Top honour for college

WARRINGTON’s Priestley College has received a top honour which acknowledges its place as one of the UK’s best for science and maths.
It has become the first sixth form college in the country to receive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) assured status.
Principal Mike Southworth said: “This confirms we are successfully preparing students for university and providing them with the
essential skills needed to help them gain employment.
“It is a great honour for Priestley to achieve this status and it reflects the hard work of our teachers and students.
“We will continue to strive to provide the very best education possible in Science, Maths and Technology and across all of our curriculum provision.”
STEM status is only given to institutions that support the needs of business and industry through specialist teaching and training in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.
Officials from NEF: The Innovation Institute visited the Priestley campus in Loushers Lane twice over the last year.
Students, tutors and external representatives were interviewed by the STEM team who also examined other evidence to support the application.
They also spoke to companies with strong links to Priestley College including Solvay, Barclays Bank, Warrington Borough Council and Manchester-based Studio Liddell.
Their final report was sent to representatives from the UK’s top 100 companies who agreed that Priestley deserved the STEM Assured status.
Professor Sa’ad Medhat, chief executive at NEF, said: “There is fantastic enthusiasm, commitment and resources dedicated towards the advancement of the STEM agenda in Priestley College.
“The college has made a serious investment that will have a genuine impact on the local economy and it is this vision that will support and drive regional economic development.”
In recent years Priestley has invested more than £3 million in facilities for Science, Technology, Engineering
and Maths including the creation of three new science laboratories, the refurbishment of the design and arts centres, the extension and full re-fit of the learning resource centre together with the provision of
more than 500 new computers.
In addition the college has extended its curriculum provision through the introduction of vocational progammes in science, computer games design and media studies.
There has also been a significant increase in the take up in A Levels in physics, maths, chemistry, biology, electronics, computer science, health and social care and design related programmes.
This was also a big factor in awarding the college its place on the list of top providers of education in these subjects.