Exeter College in top 10 nationally for GCSE English and Maths grade progression 

Exeter College has been ranked among the top 10 state-funded further education colleges in the country for improving GCSE English and Maths grades among its learners, while for vulnerable learners it’s ranked in the top 3. 

New Department for Education (DfE) progression data places Exeter College 4th nationally for GCSE Maths and 7th for GCSE English for all learners out of 154 General Further Education Colleges in England. For those with the most barriers to learning, Exeter College is placed 2nd nationally for English and 3rd for Maths. 

Each year, around 3,000 young people arrive at Exeter College without achieving a grade 4 or above in GCSE English and or Maths, with most resitting their exams during the first year. Without these qualifications, learners may face barriers to completing Level 3 programmes and accessing a wide range of future education and career opportunities. 

One of Exeter College’s major strategic priorities is to improve learners’ literacy and numeracy. The DfE’s progression data highlights the strong progress young people make in these subjects when they join the College and reflects the level of teaching and support they receive. 

Learners who come to College without these GCSEs are given access to specialist teaching that focuses on building confidence, developing essential skills and supporting achievement alongside their main programme of study. This approach helps learners progress during their time at College and strengthens their long-term education, employment and life prospects. 

Beatrice McLeod, a current Level 3 Journalism Diploma learner, arrived at Exeter College without a GCSE in English. After resitting her exams, Beatrice progressed from a three to a seven in GCSE English. Beatrice said: 

“When I got my GCSE results last year, I was over the moon. I was surprised I’d done quite as well as I did because with English I went from a three to a seven. Even now, I still don’t quite know how I did that.  

“The teachers here are really quite understanding that you’re retaking and you need to be able to understand. If I was ever confused about anything, I felt able to ask. If there were any points where I was down about anything, I’d be able to talk to my tutor or my teachers, and they’d help in ways that they could.  

“When I came here, at first I was quite disheartened because I thought I was never going to get it, I just can’t do this. But my teachers believed in me and helped me believe in myself. I think that having another opportunity, with a different style of teaching, helps learners feel supported.”  

Lani Williams and Zoe Taylor are both studying Travel and Tourism at Exeter College. They joined without a GCSE in Maths, but successfully resat the qualification in their first year, both achieving a grade 4. The experience brought them together, and they have been close friends ever since. Lani said:  

“It was hard to balance a lot of coursework as well as trying to revise for maths. The teachers were really supportive and friendly which helped us. Maths and English are needed in quite a lot of jobs, so having Exeter College do it for students is really helpful, so they’re not struggling alone and trying to learn it at home on their own. They (the teachers) are always very supportive and willing to help.”  

When receiving her results, Zoe said: “I was very happy, I was over the moon. I was on my way to a festival, and I remember messaging Lani telling her I passed. I sent her a photo of me crying with happiness. Then I encouraged her to open hers because she was too scared. 

“For me, they (the teachers) took a lot better approach with maths than in secondary school. It was very start over and relearn everything in the simplest way to be able to understand, which was really helpful. 

“I think it’s really good you can get that help from Exeter College and not have to feel like you’re struggling on your own to do it.” 

Pino Butler, Director of Curriculum at Exeter College, said:  

“At Exeter College, we are fully committed to ensuring every learner can succeed, regardless of their starting point or background. That commitment sits at the heart of what we do. It’s about giving young people the focused support they need and opening doors to opportunities they may not have thought possible. 

“We’re delighted with these progression outcomes. They show how we support learners to catch up, achieve their GCSEs and move forward with confidence once they arrive in further education. This creates more choice for learners, enabling them to study the subjects they want and fulfil their potential, both now and in the future. 

“Supporting strong literacy and numeracy skills is one of the College’s top priorities. These impressive progression results are a direct reflection of the expertise, dedication and care shown by our brilliant staff, who work tirelessly to help learners succeed.” 

GCSE progression measures the average amount a learner improves their grade when resitting a subject. It is widely recognised as one of the clearest indicators of how effectively a college supports learners to improve their grades while in full-time education. 

The national progression average in state-funded further education colleges is 0.04 for English and -0.07 for Maths. The latest data shows that Exeter College learners who resit an English or Maths GCSE are expected to improve their grades by an average of 0.33 in English and 0.24 in Maths. Among disadvantaged learners, expected grade progression is 0.34 in English and 0.17 in Maths. 

These exceptional figures reflect the whole College effort that goes into ensuring young people resit their GCSEs each. This includes all College staff supporting exam delivery, from setting up rooms and invigilating, to ensuring all learners make it to College to sit their exams, even if their journey is disrupted. 

GCSE English and Maths courses at Exeter College are delivered part-time over a full college year, enabling learners to balance their studies while gaining essential qualifications. The College also offers GCSE Biology and a GCSE Maths Fast Track course, which is completed over 15 weeks, providing additional flexible pathways for learners to succeed.