Staff and students at Nelson and Colne College Sixth Form are celebrating once again, as 2014 proved to be another outstanding year with an A Level pass rate of 100% and a Vocational pass rate of 99.8%!
In 2014, data released by the Department for Education recognised Nelson and Colne College Sixth Form as 1st in the country for A Level Value Added scores, which measure the distance between a student’s eventual A Level grades compared to the results they were predicted based on their GCSEs. This means that the College’s students routinely outperform others from across the country!
The same data also placed the College as the 4th highest performing college in the country for A Level grades, from 317 colleges, sixth forms and sixth form centres. It also highlighted that Nelson and Colne is the 3rd highest performing college in the country for 16-18 year old Apprenticeship success and that its Vocational results are the best in the area.
The College has been graded as Outstanding by Ofsted in two full inspections since 2005 and is also a Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) Beacon College – confirming the College’s status as one of the best in the country. The College is also one of only a small elite selection of education establishments to have been awarded STEM Assured® status by the New Engineering Foundation (NEF), which recognises excellence in STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology and Maths) provision within the Further Education sector.
College Principal, Amanda Melton is understandably delighted with this year’s outstanding A Level and Vocational results. She said, “I am thrilled for all of our students, who have worked extremely hard this year and who are fully deserving of their excellent success. Special thanks must be given to the College’s excellent team of staff for their continued commitment to exceptional teaching. We are particularly delighted to see the number of A* grades continuing to rise and to see so many of our students secure their first choice places at some of the country’s leading universities. It is an exciting time for our students as they now move into university or employment, but I know that they will do so with great skills and increased confidence. They are a credit to East Lancashire.”
In 2014, more than 380 students from the College progressed to top universities across the UK, including the University of York, UCL (University College London), the University of Manchester, the University of Leeds, the University of Bath, Lancaster University and the University of Liverpool. The students will read exciting and challenging degree programmes such as Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science, Physics with Astrophysics, French with Asian/African Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacy, Business Management, Advanced Psychology, English Language and Literature and Law.
Nelson and Colne College has a long-standing tradition of excellence, with whole generations of families benefitting from the education they received as a student at the College. This year’s results are further validation that the people of East Lancashire have a truly outstanding College on their doorstep; one which nurtures and supports its students so that they achieve to the very best of their abilities. It is largely due to the College’s small and caring environment and outstanding teaching that so many students are able to progress to the next level: attending some of the best universities in the country or entering into challenging and worthwhile careers.
Umair Asif, from Colne Primet Academy, is one of the numerous students who have been given the means to chase their dreams! Umair achieved A* grades in Mathematics and Further Mathematics, and A grades in Chemistry and Physics. He also scooped a rare prize – a Distinction in the Advanced Extensions Award for Maths! He is one of three students from the College who secured a place to assist with university standard research, completing summer project work with the Nuffield Foundation in summer 2013. He has completed a Physics project at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, regarding simulating the formation of disk galaxies using computer programming. Umair is progressing from Nelson and Colne College Sixth Form to the University of York to read Physics and Maths.
25 year old Sarah Kendall, from St Christopher’s CE High School, is another success story. Sarah achieved an A* in Biology and 2 As in Chemistry and Physics. Like Umair, Sarah secured a place to assist in university standard research with the Nuffield Foundation. She attended The University of Manchester’s Department of Life Sciences, carrying out a project entitled ‘Assessment of Inflammation in Experimental Stroke’. Sarah is now going to the University of Leeds to read Microbiology.
Star Science student, Amy Elliott, from Pendle Vale College, achieved 2 A* grades in Mathematics and Further Mathematics and 2 As in Physics and Chemistry. Amy is now going to read Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Manchester.
Joseph Gawthrop, from Colne Park High School, achieved fantastic triple A* grades in Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics. He is now progressing to the University of Bath to read Natural Sciences.
It isn’t just A Level students who have done amazingly well at Nelson and Colne! Thomas Eyre and Amy Crawshaw are just two of the many who will be that much closer to fulfilling their potential, thanks to their time at the College.
Thomas, from SS John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School, achieved D*D*D* in BTEC Extended Diploma in Public Services. He will now be reading Business and Management at the University of Central Lancashire. Amy, from Colne Park High School, defeated the stereotype that Engineering is a career for boys, achieving a D*D*D* in BTEC Extended Diploma in Engineering – an outstanding achievement! She will now be studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds.
It’s clear that students at Nelson and Colne College Sixth Form are driven, ambitious, and incredibly talented, and given outstanding support to help them to achieve their goals. These are the future students of top universities, and the future employees of the best companies around.
