Bishop Auckland College has been named one of the top six best performing further education institutions in the country for student success rates. The latest national league tables for 2014/15 published by the Skills Funding Agency have rated the college the fourth best provider for 16¬-18 apprenticeships, with 84.9% of apprentices achieving their framework on time. The national average is 62.5%. It is rated sixth in the country for timely achievement rates for classroom based learning, with 88.6% of students passing their qualification, compared to the national average of 82.2%. The new performance figures are the latest in a string of positive news for the college in recent weeks. In June a report published by Ofsted concluded students at Bishop Auckland College experience a “culture of high expectations” which sets them up for future success. Inspectors found students ‘enjoy their time at college’ and recognise the knowledge and skills they are gaining will help them to be successful in their future lives, while leaders demonstrate a clear ambition that the college will provide ‘outstanding provision for all learners’. The overall grading for the college was ‘good’, with high quality education and training with outstanding features including apprenticeships for learners aged 16 to 18, programmes for unemployed adults to help them secure work and provision in the community to re-engage adults in education. June’s Ofsted report was followed last month by a positive verdict by Matrix, the national quality standard for information, advice and guidance (IAG) services, which described the college’s student support service as one of its ‘jewels in the crown’. The report said the college placed “considerable importance…on Student Services providing an effective, efficient and timely IAG service to meet the needs of students, employers and partners”. In order to meet the Matrix accreditation, the college had to meet 27 standards, including having clear leadership and direction, providing accurate, impartial and objective information to clients, and evaluating outcomes for clients. The latest positive inspections follow a Quality Assurance Agency Review of the college’s Higher Education provision in March, which found it met all four standards. Natalie Davison-Terranova, Principal and Chief Executive, said: “Our student success rates have been improving year¬-on¬-year for both classroom based education and apprenticeship training. “These latest government performance figures, which place the college in the top four in the country for 16¬18 apprenticeships and top six for classroom based learning are testament to the hard work of our students and our exceptional staff commitment. “Following an extremely positive Ofsted inspection, the Matrix accreditation and the Quality Assurance Agency Review of HE provision, they cap an excellent year for Bishop Auckland College.”
IN PHOTO:Natalie Davison-Terranova, Principal and Chief Executive
