Hadlow College

In 1919, a scheme of Agricultural Education for the County, which included the provision of a Farm Institute, was approved at a meeting of the Kent Education Committee. Borden Grammar School at Sittingbourne agreed to sell their property to the Kent Education Committee as soon as a new grammar school was built, but it was not until 1929 that Borden Grammar School was occupied and its building adapted for Kent Farm Institute purposes. Grove End Farm, Tunstall, Kent was purchased in July 1919 to be run as the Institute's farm.

After the Second World War, the Kent Education Committee bought the remaining buildings of the former Swanley Horticultural College in Hextable, Swanley, together with 60 acres (24 ha) of land to form the basis of the Kent Horticultural Institute. Until 1949, this Institute was used as a training centre in horticulture for ex-service personnel under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture. In September 1949, the Education Committee took possession and the Kent Horticulture Institute was developed and run in parallel with the Kent Farm Institute.

In 1958, the two institutes were merged to form the Kent Farm and Horticulture Institute. Although the two departments were 30 miles (48 km) apart, this was the first step in bringing the two together. In the spring of 1960, 600 acres (240 ha) of land was purchased from Bourne Grange Estate, Hadlow, for the establishment of a combined Institute. The Agricultural Department moved from Sittingbourne to the new site at Hadlow in the summer of 1966, and the Horticultural Department in the summer of 1967. The Institute was then renamed Hadlow College of Agriculture and Horticulture. On 22 March 1968, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, officially opened the college.

Garrad House, the original Bourne Grange Estate house - now the college's main building

In June 2010, the college was graded "outstanding" by Ofsted. It also received an "outstanding" grade for its residential care provision at its most recent Ofsted social care inspection.[1]

In 2009, Hadlow College was approached by Dover District Council and Kent County Council to develop the site of the former Betteshanger Colliery. The resultant scheme – Betteshanger Park – was the outcome of four years of partnership working. The scheme was launched on 6 November 2013[2] at the House of Commons with work commencing on site in 2014.

On 1st August 2014, Hadlow College formally acquired the Tonbridge and Ashford campuses of K College, re-establishing them as Ashford College and West Kent College (2014).

On 17th May 2019, Hadlow College become the first in the country to go into educational administration.[3] That same year, following a review by the Further Education Commissioner, it was recommended that the Hadlow College Group be split up and taken on by three colleges: North Kent College, East Kent Colleges Group and Capel Manor College.

• On 2nd December 2019, Quinn Estates purchased the 299-acre Betteshanger Park from Hadlow College.
• On the 1st January 2020, the education-related facilities of Hadlow College’s Mottingham campus transferred to Capel Manor College.
• On the 1st April 2020, the education-related facilities of Hadlow College’s Canterbury site, as well as Ashford College, transferred to East Kent College Group.
• On the 15th August 2020, the education-related facilities of Hadlow College, including Princess Christian’s Farm and the equestrian centre in Greenwich, and West Kent College (2014) transferred to North Kent College.

Set on a 630-acre (250 ha) estate, Hadlow College enjoys many facilities. Its equine centre is listed within the London 2012 Training Guide and its animal management building, which opened in spring 2009, is amongst the best in the country.

Additional facilities on the estate include a fully functioning farm with a dairy herd and milking parlour, breeding sheep and arable crops, commercial dog grooming parlour and exotic species, variety of habitats for woodland and countryside management, stock ponds, hatchery, cross country equine courses together with international size arenas, 3.2 acres (13,000 m²) glasshouse complex and a landscape training centre.

Broadview Gardens, the on-site visitor attraction, also plays an important role in College life. These 10 acres (4.0 ha) of landscaped gardens provide an inspiration to the horticulture and garden design students, as well as being a useful area for them to practise their skills. It is also home to Sandell Lake. These gardens are constantly being updated and added to. For example, Hadlow College's garden, Full Frontal, which won Gold at the 2007 Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and the VTB Capital Garden – Spirit of Cornwall, designed by former student Stuart Charles Towner, which won Silver Gilt at the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, were both re-created within the grounds.

In October 2009, Princess Christian's Farm came underneath the umbrella of the college. Run in partnership with Kent County Council Social Services for the benefit of adults with learning difficulties and disabilities, the overall aim of the partnership is for individuals to learn new skills and develop opportunities to move into employment.

National Centre for Reptile Welfare (NCRW)

The College is home to the National Centre for Reptile Welfare (NCRW), which opened in 2018, and is the first such centre of its type in the UK, bringing education, charity and the pet industry together. Run with The Pet Charity and developed in partnership with the Reptile & Exotic Pet Trade Association (REPTA), it provides refuge, rehabilitation and care for reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates, rehoming them to individuals and via a national network of retailers and wholesalers. The centre also provides undergraduate students with practical husbandry, care and non-invasive behavioural and husbandry research opportunities on a wide range of captive species, as well as access to recognised animal welfare and husbandry experts, such as Chris Newman.[4][5]

The College's Animal Management Unit