Broomfield Hall Animal Unit and Farm

14/10/2026

A huge thank you to The Ark Ashbourne Animal Welfare! 🐾
We were delighted to visit The Ark Ashbourne Animal Welfare with our T-Level Animal Management students yesterday, and we can’t thank the team enough for hosting us and giving our learners such a valuable insight into the vital work the charity does.
Seeing animal welfare in action brought our theory lessons to life in a way the classroom simply can’t. Our students had the chance to learn first-hand about the care, dedication and professionalism it takes to work in such a challenging sector, and it’s an experience they won’t forget.
A special thank you to Julie, Dan and Jane for so generously sharing your passion, knowledge and kindness with us. You were truly inspirational, and it was incredibly helpful for our students to see the reality of the charity’s work up close.
Staff and students alike were deeply moved by the animals and by the hard work of everyone at The Ark. In fact, our students are already planning ways to support the charity in the future through fundraising and more – watch this space! 💛
Thank you again for having us. The difference you make every day is remarkable.

14/10/2026

We are delighted to announce that four learners from Derby College have been selected as finalists in the Land-Based and Environment Learner Awards 2026.

🌟 Lilia Akers – Equine and Farriery
🌟 Mia Cox – Animal Care and Management
🌟 Natasha Brown – Equine and Veterinary Nursing
🌟 Kiara Bark – Animal Studies

Reaching the finalist stage is a significant achievement and reflects the exceptional commitment, talent and professionalism demonstrated throughout their studies and training.

We wish all our finalists the very best of luck ahead of the awards ceremony on 3 December 2026 at the National Conference Centre, Coventry.

08/10/2026

🎓 Are you in year 11 and thinking about your next step?
🎓 Are you thinking about Degree level courses after your A-level / Level 3 course?

Whether you're interested in T Levels, Apprenticeships, Degree level courses, Access to HE , or Adult & Community courses, come explore the campus and chat with tutors about your future.

Come to our Open Evening at Broomfield Hall:
🗓️ Wednesday 21st October 2026
⏰ 5 - 7pm
📚 Subjects include:
✅Agriculture
✅Animal Care
✅Arboriculture
✅ Countryside
✅ Equine
✅ Floristry
✅ Horticulture

Whether you're interested in T Levels, Apprenticeships, Degree level courses, Access to HE , or Adult & Community courses, come explore the campus and chat with tutors about your future.
🎟️ Pre-register now to save time on the night: www.derby-college.ac.uk

07/10/2026

‘breathing’ life into lessons with hands-on learning! 🫁

07/10/2026

🎃👻 HALLOWEEN OPEN DAY AT BROOMFIELD HALL ANIMAL UNIT! 👻🎃

Looking for some spooky family fun this October? Join us at the Broomfield Hall Animal Unit on Sunday 18th October for our Halloween-themed Open Day! 🐾🦉🐍

✨ What's waiting for you? 🐾 Meet our amazing animals
🕷️ Get hands-on with our Creepy Crawly Animal Handling Experience
🎨 Halloween crafts and activities
🛍️ Charity stalls
☕ Refreshments available throughout the day
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Fun for all the family!

🎟️ Tickets available on the day 👻 Adults: £5 🎃 Children: £3

Dust off your costumes and bring your little monsters along for a fang-tastic day of animal encounters, spooky surprises and Halloween fun!

📍 Broomfield Hall Animal Unit 📅 Sunday 18th October

We can't wait to see you there! 🦇🕸️🐍

🧙‍♀️🎃🐾

07/10/2026

🦘 Hands-On Learning with Our Zoo Animals! 🦦

Our Level 2 Animal Care students have been putting their skills into action this week!
As part of their practical training, students took a deep dive into zoo animal husbandry and behavioural observations, gaining vital industry experience right here on site.

Highlights from their session:
🌱 Feeding & Browsing: Students worked directly in the wallaby enclosure, providing fresh browse branches and observing natural feeding dynamics.
🪱 Enrichment & Interaction: Getting up close with our meerkats to hand-feed treats while studying group behaviour and social interactions.
📋 Behavioural Monitoring: Practicing formal observation techniques to track animal movement, welfare, and natural habits.
Moments like these help our students connect classroom theory with real-world animal care practice. Great work team! 👏✨

07/10/2026

🐎 Jim the Shetland Pony visits Mr. Pumpkin! 🎃

We had a special guest today while we were restocking displays and tidying the site ready for visitors this weekend….

Jim the Shetland Pony! Jim came to visit with some of the staff from derbycollegeequine. He was totally adorable, enjoyed the photo ops, had a wander through the maize and even had a good look at the teacups ride. Full video to follow very soon🧡

Unfortunately Jim won’t be with us for pony rides at Mr Pumpkin, he’s far too busy living his full and varied life with staff and students at Derby College Equine 🧡

06/10/2026

Welcome Land-based Apprentices! 🌳🪴🌴💐🚜🐩

Last week, we welcomed 30 new land-based apprentices to Derby College for their induction day. Our new apprentices will be starting their journey across a fantastic range of programs, including, Horticulture, Arboriculture, Dog Grooming, Animal Care, Golf Greenkeeping and Agriculture.

We are delighted to welcome them and look forward to supporting them as they develop their knowledge, skills, and careers in the land-based sector.

06/10/2026

The mystery continues …. What are the Level 3 Animal care students creating in Biology lessons? 🤔🔬🧬🔍

05/10/2026

🌟 Last week, our Level 3 Year 1 Animal Management students from the Brown Group proudly took part in activities organised by Sam's Superheroes.
The event, organised by the Public Services department, aimed to raise both awareness and funds for this incredible charity.

Sam's Superheroes works to raise awareness of NORSE (New-Onset Refractory Status Epilepticus) and FIRES (Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome), helping to improve understanding, strengthen collaboration, and drive progress in UK research, education, and support.

NORSE and FIRES are rare and catastrophic neurological conditions that cause the sudden onset of relentless, life-threatening seizures in previously healthy children and adults with no history of epilepsy.

We are incredibly proud of our students for supporting such an important cause and helping to shine a light on these devastating conditions. 💙