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Plumpton College goes from strength to strength, with increasing number of students achieving highest grades possible.

The college’s vocational Level 3 students triumphed with an outstanding whole college achievement rate of 96%, with a large increase in the number of students achieving the highest possible academic grades: Triple Distinction.

An impressive 86% of students gained a Triple Distinction - the equivalent of 3 As at A level - in Blacksmithing & Metalworking and for the BTEC Extended Diploma in Fish Management. Equally high marks were achieved by 72% of those studying the BTEC Extended Diploma in Horse Management and 70% of those who took the Extended Diploma in Sport. 

GCSEs were no less successful with grades 50% up on last year and 23% of students achieving grade 4-9 (A-C). The college was one of the first in area to use the new GCSE grading system which saw a student achieving Grade 7 (equivalent to A) in English and Grade 5 (equivalent to a B) in Maths.

The College has achieved an outstanding retention rate for its students over the past year, placing it in the top 10% of establishments nationally.

Rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted for their accommodation, the College offers vocational courses, apprenticeships and everything in between, covering topics from agriculture to animal management, horticulture to machinery. Its exceptional facilities include an 800-hectare site, machinery workshops and a purpose-built wine centre, to name but a few. 

Jeremy Kerswell took over as Principal of Plumpton College in October 2015 having worked at land based colleges around the UK including Moulton, Cannington and Hadlow.

He said:

Across the college over the past two years, we have put a lot of extra focus on the academic achievement of our students to ensure they are best placed for future progression and career success in the ever-changing sector in which they will work.

This focus has been underpinned by higher standards of teaching and learning, coupled with the excellent support which has always been recognised at the college. We’re proud of how our staff – and predominantly students – have responded to this to achieve these results, not only to position themselves for the future, but also to demonstrate that high levels of individual academic achievement can be achieved and are important for the land based sector.

Many of these students will now be progressing onto higher education either at the college or elsewhere.