Facilities

Computer suites

Our main centres at Huntingdon, North London, Leeds, Edinburgh and Wigan have fully equipped computer suites, including secure browser facilities to allow students to sit their online examinations at College, avoiding the need for them to travel to an external examination centre. Remotely invigilated exam options may be available for students who are unable to come into a centre.

Clinical skills facilities

Each of our centres have clinical skills facilities where students can practise their practical skills in areas such as anaesthesia, theatre practice, laboratory work and radiography.

e-library facilities

We have an extensive collection of books available on our online e-library with new titles being added each month. e-books can either be read online or downloaded for a certain time period allowing access to books at home, at work, at college and on the move!

Dog grooming salon

There are fully equipped dog grooming salons at our Huntingdon and Leeds centres which are run as dog grooming businesses in their own right. This allows students who are studying their City & Guilds Dog Grooming qualifications the ability to train in a real life setting.

Free WiFi

All centres have free WiFi access. Please ask for log in details at reception.

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

The College’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is an online system providing teaching and learning in a virtual, educational setting. As a student, you will be given a unique ID number and use a password to log into the system. You can then access your own course as well as any additional learning support. You will be able to view our resources on your mobile phone, at home or wherever you choose to complete your college work. The use of digital copies of course materials has enabled the College to considerably reduce its paper and ink consumption.

Are you wondering what studying online looks like? We are extremely proud of our online learning platform and virtual classrooms. Our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) provides interactive content and resources available at any time of the day or night. As well as accessing your course materials, you will be able to utilise wellbeing tools, study resources and an eLibrary. Our Virtual Classrooms offer live, realtime interactive lessons with chat features where you can get involved and ask (and answer!) questions. You can take part in polls and collaborate with your lecturer and peers using an interactive whiteboard. Learning from the comfort of your own home has never been easier! Watch the video below to find out more.

Virtual Reality Learning at CAW

The College of Animal Welfare’s new virtual reality technology is changing the way we think about learning. All CAW veterinary nurse students will have the opportunity to use virtual reality headsets to prepare for their OSCEs (practical exams). Virtual reality helps create muscle memory, leading to the development of practical skills and alleviating exam anxiety. Students can practise the OSCE tasks that they may come across in their real exam, such as taking x rays, packaging samples and identifying parasites. We are the first veterinary nurse college to use virtual reality and we are very excited about the potential application of it.

Netbooks

Netbooks are available for students to use whilst in the classroom (subject to availability). This allows for notes to be taken electronically, as well access to learning material on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Learning without limits

Responding to recent learner and employer feedback, which indicated that some routine job roles within the sector did not have opportunities to utilise the resource of the Internet and the use of common place Information Technology (IT) systems and software, the College set up its ‘Learning without Limits’ learner project under a capital funding grant from the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

The grant has allowed the College to provide free use of IT learner packs such as notepads, dongles, electronic writing pads and access to a wider range of online learning materials supported by improved IT infrastructure and state of the art systems.

Car parking

Each of our centres has free car parking available but this is subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. If you require a disabled parking space, we advise that you contact us the day before you are due to attend college and we can ensure a suitable space is reserved for you.