Results day celebrations at DCG

A Level students collecting their results at Derby College Group were joined last week for the first time by students who have completed the new T Level qualification.

T Levels were launched two years ago as the ‘gold standard’ of vocational and technical education and are 16 to 19 qualifications, broadly equivalent in size to three A levels. They can help students into skilled employment, higher study or apprenticeships.

Nearly 360 A Level and the 25 students, who are the first to complete the initial three T Level study programmes, collected their results from the Joseph Wright Centre last Thursday.

The atmosphere was celebratory as A level students have achieved a 98% pass rate and 100% of T Level students achieved a pass rate in Advanced Education and Childcare; Digital Production, Design and Development; and Construction, Design, Surveying and Planning.

Nearly half of the cohort achieved the top grades: A* to B for A Level students and Distinction grades for T Level students. This is higher than the previous Teacher Assessed Grades – bucking the predictions that actual grades would be lower this year.

Derby College was one of the first providers to offer these brand new T-Level qualifications to students in 2020 and the only College in the East Midlands to offer all three of the first qualifications available: Advanced Education and Childcare; Digital Production, Design and Development; and Construction, Design, Surveying and Planning.

T Level students spend 80% of the course in their learning environment, gaining the skills that employers need. The other 20% is a meaningful industry placement, where they put these skills into action.

With a current cohort of 136 students and more programmes coming on board every year, T Levels are now available in a wide range of subjects with the College offering courses in the three original three subjects as well as Civil Engineering, Digital Support Services, Engineering and Manufacturing: Design & Development, Health, Science and Management and Administration.

Derby College Assistant Principal for Academic Education Matt Ridgill said: “These are exceptional results and we are incredibly proud of the hard work, commitment and resilience of our staff and students.

“These results and particularly the increase in higher grades are especially good considering it is the first time that this cohort of young people have sat external examinations and much of their first year was affected by lockdown restrictions.

“We have maintained high expectations of students with wide ranging practical and emotional support for students to ensure they were exam-ready.

A good majority of our students will now be heading off to their first choice university and the team of teaching and support staff will be on hand to support anyone who needs to clarify the situation and make decisions on their next step.

Deputy Principal Kate Martin continued: “The success of our first T Level cohort is testament to the robust frameworks of these qualifications which have been co-designed and co-delivered by a wide range of employers and these companies have played a vital role in the success of these students.

“All of our T Level students have either secured jobs, higher apprenticeships or university places following their study programmes and we look forward to tracking their progress throughout their future careers.

Derby College T Level students Matthew Kirk (18) and Harry Goodwin (18) came to collect their results with a representative of the company where they now work.

Matthew, a former student at the David Nieper Academy in Alfreton, achieved a Merit grade and has clinched an apprentice surveyor position with The Greenhatch Group which employs more than 130 staff across the UK and whose head office is in Little Eaton.

Harry Goodwin (18), a former pupil at Ecclesbourne School achieved a Pass grade. He has started work at the company under the traineeship programme and is hoping that this will lead to a higher apprenticeship the following year.

They were offered positions with The Greenhatch Group having impressed senior personnel who have been heavily involved in the co-design and co-delivery of the Construction, Design, Surveying and Planning T-Level at the College.