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March 2000: Exeter College ranked as ‘best in the west’

As part of Exeter College celebrating 50 years as the UK’s first ever tertiary college, we’re talking to some of the inspirational students, staff and alumni who have helped make us the Ofsted Outstanding education provider we are today. 

Then: 

In March 2000, we welcomed Further Education Funding Council bosses into our College, who completed a breakdown inspection over a week-long period.  

Ranked against seven other local education centres, Exeter College came out on top. We obtained the best score for two performance levels and came second for a third.  

The inspectors commented on the outstanding student support and the impressive increase in our overall A Level pass rate, with a 13% increase since 1998.  

Tim Smith, Principal at the time, said, “At a time when education is coming under such intense scrutiny, it is good to achieve a grade profile that is probably the best in the west in the current academic year.”  

Now: 

Two decades later and we continue to uphold these incredible results, currently standing as Devon’s only Ofsted Outstanding further education College. 

We have also been named as the best in the South West for employer satisfaction in Apprenticeships and we’re on the Sunday Times Top 100 Not for Profit Employer list. On top of this, we’ve been selected as one of the first colleges in the country (the only one in Devon) to offer the T Level qualification, rolling out this September. 

Additionally, we’ve maintained our amazing results, setting new records for the latest academic year. Our A Level students achieved an overall pass rate of 99.7%, well above the national average. Our International Baccalaureate results were the best in the College’s history, with 100% of students passing and nearly a third of students achieving more than 40 points out of a possible 45.  

We couldn’t be prouder of all our students, staff and partners who have helped to shape and uphold the success of our college.  
 
Interested in joining Exeter College? Apply now online.  

Exeter College is celebrating 50 years since being named as the UK’s first tertiary college. Although our roots date back to the 1800s, our status as a tertiary college marked a revolution in further education and 2020 marks our 50 years of excellence since that landmark. If you have a memory of Exeter College through the years that you’d like to share then contact marketing@exe-coll.ac.uk or get involved on social media using #ExeColl50 

Exeter College is the Best FE College in the South West for exceptional employer satisfaction, according to official figures.

The college is positioned in the top spot regionally and second out of circa 200 FE colleges nationally, scoring 99% – very close to a near perfect 100% – for employer satisfaction.

This exceptional achievement is well above the national figure of 85.2% for employer satisfaction for FE colleges, according to figures released by the Department for Education (DfE) in its 2018 survey of employers.

The news comes amid record recruitment to Apprenticeships at Exeter College, with more than 1,000 starts in 2017/18.

This is against a backdrop of severe national decline, with the number of new Apprenticeships in the UK falling by approximately 30 per cent in the year to June 2018. Exeter College’s bucking of this national trend is supported by the exceptional customer service and support provided to employers by the Apprenticeships Team.

The Apprenticeships Team has also moved to a new Apprenticeships & Employment Hub in Queen Street, in the heart of Exeter city centre.

To further champion employer engagement, Exeter College is launching a ‘Positive about Apprenticeships’ charter mark at its Bringing Clarity to the Future of Apprenticeships conference today (Friday 30th November 2018), designed to recognise employers that go above and beyond in support of their apprentices and employees.

An ideal forum in which to celebrate the work of these selected local employers, the conference brings Apprenticeship experts from education, government, professional bodies and local employers to inform, inspire and clarify.

John Laramy, Exeter College Principal and Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted that employers have rated their satisfaction with us, at 99% – a near perfect 100%. This places Exeter College as the highest performing college in the South West. I would like to congratulate the team who work so proactively with our employers and thank our employers for the way in which they work with the college.

“As a college we aim to be a partner, not simply a provider of Apprenticeships. It is clear from this feedback and the continuing growth of our Apprenticeship provision, this approach is working. We understand that our role is to make the whole process of employing an Apprentice as simple and impactful as possible.”

Mike Blakeley, Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Engagement, said: “The dedicated employer support team at Exeter College works exceptionally hard to meet the needs of businesses across the region.

“In a period of significant reform we’ve continued to ensure employers can access a pool of talented individuals to enhance their business and access outstanding training to support existing employees. With more than 100 staff dedicated to Apprenticeship provision, this accolade will be seen as a just reward for their exceptional endeavours.”

The achievement caps off an outstanding year for Apprenticeships at Exeter College. Significant highlights include securing the largest single employer contract won by the college with the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, and the celebration of the first year of an outstanding partnership with GWR, recent finalists for a national award for Apprenticeship Employer of the Year.

Ella Fielding, an Apprentice who has worked within the Apprenticeships Team at the college, has been recognised individually for her outstanding performance and contribution to the college and community in the Devon Pride Awards, National Apprenticeship Awards 2018 and most recently the Association of Colleges Awards.

The college has also expanded its apprenticeship offering, with more than 90 different Apprenticeship programmes now available, giving more choice for individuals looking for support in their chosen career pathway.

Think Apprenticeship. Are you an employer looking to work with an exceptional Apprenticeship Provider? Call our Apprenticeship Hotline 01392 400800 today.

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