Northern College joins Barnsley College through completed merger

Northern College and Barnsley College have confirmed that their voluntary merger has formally taken effect as of 1 March 2026.

The merger follows a period of joint planning, consultation and statutory process undertaken by both organisations to secure a long-term and sustainable future for Northern College within Barnsley College.

Northern College will continue to operate from Wentworth Castle, retaining its distinctive identity, residential provision and its specialist focus on adult learning.

Northern College joining together with Barnsley College brings together the shared strengths of both colleges, building on the breadth and quality of their combined provision across further education, adult learning, apprenticeships and higher education, while keeping the needs of students and communities at the centre of delivery.

Continuity for students, staff and partners has been a priority throughout the process, and provision continues as normal across all of both colleges’ sites.

Barnsley College will continue to be led by David Akeroyd as Principal and Chief Executive and the existing Board of Governors providing continuity of educational opportunity across Barnsley and the wider South Yorkshire area.

Northern College is the only adult residential college in the North of England. The college, which is Ofsted graded ‘good’, has a proud history of providing life changing opportunities to adults who have returned to learning. Its mission is to inspire positive change through adult education. Focussed on addressing socio-economic disadvantage, the college educates hundreds of adults from South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and beyond every year.

The college specialises in education and training for adults who wish to return to education or gain formal qualifications for the first time. Based at Wentworth Castle, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, with access to National Trust grounds, the college provides a range of short community learning courses and a programme of longer accredited academic and vocational courses that enable students to progress on to further study, higher education or work.

Barnsley College is a leading further education provider in South Yorkshire and beyond. Through the college’s vision to ‘Transform Lives’, it supports around 9,000 students across multiple specialist campuses – including SciTech, Construction, STEM, and Honeywell Sports, in addition to a new University Centre and Institute of Technology, and the region’s first Clean Energy Training Centre. Delivering A Levels, T Levels, apprenticeships, adult learning, and Higher Education, the College proudly plays a vital role in supporting educational and career progression across the Yorkshire region.