Veterinary Nurse Training in County Durham

The College of Animal Welfare was established in 1989 with the vision to use education to help tackle animal welfare issues and the problem of unwanted and abandoned animals.

Today, the College has centres in Cambridgeshire, West Midlands, North London, Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, County Durham and Scotland and specialises in training in the land-based sector. We strongly believe that education and training is the key to raising standards of animal welfare. To this end, we strive to create new and accessible opportunities for learning, and encourage employers and those working with animals to undertake appropriate levels of training and continue with lifelong learning and education.

As the UKs largest veterinary nursing college, by choosing us as your training provider, we can offer you the opportunity to study within a community of like-minded students and staff, who all share a common passion for animal welfare and a commitment to pushing forward what is already an exciting and rewarding profession.

We have a well-earned reputation for excellence, delivering quality training and education for over 30 years. We also have a history of being a pioneer with a number of unique achievements; the most notable are the creation of the first ever BSc (Hons) Veterinary Nursing programme in 1998 and the Level 2 Diploma for Veterinary Care Assistants programme in 2005.

We provide regular, free careers guidance via our website and twice annual Careers With Animals Day, to help people from all backgrounds gain the information and advice they need to begin a career in the veterinary and animal care industries. We also offer a free jobs board to assist our community in finding jobs in the animal care industry.

The College of Animal Welfare’s satellite training centre at Wearside is based inside Wear Referrals.

Wear Referrals is an award-winning veterinary referral small animal hospital, boasting state-of-the-art facilities across multiple disciplines. 

Wear Referrals has no fewer than six consultation rooms and four operating theatres. They also have two dog wards, a cat ward, isolation ward and prep room, plus an intensive care unit (ICU), cardiology suite, imaging suite, MRI scanner, ultrasound, CT, endoscopy, fluoroscopy, arthroscopy, laparoscopy, thoracoscopy and hydrotherapy facilities.

We’re delighted to be able to offer the opportunity for students to study veterinary nursing at this site, which is a perfect environment to develop the practical skills and knowledge required to become a successful RVN.

Based in Bradbury, Stockton-on-Tees in Country Durham, Wear Referrals is conveniently located just 300 yards from Junction 60 on the A1, which is the Sedgefield turnoff. This allows easy and rapid access from all surrounding areas. Get directions from your postcode

To help potential students get a taste of what College life is like, we hold regular open days throughout the year. During the open days, you will have a tour of our facilities and find out more about our courses and what it’s like to study with us. What’s more, it provides you with the opportunity to speak to our tutors and ask any questions they might have. Take a look at our upcoming open days