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Our Courses
We are proud to be an approved training centre for both City & Guilds, and also now the Skills & Education Group Awards. We have an excellent reputation within City & Guilds and future employers.
We offer a unique, hands-on route to gaining a fully accredited and nationally recognised Animal Management qualification, whilst gaining skills working with all species of British wildlife.
In our classrooms, we offer the underpinning theory lessons needed to gain the knowledge to understanding animal welfare, nutrition, anatomy and behaviours, as well as learn about diseases and enclosure design, among other topics. Students will complete written assignments, practical assessments, some courses also involve exams. All of the animal management lessons, assessments and exams run on our site. Our expert tutors are able to guide our students through their qualification and help them put in place progression plans for their next steps into further or higher education, or employment.
To complement the classroom learning, all of our students undertake practical training in all aspects of animal husbandry.
Where are we?
We are located in Haddenham (HP17 8AF). There is parking available. The closest train station is Haddenham & Thame Parkway Station and there are various bus stops within walking distance of the hospital.
Assisting in the wildlife hospital, our students spend around 60% of their time carrying out hands-on husbandry: cleaning, mucking out and moving some of the thousand plus wild animals that we have in our hospital at any one time. In their practical sessions, students handle the hedgehogs, birds of prey, rabbits and doves, to name but a few species. They are involved in all aspects of care from taking in deliveries of bags of feed, cleaning and hosing down pens, cages and aviaries to working in the wards and rehabilitation enclosures, or assisting with health checking. Students get to experience everything the varying seasons brings, whilst playing their part in the care of the sick, injured and orphaned species that come through our doors and helping them on their road back into the wild.
Nationally Recognised Qualifications
Our classroom-based learning builds the students’ underpinning knowledge of animal health and welfare, and students will complete assignments and assessments to gain excellent grades in their qualifications to help them move on to employment or further/higher education after their course is completed. From 2014 to 2024 – 98% of our learners went into employment or further/higher education on achieving their qualification with us.
Many of our Level 3 achievers will go onto University to take degree courses such as Zoology, Animal Physiotherapy, Marine Biology, Conservation or Veterinary Nursing
Practical, hands-on learning sessions
We run practical learning sessions, where all students spend time training in all of the different areas of the Hospital, ‘hands on’ with our patients, assisting with their care and welfare – cleaning, feeding and moving – as part of the animal’s treatment and rehabilitation. Assessment in all of these areas is by practical assessments, with observations & questions.
On-site Assessments
Assessments are carried out on-site by our team of experienced, qualified Assessors, using a variety of methods including observation, assignments and questions & answers.
Do you have a question? We're here to help
If you have any questions about our courses, please email: education@tiggywinkles.org