It’s a hat-trick of recent major accolades for Nelson and Colne College Group.
Because having been rated the nation’s best at delivering adult learning and the only Outstanding college in the county by OFSTED, they have now been deemed second-best college group IN THE COUNTRY by government.
And what is particularly positive news for Accrington, Colne, Nelson, Rossendale and the Lancashire region is that this recognition covers all aspects of their teaching – from A Levels to apprenticeships.
Last year 24 A Level subjects achieved a stunning 100% pass rate. An amazing 83% of our A Level learners progressed to university, which is 29% higher than the national average and is in part due to having had incredibly strong support from their tutors to enable them to achieve their academic goals.
For Jamaal Saiid, the journey from promising Biology, Physics and Chemistry A Level student to Cambridge University medical candidate, really took off during his time at Nelson and Colne College. Said Jamal: “A Levels are not just about the pen and the paper; they are the classroom environment around you and at Nelson and Colne College you feel like you are learning with family.”
Jamaal has also seen the value of volunteering and had a mural painted of him after having been named a Premier League ‘Community Champion’ for his work teaching young children as part of the Premier League’s “Kicks” programme, with Burnley Football Club.
The teaching at Nelson and Colne College Group instils students with a love of learning and a desire to be the best. That is something Chloe Stott has taken to heart. Currently studying A Levels in English Language, English Literature and Media, she has been entered for one of the College Group’s first-ever Student Awards in June. Her Nelson and Colne College based nominator said: “Chloe is by far the most prolific user of the College library. She has read ninety-four non-fiction and fiction books that she has borrowed since the start of this year, with most being classic literature and books on scientific topics. This is on top of books she reads that she gets from elsewhere!”
The College Group also pioneers new qualifications – including T-Levels, which are advanced level courses for technical education students and involve local businesses in the process of creating the curriculum. The College Group currently boasts a perfect 100% T Level pass rate.
The super-high classification of the college came from the Government’s National Achievement Rate Tables, which measure colleges on the most vital objective of all – students successfully passing their course.
Lisa O’Loughlin, Principal and CEO of Nelson and Colne College Group concluded: “It must be a huge reassurance to parents, businesses, and students to know that we are providing some of the best learning in the entire country on their doorstep. At our group we foster the following ethos and encourage learners to adopt it, too: “Don’t accept the ordinary – be extraordinary!”
