BURNLEY College has been named as the best in the country for A Level and vocational results.

The college’s sixth form centre was ranked top according to official figures released this month by the government’s Department for Education’s National Achievement Rate Tables for the last academic year.

The college has also been rated as “outstanding” by Ofsted.

Principal Karen Buchanan said: “I am immensely proud that the outstanding, on-going efforts of our students, apprentices and staff have been recognised nationally.

“However, success for us, in the Burnley College family, is not merely about statistics and league tables.

“Success is changing the lives of our students and Apprentices: providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to stand head and shoulders above the rest; the broad range of experiences which empower them to determine and shape their own future and the support to develop as confident, resilient members of society, with the drive to make a positive difference.”

Over the last 12 months the college has achieved a 99.8% A Level pass rate with 60% of students achieving at least one A* to B grade at and a 100% Advanced Vocational pass rate for the sixteenth consecutive year

According to Ms Buchanan, the colleges success can be attributed to a blend of skilled and highly motivated teachers, giving individual support to students and providing a range of extra curricula activities.

Staff hope that this will help students to go on to secure places on some of the UK’s most highly sought-after degree programmes.

She said: “We build futures and change lives: our students achieve their full potential, they progress to top universities, including the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Russell Group institutions each year, they enjoy successful, rewarding careers where they can make a difference.”

Speaking about the recent figures she added: “For the results of this to be recognised in these Government achievement tables is amazing!”