Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma in Agriculture 2025-26

The Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma in Agriculture is the second year of the Advanced Technical Diploma, building upon the skills and knowledge you received in the first year to further enhance your agricultural knowledge.

This qualification gives you the opportunity to learn about and build on the essentials of working in farming such as safe working practices in farming, livestock husbandry and crop production, plant and soil science, estate skills and operating agricultural machinery as well as business skills. A specific route will be chosen to specialise in either livestock, arable or farm mechanisation.

Students choosing the livestock option will go to study subjects such as farm livestock health and nutrition, pollution and waste control management, business improvement and farm animal science, plus you will learn about specialist dairy, beef, sheep, pig or poultry production. You will also study further topics such as grassland management or farm habitat management. This would be for you if you really enjoy the aspects of farming relating to animals and their husbandry and production.

If you chose the arable option, then you will learn those skills that are particularly important for working with agricultural crops such as pollution and waste control management, business improvement, agricultural spreaders and sprayers plus further subjects such as forage crop production, grassland management, harvesting, storage and marketing of root crops, field vegetable production and combinable crop production.

For the farm mechanisation pathway, you will focus on the agricultural machinery side. You will learn about land-based power units and workshop practice, plus you will study further topics such as repairing compression-ignition engines, mechanical power transmission systems, spark-ignition (petrol) engines, cultivation, planting and application machinery and harvesting machinery.

We also work with local employers who will contribute to the knowledge and delivery of training. Employers will provide demonstrations and talks on the industry and where possible work placements will also be provided by the employers. This practically based training is ideal preparation for gaining employment in the agricultural industry or specialist further study.

• Health and Safety
• Livestock, Machinery
• Arable
• Grassland
• Estate Maintenance
• Bio-security

This qualification gives you the opportunity to learn about and build on the essentials of working in farming such as safe working practices in farming, livestock husbandry and crop production, plant and soil science, estate skills and operating agricultural machinery as well as business skills. A specific route will be chosen to specialise in either livestock, arable or farm mechanisation.

Students choosing the livestock option will go to study subjects such as farm livestock health and nutrition, pollution and waste control management, business improvement and farm animal science, plus you will learn about specialist dairy, beef, sheep, pig or poultry production. You will also study further topics such as grassland management or farm habitat management. This would be for you if you really enjoy the aspects of farming relating to animals and their husbandry and production.

If you chose the arable option, then you will learn those skills that are particularly important for working with agricultural crops such as pollution and waste control management, business improvement, agricultural spreaders and sprayers plus further subjects such as forage crop production, grassland management, harvesting, storage and marketing of root crops, field vegetable production and combinable crop production.

For the farm mechanisation pathway, you will focus on the agricultural machinery side. You will learn about land-based power units and workshop practice, plus you will study further topics such as repairing compression-ignition engines, mechanical power transmission systems, spark-ignition (petrol) engines, cultivation, planting and application machinery and harvesting machinery.

Centres and providers work with local employers who will contribute to the knowledge and delivery of training. Employers will provide demonstrations and talks on the industry and where possible work placements will also be provided by the employers. This practically based training is ideal preparation for gaining employment in the agricultural industry or specialist further study.

There are so many opportunities for progression into the agriculture industry after this course! You could either go on to university, or you could move into a wide variety of jobs in the agriculture sector.

If you decide to specialist in the livestock pathway as part of your course, you could move into job roles such as a herdsperson, shepherd, dairyman, livestock contractor or assistant poultry unit manager.

If you decide to specialise in the arable pathway, you could move into job roles such as a crop contractor, agricultural technician, assistant head tractor driver, fixed plant manager or sprayer operator.

And if you decide to go for the farm mechanisation pathway, you could find yourself in roles such as a machinery technician or a farm mechanic.

Alternatively you could move on to university to study a wide variety of agriculture-related degrees.

Progressing from a Level 2 Diploma requires a minimum of an overall Merit and be competent at tractor driving. Good attendance from previous year is also required.

Direct entry requires a minimum of 5 x GCSE's at Grade 4+ including maths, English and science and two other subjects. Basic livestock knowledge and tractor driving skills are required for this course. Entry onto any course at East Durham College is subject to final approval from the Assistant Principal. Where relevant, the term ‘entry requirements’ also includes DBS checks, references, fitness to practice, etc.

Our entry requirements are in place to support our students in achieving the qualifications they have chosen to study. In addition to the entry requirements, all students will be regularly assessed by East Durham College at an early stage in their study programme. This is to ensure that students are enrolled onto courses which suit their abilities – following assessment, there may be occasions when students are transferred to a relevant course at a higher or lower level in order to ensure they are enrolled on to the right course for them to achieve and progress.

Entry onto any course at EDC may have entry requirements in addition to exam results; this includes but is not limited to DBS checks, references, fitness to practice and at times physical requirements to be capable of achieving the practical elements of the course without assistance. Entry onto any course at East Durham College is subject to final approval from the Assistant Principal.

East Durham College's Houghall Campus is committed to providing a supportive and welcoming environment for all our students. The campus, some of which is over 80 years old, has seen over £40m invested in new facilities over recent years. However, there are still some aspects of the site which are not fully accessible and would cause an issue for those with limited mobility or wheelchair users and due to the nature of the site, adjustments may not always be reasonable at this stage. The College is committed to further investment and improvements of the site, as we work towards ensuring the campus is as accessible as possible. If you have limited mobility or are a wheelchair user and wish to undertake a course at the Houghall Campus, please contact Student Services on 0191 375 4710 in the first instance to discuss your needs and options.

A range of externally moderated synoptic assignments, externally marked tests, internal tests and assignments.

September 2025

This is a 2 year course programme, with the first year being the Advanced Technical Diploma in Agriculture before progressing onto the Advanced Technical Extended Diploma in your second year.

This full time study programme courses may also be available to study on a part-time basis if you are aged 18 or over on 31st August. Please check with Student Services for more details.