Student Stories

How NEC Helped Kari’s Son Niko to Continue his A level Studies Despite Long-Term Illness

When Kari’s son Niko was unable to continue his studies at college due to ill health, the family needed a solution to ensure Niko…

Embracing a New Path: Jill’s Journey from Online Learning to Career Success in Art History

In a world where career shifts and lifelong learning have become the norm, Jill’s story stands out as a beacon of inspiration. Having recently…

How Toby Found a Perfect Fit for His Passion: Online A level English Literature with NEC

Toby H, an avid theatre and drama enthusiast, had always been home educated. With a strong foundation of nine GCSEs, he was eager to…

How Griffin found a solution to his study needs: Online A levels with NEC

When watersports fan Griffin moved with his family to Portugal he was unfamiliar with the local schools and the education that they could offer…

Vivienne’s online learning experience – Distance learning as a mature student

It’s not everyday that we hear of students starting a course with us thirty years after first hearing of NEC. In this case, mature…

Embarking on a journey: My decision to ‘Fast-Track’ A level Physics with NEC

We’re delighted to share the first in a series of guest posts by Izzy an NEC learner who is sharing her learning journey with…

Homeschooler Andrew’s experience of studying IGCSE Chemistry

Last year, we shared Andrew’s experience of how homeschooling was helping him to balance education and family commitments. We caught up with Andrew to…

Mia’s NEC experience and her pursuit of knowledge

There are a number of reasons why students decide that distance learning is a suitable form of education for them and their needs. In…

Andrew’s experience: How homeschooling helps balance education and family commitments

Arguably, one of the biggest benefits to online and distance learning is the freedom it allows students to study at a time and place…

How homeschooling is helping Amelia work towards a medical career

You may have seen us share a recent story about the benefits of distance learning as a mature student. In this post we explore…

Other articles...

ADHD in the Classroom

In this podcast episode, which you can listen to on our Podbean page, the hosts National Extension College’s CEO Esther Chesterman and Samreen Shah…

Connex Education Academy and the National Extension College announce new partnership

Connex Education Academy, who offer a wide range of online learning have announced a new partnership with the National Extension College.  Connex Education Academy…

Introducing Issue 1 of our new newsletter NEC News

The National Extension College (NEC) has launched a new newsletter NEC News to keep you up-to-date with developments at NEC.  In the first issue…

Homeschooling or Home Education; is there a difference?

Homeschooling and home education are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. In this blog post, we…

Thoughts on OEAS

The National Extension College (NEC) welcomes the decision by the Department for Education (DfE) to introduce an accreditation scheme for online education providers in…

The importance of Maths in everyday life and unconventional careers

As an online education organisation that delivers Maths A Levels, GCSEs, and Functional Skills, we are passionate about the importance of mathematical skills in…

University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education offers tuition fee bursaries for NEC students for 2023-2024

The Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) and NEC  are once again collaborating to offer a 100% tuition fee bursary for the 2023-2024 academic year. …

The Importance of Mindfulness in Education

In this podcast, Esther Chesterman and Samreen Shah speak with Dr Helen Maffini, an expert in mindfulness and social-emotional learning, about the importance of…

Motivation to Study

In recent years, online learning has become increasingly popular as technology has advanced and more people have access to the internet. The National Extension…

Issues around School Refusal

The term “school refusal” has gained more awareness since COVID hit in 2019. With parents and guardians finding it difficult to navigate and adapt…