Rochdale Sixth Form College ranked best performing college in the country

Julian Appleyard, Principal at Rochdale Sixth Form College

The Department for Education has ranked Rochdale Sixth Form College the best performing college in the country.

The table, released by the government’s Education Funding and Skills Funding Agency, measures achievement rates in 2015/16.

RSFC principal, Julian Appleyard OBE, said: “We are very proud of this achievement as we were in January when we topped the Department for Education Performance Tables for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year.

"This table is particularly significant as the College does not set stringent entry requirements.

"We are and have always been an inclusive Sixth Form College since we first opened our doors just seven years ago.

"When students join RSFC at 16, their prior attainment is below the average, so our position as the top performer reflects the culture of achievement, a no excuses mentality and is testament to the outstanding staff that deliver quality in the classroom.”

“The A-Level performance in Rochdale prior to 2010 was in the bottom 10% of provision nationally. Again this week’s DfE data, like January’s, reflects huge progress.”

Achievement rates are calculated by multiplying the number of students who achieve a pass in their course by the number of students who stay to the end of the course.

Tom Fay, vice principal at the College, said: “At Rochdale Sixth Form College our students make exceptional progress, succeed on passing their qualifications and importantly stay with us for their full course. The retention of students is so important to us. Our mantra of compassionate rigour and treating each student as an individual who is to be valued is at the heart of our culture.”