In July 2022 NEC launched the first annual Russell Kane Scholarship Programme. Russell Kane, now a multi-award winning comedian, TV and radio presenter, actor, author and scriptwriter, is a former learner at NEC. Now an advocate for widening participation in education and combating the socio-economic attainment gap, Kane has been outspoken about the need to […]
Joe
Free online events
We work with a range of partners and experts to bring you a calendar of virtual events. Book your free tickets and learn more about subjects and careers: NEC Presents: Careers for classicists Thurs, July 28th, 2022 3:00 PM BST Book your free ticket NEC Presents: Why study A level History of Art? Wed, Aug […]
What happens when there aren’t enough students to fill a classroom?
Every summer there are dismaying articles about the decline in modern foreign languages in schools. Not to mention the drop in language learning during the COVID-19 lockdowns (Bawden, 2021). With fewer students opting to study languages, what happens when there aren’t enough to fill a classroom? Josh found that this was the case when he […]
Missing out on a September college start sparked new opportunities for aspiring doctor
Ubayd gained high grades in all ten of his GCSEs and was accepted into Luton Sixth Form College. However, due to family circumstances, he was abroad when the academic year began and so missed out on the first few months of his scheduled A levels. Do you need to wait until September to enrol? No! […]
News adding to your stress?
We understand that external factors can affect your study. Whether it’s the war in Ukraine, issues in your personal life or something you read in the news, negativity can have an impact on your work. Here is a great article with some coping mechanisms that can help you at this time: https://www.verywellmind.com/anxiety-about-ukraine-and-the-threat-of-war-5221204 We’ve also compiled […]
NEC In Conversation: Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards
It’s not every day that you get the chance to speak to a national treasure! Eddie the Eagle studied with the National Extension College (NEC) in the late 1990s, completing several GCSEs and A levels before heading to De Montfort University. NEC’s Joe Bell spoke to Michael ‘Eddie the Eagle’ Edwards about his journey to […]
Three must-read books for art history students
A few years ago, we launched our interactive A level History of Art course. Since then we have seen students of all ages from all over the world enrolling to further their passion for art history and gain a qualification not often available in mainstream schooling. Whether you are studying at A level with NEC, […]
Why study A level Geography?
To celebrate the launch of NEC’s online interactive A level Geography, we spoke to lead tutor Alison Leadbetter about why she loves the subject and her experience. What can you learn from A level Geography? “Geography as a subject focuses on the spatial relationships between people, places and the environment. The world around us is […]
Tribute to Hilary Perraton
Hilary Perraton, one of the first members of staff of the National Extension College (NEC), sadly died of cancer on 15th November 2021. (Obituary in Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/dec/27/hilary-perraton-obituary) During his life he made a significant contribution to shaping the discipline of open and distance learning as a thinker, writer, researcher and teacher and laid the foundations […]
Tina enrolled with NEC to pursue a teaching career. She enrolled her teenage son for GCSEs.
Tina chose to enrol with NEC in 2016 in order to gain the qualifications needed to access a career in teaching. “I wanted to complete a level 6 diploma to gain entrance to university to become a primary teacher. However to become a teacher I needed a minimum of a science GCSE C grade so […]