Moulton College governors resolved an intention to dissolve on 4 November, with final merger approvals due on 10 December. Checked November 2026.
Moulton College’s governors resolved an “intention to dissolve” on Wednesday 4 November, a key step towards merging with Northampton College on 1 January 2027. Governors are expected to complete the final approvals on Thursday 10 December, the colleges said.
The word “dissolve” refers to the legal body, not the campus or the name. The colleges’ consultation report says the plan is to dissolve the corporation of Moulton College and transfer its assets, rights and responsibilities to the corporation of Northampton College. That corporation would then be renamed the Northampton and Moulton Colleges Group. Both colleges are set to keep their existing brands, and Jason Lancaster, Northampton College’s principal, has been confirmed as Principal and CEO Designate.
The same report shows how the public responded: 72 responses, with half of those who answered the question in favour.
What the two principals say
Mr Lancaster, Principal and CEO of Northampton College, said: “It was essential that the feedback we have received during the public consultation process was properly considered alongside the detailed work that took place to understand the implications of bringing our two colleges together.
“The latest governance meetings represent the natural next step in that process. Our focus now turns to ensuring that everything is in place to make the switch to a merged college group as straight-forward as we can come January, while creating the best possible transition for our learners, our employers and the communities we serve.”
Yultan Mellor, Interim Principal and CEO of Moulton College, said: “Throughout this process, our priority has been to secure a strong future for Moulton College, our students and the industries we serve.
“We are proud of our reputation in land-based education, and this proposed merger would provide an opportunity to build on those strengths through increased investment and greater resilience. The due diligence work completed at both colleges means that we are now in a position to press ahead with preparations ahead of the final decisions in December, before officially coming together.”
How big the new group would be
The colleges say the group would have more than 12,000 learners on five campuses, making it one of the largest further education providers in the region. These are the figures in the consultation report:
| College | Learners | Staff | Turnover | Campuses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northampton College | Around 8,000 | About 838 | Around £50m | Booth Lane, Lower Mounts, Daventry |
| Moulton College | Around 4,000 | About 442 | Around £33m | Moulton, Higham Ferrers |
| Proposed group | More than 12,000 | About 1,300 | Around £83m | Five across Northamptonshire |
The colleges say the Moulton campus will play a central role, focusing on agriculture, animal welfare, equine studies, ecological conservation and sport.
What the consultation found
The consultation ran from 10 August to 21 September 2026. It drew 72 responses, including one letter, and 68 respondents answered the question on whether they supported the merger: 34 said yes (50%), 15 said no (22%) and 19 were unsure (28%). The report calls the number of responses “relatively small” and says they do not represent a statistical sample of every group. The college web page had 688 views, and 35 staff also attended drop-in sessions.
The split changes sharply by group. Staff were strongly in favour, while most students who answered said no.
| Group | Yes | No | Unsure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moulton College students | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| Northampton College students | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Parents and carers | 9 | 2 | 8 |
| Northampton College staff | 9 | 1 | 3 |
| Moulton College staff | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Education or sector stakeholders | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Prospective students | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Employers or local businesses | 1 | 0 | 0 |
The report’s table prints 33 in its “yes” total, but its groups add up to 34, the figure used in its summary.
The colleges urge caution over the “no” answers. The report says that a review of comments from students and parents suggests “no” did not always mean opposition, and that “in several cases, the comments suggest that the question may not have been fully understood”. Only one employer responded.
The report concludes that the two corporations “have found no material objections to the merger”.
What people were worried about
The concern raised most often was staffing, structures, workload, pay and job security, in 14 responses. Protecting Moulton’s identity, heritage and specialist courses came next, in 13. Special educational needs support, safety and smaller learning environments came up in 10, and travel between campuses in 8. The report warns that these counts are indicative and overlap.
One Moulton College student wrote: “I am concerned that Moulton as the smaller college joining Northampton will result in Moulton receiving less funding and being neglected to support the greater demand in Northampton. Far too often I’ve seen smaller organisations join larger organisations and the smaller one ends up having to do more with less and being neglected.”
A Moulton College staff member wrote: “Neurodivergent might prefer the smaller Moulton Campus and be overwhelmed if they get sent to Northampton College.”
Others backed it. Another Moulton staff member wrote: “I believe the proposed merger is essential for both colleges and provides a stable and secure future for both colleges. It is, however, vital that Moulton retains its identity as a land-based college.”
An employer wrote: “Overall, this makes sense - streamlining back office offers benefits. Both colleges deliver excellent construction skills training and would not want to lose this.”
The name split opinion too: of 50 comments, 22 were positive, 19 critical and 9 mixed. Thirteen called it long, wordy or uninspiring in some way, and nine suggested a shorter county-wide or umbrella name, including Northamptonshire, Northants, Nene or Nova.
What it means for you
Students: the colleges say current courses, apprenticeships and student support “will continue to be delivered seamlessly” after the merger in January. The merger FAQ page says students will stay at their usual campus “for the foreseeable future” and that no campuses would be lost under the plans.
Applicants: the same page says “nothing is changing right now about how people apply”. Apply to the course and college you want.
Staff: the page says “we can’t make any guarantees about redundancies at this stage”, adding that the intention would be to grow student numbers and that staff would be needed to teach them. It says matters such as pay and benefits would be worked through after a merger.
If it does not go ahead: the FAQ says both colleges would carry on independently and keep working closely together.
What happens next
Further work now goes towards the remaining approvals, with the final decision expected on 10 December and the merger planned for 1 January 2027, subject to that approval. The FAQ page says the Department for Education must also approve any merger.
The colleges say updates will go on the proposed merger page. Northampton College recently opened £500,000 of upgraded workshops at Booth Lane.
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