Views sought on college merger plans

People are being asked for their views on plans to merge two colleges.

Northampton College and Moulton College want to join forces in the merger which they hope will improve the range of courses and progression routes offered to students and boost collaboration.

There are currently 12,000 students aged 16+ and 1,100 staff across the two Northamptonshire institutions, both of which are rated Good by Ofsted.

A public consultation has been launched, and if the move is approved by both college boards, plans to merge could be completed in January 2027.

The merger would create one of the largest further education providers in the region, the colleges said.

Both would continue to operate under their existing brands, while the proposed parent organisation would be known as the Northampton and Moulton Colleges Group.

Jason Lancaster, principal of Northampton College, said: "This proposal is about building on the strengths of two successful colleges to create an even better future for learners across Northamptonshire."

Oliver Symons, principal of Moulton College, added: "[Both colleges] have proud histories, distinctive strengths and an important role within our local communities.

"By bringing those complementary strengths together, we have the opportunity to create an even stronger education and skills offer for the county while protecting the specialist provision and identities that people know and value."

Both stressed the importance of people taking part in the consultation which is open until 21 September.

A number of public events to disseminate more information about the proposals are also planned for that month.

Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.