We had some great news in the most recent edition of FE Week, the newspaper for the further education sector. Northampton College was rated joint second in its NICDEX, a ranking of all FE colleges in England. Here, we’re in pretty lofty company, with some of the very best UK colleges around us. The NICDEX uses UK data to rank colleges based on student and employer satisfaction as well as the proportion of younger and adult students who move on to good quality work or further study.
The College achieved a brilliant score of 10 out of 10 for student satisfaction, with rates for employers being only a little behind at nine out of 10. This is a very pleasing reflection of the hard work our teachers and other staff put in to make sure every learner gets a great experience and that the skills they learn are valuable at work.
After their courses, our 16-18 year old students progressed very well into further learning or work. Here again, we scored nine out of 10. Thanks must go to our team of fantastic personal tutors, academic coaches and other support staff who help learners make choices about their next step that equip them to succeed.
The NICDEX suggests our adult learners progress reasonably well but that we might have scope to further improve. Let’s keep working hard to make sure we use the skills and expertise we clearly have to help even more of our students take that next step.
It would be lovely for us to step up to number one next year (no pressure!). Regardless, I think everyone can be really proud of the work they do to support our students. But we should also be proud of our brilliant students for grasping the opportunities we are able to provide them with both hands.
