What Windsor Forest Colleges Group does

Windsor Forest Colleges Group (WFCG) is a UK further education college group operating four campuses across Berkshire and Surrey: Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA) in Maidenhead, Slough & Langley College in Langley, Strode's College in Egham, and Windsor College in Windsor. Founded in its current group form in 2017, it employs over 1,000 staff and serves thousands of learners and apprentices through vocational, academic, technical, and land-based programmes spanning A Levels, T Levels, BTECs, apprenticeships, adult learning (including the ALFIE programme), Higher Education degrees validated by the University of Reading, and the Green Skills Academy offering commercial short courses in heat pump, solar, ventilation, electrical, plumbing, welding and retrofit. The BCA campus includes a 162-hectare agricultural estate supporting specialist land-based training. WFCG is governed by a Board of Governors and operates as an independent further education institution without external equity ownership, under the oversight of Ofsted, the Education & Skills Funding Agency, and the Office for Students.

WFCG's revenue model combines three principal streams: tuition and course fees from individual learners, government funding from ESFA and the Office for Students, and commercial training income from the Green Skills Academy. Course pricing is mixed: many adult courses are government-funded up to Level 2, while commercial Green Skills courses such as the £595 Heat Pump Installation programme are offset by a £500 government rebate reducing the learner cost to £95, and other short courses such as Internal Wall Insulation are priced at £995 per cohort. The group's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via its website, open days, prospectus downloads, and a broad social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube), supplemented by direct employer engagement for apprenticeship delivery and industry placements.

On the technology layer, WFCG has built two notable proprietary and partnership-based assets. Winnie, originally developed in 2023 with explicit written permission from Microsoft as the first private AI solution in UK Further Education, was scaled in 2025 as Winnie 2.0, an intelligent triage service handling telephone and email enquiries around the clock and reportedly saving 61,000 staff hours in a single year. In June 2026, the group introduced the Anatomage Table at Slough & Langley College, a life-size 3D cadaveric anatomy visualisation system funded via a capital bid from the Office for Students. Operational leadership transitioned in May 2026 with the appointment of Oliver Symons as CEO and Group Principal, succeeding Gillian May, who departed to take a Deputy FE Commissioner role.

Name

Windsor Forest Colleges Group

Legal name

Windsor Forest Colleges Group

Website

https://windsor-forest.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Windsor Forest Colleges Group is a UK further education institution operating four campuses (BCA, Slough & Langley, Strode's, Windsor) across Berkshire and Surrey, delivering vocational, academic, apprenticeship, adult learning, and green skills training to thousands of learners under Ofsted and ESFA oversight.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Further Education and Vocational Training

NAICS

Junior Colleges (6112), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online Divisions of Traditional Universities (Hybrid/Extension) (EDAHALAB)

Keywords

• Further education
• Vocational training
• Higher education degrees
• Apprenticeship programmes
• Green skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkshire

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Course Fees: Revenue generated from course enrollment fees for further education, higher education, apprenticeships, and adult learning programmes. Some courses are government-funded for eligible learners.
2. Government Funding: Funding from the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and Office for Students for delivering further education and higher education programmes to eligible students.
3. Commercial Training Services: Green Skills Academy provides commercial short courses to professionals in engineering, construction and renewable energy sectors, including heat pump installation, welding, and electrical qualifications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Windsor Forest Colleges Group delivers further education, higher education, apprenticeship, and adult learning programmes through four UK colleges (Strode's, Windsor, Slough & Langley, and BCA). Offerings span A Levels, T Levels, BTECs, Foundation Degrees validated by the University of Reading, land-based vocational training on a 162-hectare estate, and commercial Green Skills Academy short courses in renewable energy trades such as heat pump installation, solar, electrical, and welding. The group supplements teaching with proprietary technology including the Winnie 2.0 AI communications assistant and the Anatomage Table for advanced medical education.

Product overview

Windsor Forest Colleges Group is a further education college group comprising four colleges — BCA (Berkshire College of Agriculture), Slough & Langley College, Strode's College, and Windsor College — offering a unified portfolio of vocational and academic educational products. The core offering spans A Level Courses and T Level Courses (vocational technical qualifications equivalent to three A Levels), alongside Apprenticeships, Adult Learning (including the ALFIE programme and Green Skills Academy), and Higher Education Degrees including Foundation Degrees validated by the University of Reading. Supporting technology-enabled offerings include the Anatomage Table for medical education and the Winnie 2.0 AI-powered communications assistant (originally developed in 2023 as the first private AI solution in UK Further Education). The Green Skills Academy sub-brand specifically delivers short courses in heat pump installation, solar, ventilation, electrical, plumbing, welding, and retrofit for adult learners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Winnie: AI assistant originally developed in 2023 as the first private AI solution in UK Further Education, reimagined as an intelligent communications assistant for managing telephone and email enquiries.
• Greenskills Academy

Products and services

• T Level Courses Vocational technical qualifications for 16-19 year olds, equivalent to three A Levels. Developed with employers, they combine classroom theory, practical learning and a minimum 315-hour (45-day) industry placement.
• A Level Courses Academic Level 3 qualifications offered across multiple disciplines including sciences, humanities, arts and languages, delivered at Strode's College and Windsor College for school-leavers progressing to university.
• Vocational and Technical Qualifications (BTECs) Full-time and part-time vocational qualifications at various levels covering engineering, construction, welding, counselling, and digital skills, delivered across multiple colleges in the group.
• Apprenticeships High-quality apprenticeship and vocational training programmes across multiple industries, combining off-the-job learning in industry-standard workshops with real work experience placements via local employer partners.
• Adult Learning A range of courses designed for adult learners seeking career progression, retraining, qualifications for higher-level study, or leisure pursuits. Includes ALFIE (Adult Learning for Independence and Employment), languages, leisure courses, and land-based training.
• Higher Education Degrees Career-focused Higher Education programmes validated by leading universities, including Access to HE pathways and degree-level courses delivered across the group of colleges.
• Foundation Degree in Children's Development and Learning Level 5 Higher Education qualification validated by the University of Reading, designed for practitioners working with children, completed over two years with one day per week of college attendance.
• Green Skills Academy Short courses in sustainable technology and practices for adult learners, covering heat pump installation, solar panel installation, MVHR ventilation, electrical installation, plumbing and heating, welding, and retrofit. Includes Skills Bootcamps and the Heat Training Grant programme.
• Heat Pump Installation Training LCL Awards Level 3 qualifications in Air Source and Ground Source Heat Pump Systems installation and maintenance for qualified heating engineers, enabling MCS registration. Course fee £595 (VAT exempt) with a £500 government rebate through the Heat Training Grant.
• BCA (Berkshire College of Agriculture) Land-based college offering agriculture, animal management, horticulture, arboriculture and equine programmes across a 162-hectare estate in Maidenhead, Berkshire. Operates as a wholly-owned core subsidiary of Windsor Forest Colleges Group.
• Slough & Langley College Further education college in Langley, Berkshire offering vocational, T Level, A Level, and adult learning programmes, with a Green Skills Academy satellite campus. Operates as a wholly-owned core subsidiary of Windsor Forest Colleges Group.
• Strode's College Sixth-form college in Egham, Surrey offering A Levels, T Levels, and vocational qualifications for students aged 16-19. Operates as a wholly-owned core subsidiary of Windsor Forest Colleges Group.
• Windsor College Further education college in Windsor, Berkshire offering A Levels, T Levels, media studies, performing arts, and adult learning programmes. Operates as a wholly-owned core subsidiary of Windsor Forest Colleges Group.
• Anatomage Table (Medical Education Technology) A high-tech life-size touchscreen device providing a fully segmented real human 3D anatomy system for medical education, research and clinical diagnostic training. Enables virtual dissections on detailed cadavers without physical specimens, available to learners at Slough & Langley College.
• Winnie 2.0 AI Communications Assistant An intelligent AI-powered triage service managing telephone and email enquiries across the organisation, providing policy-aligned guidance and signposting to students, parents, employers and other stakeholders around the clock. Originally developed in 2023 as the first private AI solution in UK Further Education with explicit written permission from Microsoft for privacy-compliant handling of student information.

Quantifiable outcome

• 61,000+ hours saved across workforce in 2025 through AI automation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023WFCG secured explicit written permission from Microsoft in 2023 to create a compliant privacy solution for Winnie AI that could safely handle sensitive student information and college policies. This was pioneering as the first private AI solution in UK Further Education.
• University of ReadingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partnership for validating Foundation Degrees including Foundation Degree in Children's Development and Learning. The university validates degree programmes delivered at WFCG colleges, enabling students to progress to further study including postgraduate programmes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Capel Manor College: Capel Manor College is London's only specialist land-based FE college, delivering animal care, horticulture, arboriculture, and equine training — directly comparable to WFCG's BCA estate as a land-based specialist FE provider competing for the same learner segment.
• Plumpton College: Plumpton College is a Sussex-based specialist land-based FE college delivering agriculture, horticulture, animal care, and green-skills training — directly comparable to WFCG's BCA estate and to the Green Skills Academy's net-zero vocational focus.
• Oaklands College: Oaklands College is a Hertfordshire-based FE college delivering A Levels, vocational, apprenticeship, and adult learning programmes — directly comparable to WFCG on the multi-segment FE college model and Thames Valley / South East positioning.
• London South East Colleges: London South East Colleges is a UK FE group operating Bromley, Bexley, and Orpington campuses — directly comparable to WFCG as a multi-campus FE group delivering A Levels, vocational, and adult learning programmes across a defined regional catchment.
• Moulton College: Moulton College is a Northamptonshire-based FE college with a strong land-based and technical specialism — directly comparable to WFCG and personally relevant, as incoming CEO Oliver Symons served there as Principal and CEO and led it to an Ofsted 'Good' rating.
• Sparsholt College: Sparsholt College (part of the Sparsholt College Group including Andover College) is a Hampshire land-based FE specialist with agriculture, horticulture, animal management, and sport programmes — directly comparable to WFCG's BCA land-based specialism.
• New City College: New City College is one of the largest FE college groups in London, formed by merging multiple colleges — a close structural comparable to WFCG on multi-college integration, scale (~10,000+ learners), and vocational/academic mix.
• Activate Learning: Activate Learning is a UK Further Education college group operating multiple colleges across the South East (including Reading College, Banbury & Bicester College, Guildford College) — a direct structural and geographic comparable to WFCG's four-college model spanning Berkshire and Surrey.
• Cornwall College Group: Cornwall College Group is a multi-college UK FE group (Cornwall College, Duchy College, Bicton College) with significant land-based provision — directly comparable to WFCG on the multi-college group structure and the land-based / agricultural specialism at BCA.

Emerging players

• QA (training): QA is a major UK commercial training and apprenticeship provider with significant technology and digital apprenticeship delivery — an emerging-player comparable to WFCG's apprenticeship and commercial training revenue lines, particularly in the Green Skills / professional upskilling segment where the two compete for employer training budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@windsorforestcolleges?si=tt_scTE3yukQFEQ5
• Facebookfacebook.com/WindsorForestColleges
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/windsorforestcolleges
• Instagraminstagram.com/windsorforestcg
• TikToktiktok.com/@windsorforestcolleges
• Xx.com/WindsorForestCG

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Windsor Forest Colleges Group