Canterbury became the world headquarters in 2000. Since then, it has developed a global network of academic partners and learning centres. The trajectory is quite remarkable:
Oxford (1973) → Boars Hill (1976) → London (1996) → Canterbury (2000) → global/digital Warnborough
The move to Canterbury allowed Warnborough to combine its Oxford heritage with a more international and technologically enabled model. Its history illustrates the move from a ‘site-based institution’ to an international and technologically expansion enabled model. Today, it has partnerships and programmes across countries including Mexico, Poland, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and others, alongside distance learning. It has turned the idea of an Oxford-inspired international education into a genuinely global enterprise.
The Warnborough story in three stages
1. Oxford, 1973 -1996— the original idea
Warnborough College was founded by Ethyl Tempest-Mogg and Brenden Tempest-Mogg in 1973, initially to give visiting American students an Oxford-style educational experience, particularly through the Socratic tutorial method. The founding ceremony was held at Rhodes House in Oxford, and the warden Sir Edgar Williams welcomed distinguished guests and praised this new initiative.
Over 200 American colleges and universities, recommended its top seniors, and all accepted its credits. Warnborough alumni history attests to the many overseas students sent from overseas colleges/universities, and governments. The University of Oxford welcomed Warnborough students to attend lectures, to join clubs and play sports. The historic residential campus on Boars Hill (1976-1996) was conducive to study, and to an intellectual and cultural environment all on the doorstep of Oxford.
2. The great transformation — 1996 –
The Boars Hill campus eventually reached capacity. Warnborough sold the property and relocated to London in 1996. But 1996 was also the year it decided to embrace the Internet and distance learning. What had been a geographically concentrated Oxford college began evolving into something that could reach students internationally without requiring them to live in Oxford. That is a remarkably early recognition of what the Internet could do for education. Boars Hill gave Warnborough its Oxford identity. The Internet liberated it from Boars Hill.
3. Canterbury — Oxford’s heritage becomes global
Warnborough subsequently made Canterbury its world headquarters in 2000. The choice wasn’t accidental. Canterbury was another historic English educational centre, with a long international and ecclesiastical tradition. Since then, the model became increasingly international. Warnborough now works with academic partners and with over 100+ learning centres around the world, and offers hundreds of distance-learning courses.
Its 53-year history shows the progression particularly vividly: Boars Hill in the 1970s and 1980s → international programmes → Australia → London → Malaysia and Hong Kong → Canterbury → worldwide activity. Warnborough began by bringing the world to Oxford; it then took Oxford-inspired education to the world. Warnborough deliberately established itself at Boars Hill and built part of its identity around the Oxford educational tradition.
Remember
The original idea was quite distinctive: bring American students into an Oxford intellectual environment and expose them to the Socratic method, rather than simply providing a conventional overseas-study-abroad programme. That is important because it explains why Oxford was not merely a geographical location for Warnborough. Oxford was part of its educational philosophy.
Another dimension: Warnborough Foundation – UK Charity
And there was also a strong social and philanthropic dimension. The Tempest family had a long history of involvement in education and charitable work, and Warnborough’s foundation records say that at Boars Hill the college provided grazing for neglected donkeys and a lake for injured swans for the RSPCA, while also raising money for charities and a village project in Ghana. The Warnborough Foundation (UK) was formalised in 2000 and its focus is providing training for needy youths who need to learn skills for a successful career.
International Outreach
During the 1980s and early 1990s, Warnborough expanded substantially. Students arrived through UNESCO scholarship programmes, government schemes and diplomatic exchanges, while governments sponsored students from countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Venezuela, Malaysia and Uruguay. Then in 1985, Warnborough launched an Australian study-abroad programme. That is significant because Warnborough was already moving away from the idea of “students come to our Oxford campus” toward: “We can take the Warnborough educational model into other countries.”
Onwards and Upwards
The crucial turning point was in the 1990’s.That transition is important. Boars Hill represented the physical Oxford model. Distance learning represented geographical independence.
In 1997 Warnborough College was established in Ireland to add another dimension for degrees via Distance Learning.
Warborough’s world headquarters is in Canterbury, UK.
Its global learning centres activities have included conferences and partnerships across Europe, Asia and elsewhere. In 2024, Warnborough was involved in organising the 40th anniversary conference of IVETA in San Antonio, reflecting its involvement in international technical and vocational education. It also participates in Erasmus+, the Commonwealth of Learning and IVETA projects.
UK Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher in 1973 wished Warnborough all success and this is exemplified in its worldwide expansion.