Scattered across Skipton and stretching as far as Leeds Bradford Airport, Craven College serves as the vocational engine room for the Yorkshire Dales. This is not a cloistered academic sixth form but a sprawling, practical institution where students fix cars, tend livestock, and learn cabin crew protocols in real-world environments. With around 1,600 students aged 16 to 18 and a significant adult learning cohort, the college prioritises employability over exam drilling. The result is a destination profile where 41% of leavers head straight into employment, nearly double the rate of typical school sixth forms.
The college operates less like a school and more like a series of professional workplaces. The main Aireville Campus in Skipton feels functional and busy, housing the creative industries, hair and beauty salons, and catering kitchens. It lacks the architectural grandeur of traditional grammar schools, but the equipment is industry-standard.
Distinctive to Craven is its dispersed estate, which embeds students in relevant industries. The Auction Mart Campus, located at the busy Skipton Auction Mart, immerses land-based students in the region's agricultural heartbeat. Here, the atmosphere is muddy, practical, and deeply connected to the farming calendar of the Dales.
Perhaps the most striking feature is The Aviation Academy, situated airside at Leeds Bradford Airport. Housed in a former hangar, it allows students to train on a retired Boeing 737. The roar of jet engines from the active runway nearby serves as a constant reminder of the career path being pursued.
Mrs Anita Lall, appointed Principal and CEO in 2024, leads the college. Her background in science and education management drives a strategy focused on skills gaps and local economic needs. The ethos is clearly adult; there are no bells or uniforms. Students call staff by their first names and manage their own time between lectures, fostering a culture of independence.
Performance data at Craven College reflects its heavy bias towards vocational qualifications (BTECs, T Levels, and City & Guilds) rather than traditional academic routes.
The college’s A-level provision is significantly smaller and less successful than its vocational counterparts. In 2024, A-level outcomes were weak. The percentage of students achieving grades A*-B was just 10%, placing the college in the national lower band for academic attainment. This contrasts sharply with the England average of 47% for top grades.
Ranked 2,547th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), the college sits in the bottom 4% of providers nationally for this specific metric. Families specifically seeking high-flying A-level grades for competitive university entry should weigh these figures carefully against local school-based sixth forms.
However, viewing Craven College solely through an A-level lens misses its primary purpose. Success rates in vocational courses, particularly in Animal Management, Aviation, and Equine Studies, tell a different story of competence and progression. The Quality of Education was rated Good in the most recent inspection, highlighting that students on these practical pathways develop substantial industry knowledge.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
A-Level A*-B
10%
% of students achieving grades A*-B
The curriculum is built around career clusters rather than academic departments. Teaching is delivered largely by industry specialists; former nurses, police officers, farmers, and air cabin crew bring war stories and practical shortcuts that textbooks cannot provide.
In the Media and Make-up department, students work in salons that open to the paying public, learning customer service alongside technique. In the catering department, the student-run bistro provides a similar live-fire environment. This "real work" pedagogy is the college's defining strength.
Academic rigour in classroom-based sessions can vary. Students on Level 3 courses (equivalent to A-levels) report that while practical instruction is excellent, the theory components require significant self-discipline. Support for English and Maths resits is available, though pass rates for these retakes remain a challenge across the FE sector generally.
The destination data paints a clear picture of the college’s vocational mission. In the 2024 cohort, 41% of leavers moved directly into employment, a figure that dwarfs the typical school statistic. This confirms the college’s effectiveness as a pipeline into the local workforce.
University remains a viable option, with 12% of leavers progressing to higher education. While this is lower than academic sixth forms, graduates from Level 3 Extended Diplomas frequently secure places on specific vocational degree courses, such as Nursing, Agriculture, or Events Management.
Apprenticeships are another strong exit route, with 13% of students securing these earn-while-you-learn roles. The college’s own apprenticeship arm, Tyro Training, links students with employers across North Yorkshire, facilitating this transition.
Entry to Craven College is non-selective for most Level 1 and 2 courses, making it an inclusive option for students with varied GCSE profiles. Level 3 courses (T Levels and Extended Diplomas) typically require five GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, including English and Maths.
The process begins in the autumn of Year 11. Prospective students apply directly via the college website. Interviews are informal discussions about career aspirations rather than academic interrogations.
Conditional offers are standard, based on predicted grades. Enrolment takes place in late August, post-GCSE results day. For popular courses like Animal Management or Aviation, early application is recommended as practical spaces are limited by safety ratios.
Moving from a small school to a college of 1,600 can be a shock. To mitigate this, every student is assigned a Progress Coach. These staff members act as the first point of contact for attendance, welfare, and academic tracking.
Support for students with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) is substantial. The college supports a high number of students with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), offering learning support assistants in classes and specialist software. The pastoral team also includes safeguarding officers and counsellors, critical for a cohort that often includes vulnerable young people.
Extracurricular life at Craven is less about debate clubs and choir, and more about enrichment related to careers.
Trips are frequent and often international, ranging from ski trips for Sport students to visits to major airports or conservation reserves for other faculties.
The college operates a robust transport network. Dedicated college buses serve rural areas across the Dales, Lancashire, and West Yorkshire, bringing students from as far as Settle, Ilkley, and Keighley. The Aireville Campus is a short walk from Skipton train station.
The college day typically runs between 9:00am and 4:30pm, though timetables vary. Most full-time students are on campus three to four days a week, with the remaining time designated for independent study or work placements.
Requires Improvement rating. The 2024 Ofsted inspection rated the college Requires Improvement overall, largely due to inconsistent attendance and punctuality in some areas. While the quality of education remains Good, families should be aware that the college is working to tighten expectations around student engagement.
Vocational focus is absolute. This is not a "Plan B" for failed A-levels; it is a specialist route. Families seeking a traditional academic sixth form experience with a broad subject mix will find the college’s A-level offer limited and statistically weaker than local schools.
Independent environment. The freedom of a college campus can be a double-edged sword. Students who require close supervision to complete work may struggle with the self-directed nature of the study periods.
Campus split. Students generally stay on one specific campus. An Art student at Aireville will rarely cross paths with an Aviation student at Yeadon. The "whole college" community feel is therefore somewhat fragmented.
Craven College is a vital regional asset that excels in getting young people work-ready. It offers facilities, particularly in aviation and agriculture, that no school sixth form could hope to match. It is best suited to students who have a clear career direction and prefer practical, hands-on learning to the exam hall. For the academic high-flyer seeking top-tier A-level grades, local school sixth forms remain the statistically safer bet; but for the future farmer, nurse, or cabin crew member, this is the premier choice in the district.
The college was rated Requires Improvement overall by Ofsted in 2024, though the Quality of Education was rated Good. Inspectors highlighted strong vocational training but noted that attendance and behaviour needed to improve in some areas.
Yes, but the provision is small. The college specialises in vocational qualifications like BTECs and T Levels. In 2024, only 10% of A-level entries achieved grades A*-B, which is significantly below the England average.
The Aviation Academy is a specialised campus located airside at Leeds Bradford Airport, separate from the main Skipton campus. It provides training environments including a retired aircraft and check-in desks.
Yes. The college operates an extensive bus network covering large parts of North and West Yorkshire and East Lancashire to ensure students from rural areas can access the campuses.
No, not if you are aged 16-18. As a state-funded Further Education college, tuition is free for UK residents in this age bracket. Students may need to pay for specific kit or trips depending on their course.
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