Following its Annual Performance Review by Estyn, Coleg Ceredigion is delighted to announce that it is the best college in Wales for short course success rates and in the top quarter of all colleges in Wales for all its full time (long) course results! Estyn states in its report that: “the college has achieved an upward trend on these long courses for all data indicators over the last four years. In addition, 2012-13 data shows the college’s success rate has remained in the top quarter of all colleges in Wales for the last two years and in 2012-13 was the highest in the [further education] sector for short course success rates”.

Estyn’s published report goes on to note the college’s use of innovative teaching methodologies, the good links with business and industry and the opportunities for learners to engage with employers. They also highlight the rigorous monitoring of quality in teaching and learning and the way the college “prepares learners effectively for living in a bilingual community, with learners able to study bilingually or through the medium of Welsh”. The benefits of the recent merger with University of Wales Trinity Saint David are stressed in terms of the additional opportunities available to develop the curriculum and for students to progress to higher education.

Learners rate the help and support they receive at the college particular highly with the percentage of those scoring the support as ‘very good’ being over 5% above the all Wales sector average for Further Education colleges. Estyn further note that Senior Leaders and Governors: “work well to implement the college’s mission statement Fulfilling Potential, Changing Lives and as a result staff have a strong commitment to individual learners with many learners exceeding their predicted targets”. Estyn also state that: “learners who had never considered themselves suitable for university move on to higher education programmes”.

Good partnership arrangements are highlighted and in particular the links with schools that enable pupils from across Ceredigion to undertake vocational options at the college. Over the past three years approximately 20% of school pupils who undertook college vocational link programmes have progressed to study at the college. The Principal of the college, Jacqui Weatherburn, said: “This is an excellent report which highlights the first class work that staff at Coleg Ceredigion are undertaking to prepare our students for their chosen future. Every single learner is important to us and we work passionately to ensure that each individual who enrols at the college truly does, as our mission statement states, to fulfil their potential and change their lives”.