Ready to Start Working With Animals?
Applications for September 2027 are open. Apply online in 10 minutes.
Level 1 Award Animal Care
If you love animals and you want a career working with them, this is your starting point. You'll work hands-on with a wide range of species at our on-campus Hub Animal Centre, learning to promote their health and wellbeing while working safely. No prior animal qualification is needed. Our tutors have industry experience, so what you learn is grounded in how the work is actually done.
Got a question? Ask us
How you’ll learn
A Hands-On Introduction to Working With Animals
This is a practical course. You’ll work with a wide range of animal species at our on-campus Hub Animal Centre, which is home to over 100 species across temperature-controlled vivariums and uses the same diagnostic equipment found in top veterinary practices. Snakes, tarantulas, guinea pigs and many more, you’ll learn to handle, feed and care for them safely. Tutors with industry experience teach the practical work that underpins everything else in animal care.
You’ll also get out on regular field visits to Valley Wildlife, working with larger animals like alpacas, donkeys, pigs, goats and sheep. The focus is on the fundamentals of the work: safe and effective working practices in land-based industries, maintaining animal health and well-being, and the routines of feeding and watering. By the end of the year you’ll have a real foundation in the work, and be ready to take on Level 2.
Core Skills
- Safe and effective working practices in land-based industries
- Assist with maintaining the health and well-being of animals
- Assist with feeding and watering animals
Practical Experience
- Safe and effective working practices in land-based industries
- Assist with maintaining the health and well-being of animals
- Assist with feeding and watering animals
Entry and progression
What you need and where it leads
- Entry requirements
- This course Level 1
- Further study
Entry requirements
- GCSE Maths and English at Grade 1 or 2
- A genuine interest in animals and working with them
- Successful interview with our team
If you haven't yet achieved Grade 4 in Maths or English, you'll keep working towards them alongside your course, built into your timetable.
Not sure you meet these? Talk to us and we will help you find the right starting point.
Careers it can lead to
- Animal Care Services Occupations £23,700 a year
- Farm Workers £25,100 a year
- With further study or experience Veterinary Nurses £26,600 a year
- With further study or experience Veterinarians £43,800 a year
Typical pay is the UK median for each job (Lightcast, October 2026).
Life on the course
See what it’s really like
Our facilities
Real Animals, Real Facilities
Real Animals, Real Facilities
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The Hub Animal Centre (on-campus)
Over 100 species across temperature-controlled vivariums. Snakes, tarantulas and guinea pigs among them. Equipped with the same diagnostic tools used in top veterinary practices.
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Field visits to Valley Wildlife
Over 100 species across temperature-controlled vivariums. Snakes, tarantulas and guinea pigs among them. Equipped with the same diagnostic tools used in top veterinary practices.
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Off-site practical sessions and work experience
Built into your year as part of how the course is delivered.
On-Campus Animal Centre · 100+ Species
Student Voice
“
Learning health and safety, cleaning and handling animals, and working at the farm has helped me prepare for future experiences within animal management.
For parents and carers
Supporting your child’s journey
Financial Support Available
Bursaries are available, and free meals are provided for those who qualify. If cost is a concern, there's help, and it's straightforward to apply.
Financial support infoLearning Support
If your child has additional learning needs, our support team works with them from day one. Adjustments are put in place early so they can get the most out of their course.
About learning supportQualifications That Count
These are nationally recognised qualifications with real academic weight. Your child will develop practical skills and knowledge that employers and universities genuinely value.
See the full unit listYour next step
Apply now, come and see us first, or ask us anything.
Want to visit first?
FE Open Event – 12th January 202712th January 4:30pm to 7:00pm
Got a question?
Ask us about the course, entry requirements or funding.
Call 0800 358 7575
What happens after you apply
1
You apply
Apply online and you’ll get a confirmation email.
2
You meet your tutor
We’ll invite you to an interview to talk through the course and your plans, and make sure it’s right for you.
3
You get an offer
We’ll email you a conditional or unconditional offer.
4
You get ready to start
Come to a taster session in the summer, then enrol in August, bringing your results.