We are BTEC College of the Year 2019, in 2017 the College was awarded a prestigious Beacon Award for “engagement with Employers” and is was the one of two finalists for a Beacon Award in “Careers Education” in 2018.
Rated by Ofsted as Good with very stable finances, Sunderland College and the new group entity are on a student-focused, employer-led journey to place excellence at the heart of everything they do.
The college has strong links with businesses, both regionally and nationally, and offers a range of employer-focused courses, including apprenticeships and bespoke training programmes.
In recent years the College has won numerous other awards linked to ‘creating safer learning spaces’ and ‘better health at work- continuing excellence’. It has also been awarded the matrix Standard, the national quality mark for advice and guidance, five times in a row. And recently achieved a silver award in the Teaching and Excellence Framework (TEF) in recognition of the quality teaching experience given to higher education students, putting it alongside the likes of Durham, York and University College of London.
Over the last 3 years Sunderland College has significantly increased its reputation locally, regionally and nationally. As a result, members of its executive leadership team are represented at numerous boards and committees such as the AoC, Board, Industrial Strategy Council Prosperity Mapping Group, NE LEP Board and Skills Advisory Board. Locally the College is seen a place shaper and values connectivity with its communities; it takes a lead role in most economic, business and other city wide leadership groups and initiatives.
The College is also part of the T level pilot group for industrial placements and is a lead college for the NE Careers Hub- a cornerstone hub for the rest of the country.
Prior to merger with Northumberland College, Sunderland College recently completed a £55 million capital redevelopment programme and now has four main campuses, 2 in the city, one in Washington and 1 in Hartlepool. New builds include an impressive Arts Academy, Sports Academy and City campus for professional and technical education and training. Its Bede campuses includes Sunderland’s largest Sixth Form centre.
Following merger with Northumberland, the College now has over 21,000 students across all of its College campuses with a catchment area ranging from the Scottish borders to the Tees Valley.
Alone Sunderland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form have in the region of 13,500 students in any given year.
Quality outcomes show a three year improvement trend with the College improving:
From 56th position to 19th position nationally for its apprenticeship timely achievement
From 98th position to 45th position nationally for its E&T outcomes
The College’s excellent track-record in apprenticeships places it in the top quartile nationally of all colleges delivering apprenticeships for quality. 95% of apprentices remain in employment at the end of their apprenticeship, and the college currently supports over 600 businesses and more than 1,300 apprentices.
A recent study demonstrated that the college has an impressive impact on the local and regional economy, and highlighted the following key points:
Every £1 learners pay for their education, yields £4.90 in higher future wages, a return on investment of 16.9%
£444.5m additional income per year to the local business community
Accumulated contribution of former learners to the regional economy equates to £401m added income a year
Society benefits from an average annual return on investment of 19.6% – for every £1 invested, society receives £5.90
Sunderland College is now the largest college situated entirely in the North East LEP area. Having successfully merged with Hartlepool Sixth-Form College in 2017, the College has recently merged with Northumberland College, to create a new group of colleges under the brand Education Partnership North East.
Our strategic plan for the organisation is on our website but the video below will ensure you know what we as a College want to achieve.
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