Vision West Nottinghamshire College

What Vision West Nottinghamshire College does

Vision West Nottinghamshire College (trading as West Notts College) is a UK Further Education corporation founded in 1924, headquartered on Derby Road in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The college is the major provider of post-16 education in the Mansfield and Ashfield area, operating eight specialized campuses that deliver A Levels (through Mansfield and Ashfield Sixth Form College), vocational courses from Level 1 through Level 5, T Levels, apprenticeships, and adult learning programmes covering English/maths, digital skills, Access to Higher Education, professional training, and hobby courses. Notable facilities include the UK's first Gene Haas Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and the newly opened Station Park Motor Vehicle Centre in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, equipped with 12 LJ Create simulation boards for electric and hybrid vehicle training.

The college runs on a hybrid public-private revenue model. Primary income is government-funded further education grants (including 16-18 funding and the Adult Skills Fund) and apprenticeship levy receipts from employers, complemented by tuition fees, employer training contracts, and a small portfolio of wholly-owned commercial operations (Create Theatre, Refined Restaurant, Revive Salon and Spa, and the upcoming Auto Centre Learning Company) that provide real-world training environments. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the college website and on-campus admissions, layered with employer engagement through a dedicated employer-facing team, school partnerships via the Learner Engagement Team, and community outreach at the Adult Learning Centre for NEET and adult learner recruitment.

Internally the college uses standard learning management and student information systems (Moodle, ProPortal, OneFile, WisePay, CPOMS, eStream). Customer segments span three primary personas: School Leavers (16-18), Adult Learners (19+), and Apprentices (16+), with secondary segments in NEET youth and local employers. The college holds Ofsted 'Good' with Outstanding areas, Matrix accreditation, and a range of sector awards, and is led by Principal and Chief Executive Andrew Cropley MBE with CFO Helen Smurthwaite.

Name

Vision West Nottinghamshire College

Legal name

Vision West Nottinghamshire College

Website

https://wnc.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Vision West Nottinghamshire College is a Further Education corporation founded in 1924 in Mansfield, UK, delivering A Levels, vocational courses, T Levels, apprenticeships, and adult learning across eight campuses, serving school leavers, adult learners, apprentices, and local employers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Further Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (61121), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural/Regional Community Colleges (EDAHADAK)

Keywords

• Further education services
• Vocational training programmes
• Apprenticeship training
• Adult learning courses
• Technical qualifications

Headquarters

HQ city

Mansfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Education: Primary revenue from government funding for further education, including 16-18 education, adult education, and apprenticeship programs. Funded through Adult Skills Fund and other government skills initiatives.
2. Course Fees: Tuition fees for various courses, with many adult courses offered free or low-cost depending on eligibility criteria. Fee exemptions available for certain student groups.
3. Apprenticeship Levy: Funding from employer apprenticeship levy contributions for apprenticeship training and end-point assessments.
4. Employer Training Contracts: Government-funded employer training programs such as the Customer Service Academy, worth up to £1,800 per employee, funded through Adult Skills Fund.
5. Commercial Services: Commercial operations including Create Theatre, Refined restaurant, and Revive Salon and Spa providing real-world training experiences and revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Vision West Nottinghamshire College is a further education college delivering academic and vocational programmes including A Levels, T Levels, vocational courses (Levels 1-5), apprenticeships, and adult learning courses. It also operates commercial training venues (Create Theatre, Refined Restaurant, Revive Salon and Spa) that provide real-world industry experience for students while serving the local community, and delivers employer training programmes such as the Customer Service Academy.

Product overview

Vision West Nottinghamshire College is a further education institution offering vocational and academic programmes across multiple campuses in Mansfield and Ashfield. The college provides a comprehensive portfolio including A Levels, vocational courses (Levels 1-5), T Levels, apprenticeships, and adult learning programmes. Student-facing digital platforms include Moodle (course resources), ProPortal (progress tracking), OneFile (apprenticeship eportfolio), WisePay (payments), and the Student Portal. The college operates commercial training facilities including Create Theatre, Refined Restaurant, and Revive Salon and Spa, which provide students with real-world industry experience while serving the local community. A new Station Park Motor Vehicle Centre and the Customer Service Academy (in partnership with Mansfield BID) represent recent additions to the college's training provision.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mansfield and Ashfield Sixth Form College: A dedicated sixth form college located on Chesterfield Road in Mansfield, offering A Level subjects for 16-18 year olds.

Products and services

• A Levels

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% pass rate achieved in Level 2 and Level 3 motor vehicle end-point assessments
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lindum GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Construction company partnered with college for live tendering competition for plumbing and electrical students. Students developed professional tender submissions for college's new construction campus. Lindum judged presentations and provided Amazon vouchers to winning teams. Also providing work placements on Ashfield District Council's Northern Depot development.
• Mansfield Forward Business Improvement District (BID)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Partnership to launch Customer Service Academy supporting local employers with customer service training and nationally recognized qualifications. Training worth £1,800 per employee is fully funded through Adult Skills Fund. Joint initiative to strengthen town centre and support local economic growth.
• Gene Haas FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGene Haas Centre for Advanced Manufacturing is UK's first centre established in partnership with Gene Haas Foundation. Provides practical and innovative learning environment for students aiming to build careers in engineering and manufacturing.
• NTU MansfieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity pathway partnership providing Access to Higher Education students with clear progression routes to Nottingham Trent University campus at Mansfield.
• Wella ProfessionalsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHairdressing industry partner providing guest demonstrations and training sessions. Creative education lead Rich Windle delivered cutting techniques demonstrations in college salons. Partnership gives students access to industry professionals and up-to-date techniques.
• Francesco Hair SalonsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStafford-based director of advanced education Paul Corbett provided cutting specialist demonstrations. Partnership brings industry expertise directly to students through experienced hair professionals.
• Ashfield District CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCouncil development project where college students undertake work placements during construction of new facilities for waste collection, street cleaning, grounds maintenance and fleet management services.
• British Army / Army ReserveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYear-long collaboration with military partners across curriculum areas including uniformed protective services, engineering, motor vehicle, animal care, catering, hair and beauty, A-Levels and computer science. Students participated in leadership exercises, military dog demonstrations, and career exploration events.
• TUIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTravel and Tourism partner that conducted learning company hour sessions with students about career opportunities with TUI.
• Discover AshfieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTowns Fund engagement partnership supporting economic development in Ashfield area through education and skills initiatives.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lifetime Training: Major UK apprenticeship and traineeship provider competing directly for levy-funded training programmes across sectors that overlap with WNC's apprenticeship portfolio.
• Weston College: West Country FE college consistently rated Outstanding by Ofsted, offering similar vocational, apprenticeship, and A Level programmes. A comparable multi-campus FE institution, though serving a different region.
• QA Apprenticeships: One of the UK's largest private apprenticeship training providers, competing for the same employer-funded apprenticeship contracts that form a core part of the college's revenue mix.
• RNN Group: Rotherham-based further education group operating multiple campuses with similar full-time, apprenticeship, and adult provision across South Yorkshire — directly comparable as a multi-campus FE group.
• Nottingham College: Major further education college serving the Nottinghamshire area, offering comparable A Levels, vocational courses, T Levels, apprenticeships, and adult learning programs. Direct peer given overlapping regional catchment and similar product mix.
• Loughborough College: Leicestershire FE college with comparable A Level, vocational, apprenticeship, and higher education offerings. Operates as a similar general further education college serving a regional catchment.
• Derby College: East Midlands further education college offering similar vocational, apprenticeship, and A Level programmes. Comparable in scale, mission, and product breadth as a regional FE provider.
• Chesterfield College: Derbyshire-based further education college providing A Levels, vocational qualifications, apprenticeships, and adult learning — a comparable regional FE peer with similar curriculum breadth.

Broad incumbents

• BPP University: Private higher education institution offering professional vocational and apprenticeship programmes at scale. Comparable curriculum overlap with WNC's professional training and apprenticeship offerings, but operates nationally and as a for-profit private provider.

Others

• City & Guilds: UK's leading vocational qualification awarding body whose certifications underpin much of WNC's curriculum. An ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor, but represents the standards framework the college's technical training is built on.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/visionwestnotts
• Instagraminstagram.com/wncadults
• Xx.com/westnotts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vision-west-nottinghamshire-college

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vision West Nottinghamshire College