Buckinghamshire College Group Review 2026: A Practical, Career-First College Across Aylesbury, Amersham and Wycombe

For many 16 to 18 year olds in Buckinghamshire, this provider offers something that traditional sixth forms cannot, a broad technical and vocational menu, delivered in spaces designed for real practice. Buckinghamshire College Group operates as a general further education and tertiary college across three campuses, and was created through the merger of Aylesbury College and Amersham and Wycombe College on 01 October 2017.

The current Principal and Chief Executive is Jenny Craig. The most recent full inspection (19 to 22 November 2024) judged the provider Good across all reported areas, including education programmes for young people, apprenticeships, adult learning, and provision for learners with high needs.

This is a state-funded provider for 16 to 18 study programmes, and the college states that 16 to 18 year old students are fully funded and are not required to pay course fees. For families, the practical question is therefore not “is it affordable?”, but “is the chosen route right?”, A-level style study, a T Level, a vocational programme, or an apprenticeship pathway.

The tone here is shaped less by tradition and more by purpose. The provider serves a broad mix, school leavers on full-time programmes, apprentices attending day or block release, adults returning for retraining, and students with high needs pursuing specialist pathways alongside supported internships. That mix matters, because it tends to produce a culture that is more adult, more varied, and more focused on the next step than many school sixth forms.

Official assessment describes an inclusive environment, where learners feel part of a friendly and diverse community at each campus, and where students quickly adopt a stated set of values: ambition, innovation, integrity and respect. Families weighing college versus a sixth form should take the implication seriously: this suits students who want greater independence and who are ready to manage a timetable that can vary by programme.

The provider’s own student transition guidance also points to that adult framing. Timetables vary, and more detailed information is provided after enrolment, including during a Start-Up Event held in September. For some, that flexibility is appealing; for others, especially students who thrive on a fixed school day rhythm, it can be an adjustment.

This is not a single-phase school with clean, comparable exam measures. It is a further education group spanning entry level to level 4 programmes, with significant vocational, apprenticeship, and adult provision. As a result, the most useful performance indicators for families are inspection outcomes, progression culture, and whether the curriculum is tightly aligned to employment and higher study routes.

The most recent published A-level ranking from FindMySchool places the provider 2,573rd in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). This sits below England average, and it reinforces what the website and inspection evidence also suggest: the group’s defining strength is technical and vocational delivery rather than being an A-level outcomes specialist. (FindMySchool data, January 2026)

Where the provider does offer an explicit “student journey” structure, it is framed around employability, tutorial support, and work placements, rather than exam drilling alone. The Buckinghamshire College Group Study Programme for full-time 16 to 18 year olds is presented as a package combining the main qualification with English and maths (where needed), a tutorial programme, work experience or placement, and enrichment.

For parents comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you benchmark sixth form style measures across nearby providers, while still recognising that a college like this may be chosen specifically because it is not trying to be a conventional sixth form.

Teaching here is designed to move students from “learning about” to “learning by doing”, with a clear focus on the behaviours and routines of the workplace. The inspection evidence is unusually concrete in this respect. Learners in plumbing, for example, are expected to master practical competencies such as creating water-tight joints and pressure testing pipework; apprentices in carpentry build competence in measurement and hand tools before moving into more complex tasks.

Where specialist facilities exist, the curriculum appears built around them. At the Aylesbury campus, health learners and apprentices benefit from a simulated health wing, a dental surgery, and an immersive learning suite, using equipment and manikins that mirror workplace practice. The implication for students considering health and care routes is clear: training time is spent rehearsing real scenarios, not simply learning theory in a generic classroom.

The provider also leans heavily on employer engagement and curriculum co-design. A recent example is the partnership work around T Level Civil Engineering, where employer involvement includes curriculum shaping, masterclasses, guest lectures, and student placements. This does not guarantee outcomes for any individual student, but it does suggest that students are more likely to see clear line-of-sight between course content and job expectations.

Where Students Go Next

For a college with multiple routes, destination data is best read as a pattern rather than a single headline. For the most recently reported cohort (cohort size 1,257), 14% progressed to university, 9% to apprenticeships, 6% to further education, and 40% to employment. (FindMySchool data, January 2026)

Two implications follow. First, employment is a major destination outcome, which fits a curriculum built around work readiness, placements, and employer interaction. Second, progression is not “one track”; the college is used both by those aiming for higher study and by those seeking direct entry to work.

On the qualitative side, the inspection report highlights a structured employability event called Velocity, where learners work with peers and employers to design and pitch business ideas, and it notes specialist masterclasses, including industry input for special effects and media make-up using advanced 3D effects in liquid latex. In practical terms, that kind of exposure can sharpen portfolios and interviews, particularly in creative and business-adjacent programmes.

For students with high needs, progression is framed around independence, communication, teamwork, and employability skills, including supported internships. For families, the key question is not only “what qualification?”, but also “what support and transition pathway is in place to move from learning into meaningful work or further training?”.

Admissions routes differ by learner type, but for 16 to 18 programmes the overall model is “direct application”, not local authority coordinated placement. Course listings and application forms already show September 2026 start options (for example, a number of study programmes list a start date of 07 September 2026).

Open events are scheduled across campuses in late January 2026, with evening sessions listed for Amersham (21 January 2026), Wycombe (27 January 2026), and Aylesbury (29 January 2026). For many applicants, these events are the practical starting point, because they combine facility tours, course guidance, and support and funding advice.

For apprenticeships, the process is more employment-led. The provider explains that after an online application, applicants receive an interview invite; following an offer, there is induction and employer engagement before enrolment is completed. The implication is that apprenticeships depend on securing suitable employment as well as meeting course requirements.

Because FE admissions can remain open later than school sixth form deadlines, the main advice is strategic rather than date-led: apply early for high-demand technical areas, attend an open event to confirm fit, and keep a clear Plan B across campuses and programmes in case course groups fill.

Parents who are comparing travel time should pay close attention to the campus location associated with the specific course, not just the group’s main address.

Pastoral support is built around the reality that learners arrive with widely different needs and levels of independence. The Study Programme model includes a tutorial strand, branded WISPA, covering wellbeing, inclusivity, sustainability, professionalism and ambition, with support from a dedicated Progress Coach and access to a qualified Careers Adviser. This is a practical approach, because it links wellbeing and personal development to the concrete behaviours that employers and universities expect.

For students with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the provider’s transition guidance indicates that some students may be allocated a keyworker, depending on need and prior agreement, including support from inclusion mentors or SEND advocates. It also describes an Inclusion Hub as a quieter area for selected learners to receive additional support. The implication is that the setting can work for students who need structured support, but families should confirm early how support is implemented on the specific campus and course.

Safety and safeguarding culture is described in official evidence as strong in the day-to-day sense, learners feel safe and know how to report concerns, and they value welfare and wellbeing support. However, there is also a clear improvement point: a significant minority of learners and apprentices did not remember what they had been taught about the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. For families, it is reasonable to ask how the Prevent curriculum is reinforced over time, particularly for students who are less likely to retain one-off training.

A college that is serious about employability needs more than lessons, it needs structured experiences that build confidence, teamwork, and professional behaviours. Here, that picture is well developed. The Study Programme explicitly includes employer-led projects, masterclasses, trips and residentials, sports and wellbeing activities, social action projects, plus clubs and societies. The benefit is breadth, students can build a CV story that is not limited to a grade profile.

The employer-facing strand is not abstract. The WorkZone team is positioned as the mechanism for matching students with placements and supporting them through the experience, including help with travel costs where eligible. The annual Velocity event, described as a networking and employability experience involving practical challenges and employer interaction, is another example of structured exposure rather than informal “careers week” activity.

Facilities also matter in FE, partly because they shape the day-to-day experience and partly because they signal which pathways are being invested in. The provider highlights learning centres across campuses, refectories and coffee shops, social spaces, a gym, and an on-site CopyShop at the Aylesbury campus. For students who need a quieter environment between lessons, transition guidance points to learning centres as calm study environments, and notes the Inclusion Hub for selected learners.

The strongest “signature” facilities are tied to curriculum. The simulated health wing and dental surgery at Aylesbury are a good example, as are employer-shaped technical routes such as civil engineering.

Term dates and key calendar points are published, including Autumn Term 2025 starting on Monday 8 September and ending on Thursday 18 December, with Spring Term 2026 starting on Monday 5 January and ending on Friday 27 March. Results day timings for summer 2026 are also listed, including 13 August 2026 for Level 3 study programme results and 20 August 2026 for Level 2 (and below) and GCSE results.

Day structure varies by timetable rather than a single bell-based school day. Students receive timetables when they start, and more detail is provided after enrolment.

On food, the transition guidance indicates cafeterias across campuses with seating, hot meals available from 12pm, and cafeteria closure at 2pm.

For costs, the provider states that 16 to 18 year old students are fully funded and do not pay course fees, while also recognising that students may face costs such as equipment, uniforms, or travel, with support available through a college support scheme subject to eligibility.

• Not an A-level specialist. FindMySchool’s A-level ranking places the provider 2,573rd in England, which suggests that students whose primary priority is elite A-level outcomes may want to compare local alternatives carefully. The trade-off is access to broader technical routes and facilities that many school sixth forms cannot match. (FindMySchool data, January 2026)

• Independence is expected. Timetables vary by programme, and students receive detailed scheduling after enrolment. This suits motivated learners who are ready for college-style responsibility, but it can be challenging for those who need a highly structured school day.

• Prevent recall needs reinforcement. Learners feel safe and know how to report concerns, but a significant minority did not remember learning about radicalisation and extremism risks. Families should ask how safeguarding training is repeated and embedded over the year.

• Campus and course choice matters. The group operates across multiple sites, and facilities are not identical. Attend an open event on the campus linked to the intended course, not just the most convenient location.

Buckinghamshire College Group is a practical option for students who want a career-first education, strong technical facilities, and regular exposure to employers through placements and structured events such as Velocity. Its strengths are clearest in vocational, T Level, apprenticeship, and adult retraining routes, backed by a recent Good inspection outcome across all areas.

Best suited to students who are ready for a more independent learning model and who value hands-on training, work experience, and clear pathways into employment or further study. The main decision point is choosing the right programme and campus, then committing early enough to secure a place on the most popular routes.