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...

Jeremy’s stepping stone to studying Natural Sciences at university

NEC has been working with our partners to provide a series of free webinars on our YouTube channel for anyone interested in studying a…

Access to education for marginalised students: Exploring access arrangements

In this blog post, we delve into a thought-provoking podcast episode that focuses on the topic of access arrangements for students with special educational…

Meet the recipients of the Russell Kane Scholarship

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…