Rochdale Sixth Form College links with leading universities

The universities of Lancaster and Liverpool are the latest establishments to have offered their support for Rochdale Sixth Form College, which will open its doors for the first time in September.

Lancaster University was ranked as the best university in the North West by The Sunday Times University Guide 2010, while Times Higher Education named it as being among the best in the world. Lancaster’s Management School is also regarded as being amongst the highest ranked in the world.

The University of Liverpool is also among the UK’s top research-led universities and is seen as a centre of excellence in a number of disciplines including engineering, medicine, dentistry, business and law.

Both of the universities will work alongside Rochdale Sixth Form College to help students to prepare for and apply to university.

The new £26m sixth form college will serve 16-18 year-olds and focus purely on A and AS Levels in a bid to provide students with a supportive yet challenging learning environment which will compliment a progression to university.

Fred Binley, undergraduate recruitment manager at Lancaster University, said: “It is fantastic to be involved with what will soon become a centre of A Level excellence for Rochdale.

“Being brought in at this early stage gives us a chance to work alongside the college’s staff to maximise our opportunities to work together for students’ benefit from the very beginning.

“At Lancaster University we are keen to work with A Level students to help them to decide what they want from further and higher education and the direction they want to take their careers in, to give them the best possible chance of succeeding.

“We will be working with Rochdale Sixth Form College to offer presentations and workshops for students who need advice on courses, what to expect from the university lifestyle and how to apply.”

David Winstanley, education liaison manager for student recruitment and admissions at University of Liverpool, said: “We have found that colleges dedicated to A Level study, like the new Rochdale Sixth Form College, provide a great environment for students not just to learn, but also to find out about themselves too.

“As part of our partnership, we will be keen to visit Rochdale Sixth Form College and speak to some of the students who will be applying for university places and give them guidance on courses, university applications, and how to get the most they can from A Level study.”

Julian Appleyard, the College’s first principal who initiated the relationship with the universities, said: “For most A and AS Level students, going to university is their long term goal, so we want to give them as much support and advice as we can to fulfil their ambitions.

“The fact that we are already working with three fantastic universities further proves just how dedicated we are to bringing our students some of the best academic opportunities the UK has to offer.”