1.1 The School/Division
Professor Tim Parkin, Head of Bristol Veterinary School, leads a School with vision to be acknowledged as world class in veterinary teaching, research and clinical service and as a leader in food animal health, production and welfare. We aim to deliver world class research that positively impacts animal health and welfare, to promote a healthy society.

We work closely with the University’s School of Biochemistry, School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, and School of Anatomy, as well as Bristol Zoo to deliver our Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences (BVSc) programmes, a BSc in Veterinary Nursing and Companion Animal Behaviour, and a taught Masters in Global Wildlife Health and Conservation.

Our School academic and support staff structures comprise a senior management team supported by a central support unit (finance, technical, personnel, administration and student services). Academic staff are part of relevant clinical and teaching teams and are also members of one or more relevant research groups focussed around themes of Population Health and Global Food Security. Current staff numbers are approximately 100 academic staff alongside around 70 support staff.

We are located on a rural campus at Langford, 14 miles south of Bristol. The Langford estate, together with its dairy farm (Wyndhurst), occupies 255 acres. The area is in the heart of the Mendip hills but with access to theatres, restaurants and cultural attractions in Bristol, Bath and Wells. The environs offer outdoor activities such as walking, mountain-biking, rockclimbing, caving, riding and sailing. There is a broad range of housing and good schools within easy driving distance of the campus.

As a School we essentially undertake three enterprises:

Teaching

We have a major commitment to teaching of both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

A Five-Year Veterinary Science Degree (BVSc) and a Four-Year Veterinary Science: Accelerated Graduate Entry Degree (BVSc AGEP)

Through our recently revised five-year BVSc curriculum we aim to provide a broad scientific education and training in clinical skills and to inculcate a learning ethic in our students that will remain throughout their working lives.

Features of the programme include of the use of groupbased learning (directed-self-education), teaching in clinical subjects integrated from 3rd year, an extended, lecture-free final year and the expansion of elective teaching. We currently take in 180 veterinary undergraduates per year with students spending their first three years in Bristol, with one to two days per week spent at Langford, and the final two years at Langford.

In September 2019, we launched our new four year Accelerated Graduate Entry degree programme in Veterinary Sciences (BVSc AGEP) with an intake of around 55 students per year. This Langford based programme takes an entirely case-based learning approach in years 1 and 2 prior to integrating with the BVSc for the clinical training phase. BSc in Veterinary Nursing and Companion Animal Behaviour (VNCAB)

We offer a four-year degree programme in Veterinary Nursing and Companion Animal Behaviour. Our students spend their first year primarily in Bristol studying basic science disciplines alongside their core veterinary nursing skills training. The 3rd year of the programme is entirely focussed on clinical work placements and research dissertations in the final year allow our veterinary nursing graduates to grow their scientific and research skills. Our annual intake is up to 50 students, with our students studying concurrently for their professional VN qualification.

Masters in Global Wildlife Health and Conservation
We run a 1-year full-time MSc in Global Wildlife Health and Conservation in association with Bristol Zoo. Each year, 50 students from all over the world develop their conservation, captive wildlife management and research skills on this programme.

Graduate Training
Currently within the School we have approximately 50 students who are working towards higher degrees by research (PhD and MSc by Research) focussed on our overarching research themes of Population Health and Global Food Security.

Graduate Clinical Training
In partnership with Langford Vets, and Bristol Zoo, we offer scholarships in a number of disciplines to undergo clinical training to European or American Diploma level. We also offer a PGDip in Veterinary Clinical Practice, with intern placement experience in the clinics of Langford Vets. -

Continuing Education
Langford Vets, our clinical partner, runs the School’s Continuing Professional Development for veterinary surgeons and nurses, and the School runs a Continuing Education unit which offers a range of courses and day conferences designed for professionals in the food animal industry on a wide variety of topics.

Research
Our overall strategy is to direct research towards the linked goals of optimal health for animals, people and the environment, and to address some of the world’s critical challenges such as feeding a growing global population. To this effect, the School has identified and embraced two overarching research themes: Population Health, and Global Food Security. These align with the wider themes of the Faculty of Health Sciences and best leverage our position of strength and international profile in areas that include Animal Welfare and Behaviour, Infection, Inflammation & Immunotherapy, One Health approaches to Antimicrobial Resistance and Clinical Research, towards the synthesis of impactful world leading research.

Our veterinary research plays a vital role in the research agendas of two institutes recently established by the University: the cross-faculty Elizabeth Blackwell Institute (EBI) for Health Research and the Cabot Institute for Environmental Research. The School also works closely with the Jean Golding Institute for Data-Intensive Research, the University’s flagship multidisciplinary research institute.

The School places considerable emphasis on collaboration between individuals across all areas of the School and the wider Faculty within, and across, the recognised University Research Themes, and both nationally and internationally. Research is supported by funders including Research Councils, Government Departments, EU, Wellcome Trust, other Charities, and Industry.

Clinical Services
Our clinics at Langford (Langford Vets https://www.langfordvets.co.uk/) provide practical training for veterinary science and veterinary nursing undergraduates and graduates. Currently, the services consist of three first opinion practices (farm, small animal and equine), a major small animal referral centre, and a laboratory diagnostic service. The annual turnover is in excess of £14 million and more than 15,000 cases are handled by the 200 veterinary clinicians, nursing and clerical staff. In addition, a proportion of academic veterinary clinicians work a specified percentage of their time undertaking clinical work and clinical teaching within Langford Vets.

Langford Vets, as a wholly owned subsidiary of the University, is able to provide excellent customer care, increased efficiency, and state-of-the-art facilities, in addition to developing additional specialist care and improving the environment for students, staff and clients. Nonacademic clinical staff are employed by LV to deliver excellence in clinical service.