Hartlepool Sixth Form College celebrates two years of success after merger with Sunderland College

The Brinkburn college joined forces with Sunderland College in September 2017 and form part of the recently created Education Partnership North East, which also includes Northumberland College.

Hartlepool college bosses say it has led to substantial investment, financial stability and improved exam results.

Under the direction of new leadership, the sixth form has reported an increase in A-level results with a 99.1% overall pass rate.

Twenty subjects have seen a 100% pass rate including, maths, English, history and computing science, with a just under three quarters of students (74%) achieving top A*-C grades, allowing students to go on to some of the country’s top universities including.

Mark Hughes, head of Hartlepool Sixth Form, said: “Following the two years since merger, I’m delighted with the significant improvements Hartlepool Sixth Form has made.

“Our student achievement rates in professional and technical diplomas has improved considerably and is now 11 per cent above the national average.

“I’m delighted to report that the merger has continued to create further opportunities for our students, staff and employer partners, stabilised Hartlepool Sixth Form’s financial position, and led to exciting new developments to ensure our students benefit from a wide range of resources and high-quality learning environments.”

The merger has also led to investment in new facilities and resources including in digital and health specialisms where there is shown to be demand for skills and job opportunities.

The sixth form recently launched a state-of-the-art Health Hub offering realistic training environments for social and hospital care, and its new Digital Academy offers education and training in digital software, cyber security, virtual reality, coding, games, animation and special effects.

Mr Hughes added: “I look forward to continuing to work with our colleagues at Sunderland to deliver a first-class learning provision for the benefit of our students, staff and the region.”

Since merging with Sunderland College, the Hartlepool site has also boosted its sport curriculum with the TASS (Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme) Dual Career Accreditation and formed a partnership with Northumbria University providing access to top-of-the-range sports performance analysis and nutritional support.