Grimsby Institute named one of the UK’s top colleges

Grimsby Institute has been named one of the UK’s top colleges in recent Government statistics.

The Institute has scored in the 90th percentile for overall education and training in the national achievement rates tables for 2016-17.

It also ranks 17th highest overall achievement in the country, as the largest college in the top 20.

Meanwhile, improvements were seen in apprenticeships and education and training, leaving the Grimsby Institute up to 4.9 per cent above the national rate.

Ricky Coxon, Executive Director Information Services and Planning, said: “The latest set of results are a testament to the hard work and amazing ability of all the staff here at the Grimsby Institute.

“This consistent, upward trend in our data is demonstrating the fact that we transform the lives of thousands of local people each year, giving them the skills, knowledge and training to make a difference to their local communities.”

If the Institute’s curriculum departments were counted as stand-alone colleges in their own right, four would have been included among the country’s top 20 colleges.

Enjoying particular success is the Faculty of Digital and Creative Industries, which would have scored second in the statistics as an individual entity.

The Faculty, which had 2,320 leavers last year, was only beaten by the National College for the Creative and Cultural Industries, which had less than 30 students graduating.

Associate Principal Emma Forrest-Leigh has led the department’s turnaround in the last two years, after adopting the “fun factor” approach to learning.

“While we were an outstanding college, Creative and Digital was a relatively standard area,” she explained. “Over the last two years our team have torn up the rule book.

“When I came in we formed a new Faculty Management Group and had a very clear vision, to work with stakeholders like students and employers.

“Nearly every decision we’ve made has been governed by the Student Council and we’ve completely changed the way we deliver courses.

“Instead of being studio or classroom-based, our courses are industry-simulated. We don’t have students, we have crew and production days.

“We’ve also changed our curriculum to run courses like cyber security, ethical hacking and preparation for freelance work, which are all endorsed by employers.”

Emma said her Faculty’s new methods aim to bring “fun and excitement” in, to make students want to “be involved and be successful”.

“Everything we seem to touch is working for us, which is all down to the hard work and dedication of the team.

“We are delivering to other colleges now on how to bring the fun factor back to education. We want our learners to come out competitive and hungry but to have fun doing it.”

Elsewhere, Workforce Skills Ltd would have achieved seventh place, followed by the Faculty of Commercial Enterprise in eighth, Health, Wellbeing and Society in 18th and Advanced Technology in 21st.