On 23 March 2026, Northampton College and Moulton College announced they are looking into joining together to create a single, larger college for the community in Northampton, Northamptonshire. The move aims to offer students a wider variety of courses and better facilities, with a target date to complete the process by January 2027. The governing boards of both schools have already agreed to move forward with the plan.
If the plans go ahead, the new combined college would support more than 12,000 students and employ about 1,100 staff members. Both colleges are currently rated as Good by Ofsted and have a combined yearly income of more than £70 million. Managers at the colleges say that becoming one larger organisation will help them provide more apprenticeships and adult learning options that match what local businesses actually need.
Jason Lancaster, the head of Northampton College, and Oliver Symons, the head of Moulton College, will lead the detailed assessment work over the coming months. Moulton College recently finished a seven-year period of financial oversight from the government in 2024 after improving its budget and selling land. According to the Association of Colleges, there have been 85 similar mergers across the country since 2015.
There will be no immediate changes to either campus or current courses while officials carry out their final checks and talk to staff and students. A final decision on whether to proceed with the merger will be made by January 2027. Residents and students are being invited to share their thoughts on the plans through an online portal.
