops
Inclusive Learning areas

Book an Open Event and come visit us!

Come and visit us on one of our college Open Events, where you can find out more about our courses, check out our facilities and speak to current learners and staff.

Open Events

Facilities

Agriculture & Countryside

Agriculture students spend time on the farm to support their programmes of study.

The farm is on-site and has access to approximately 100 acres of land for both livestock and crop production. Agriculture training is supported by our close relationship with Jimmy’s Farm, who are based locally.

The campus has areas of woodland and an industry-standard, fully-equipped workshop. We have extensive partnerships for off-site working in many of the large estates in Suffolk. Seasoned wood is now sold from the campus.

Take the farm tour

An agriculture class taking place outside

Drone photo of agriculture students who have cut the letters SNC into crops.

Animal

Suffolk Rural’s Animal Studies unit is continually growing and evolving, with new species being regularly added. Some of our newest residents include our two rescued Meerkats, Billy and Bobby. We have also recently seen the arrival of four rescued Chinchillas and an African Pygmy Hedgehog.

Our purpose-built facility houses a huge variety of exciting reptile species, amphibians and invertebrates; providing our students a plethora of opportunities and experiences whilst working to care for them. The unit also has a specialised room dedicated to housing exotic, nocturnal species and an aquatic species room where students can observe and care for a range of fish, crustaceans and even Axolotls.

We house a vast array of birds, including four hand-reared Conures, of which the students can provide the daily care for.

Furthermore, students are able to work closely with a large array of small mammals including rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils, and many more.

The Animal Unit houses a variety of different learning spaces, including our dog grooming parlour, outdoor bird aviaries, and grazing paddocks for our Alpacas and Goats.

The Animal unit is involved with two major projects, including a rare breeds breeding programme for our Golden Guernsey Goats. Within the first year of the project, we have successfully bred 3 registered nanny Kids and continue to work closely on this.