The National Extension College (NEC) has appointed Esther Chesterman as its new Chief Executive. She takes over from Ros Morpeth OBE, who led the organisation over three decades. Esther has an impressive track record of leadership in education and training, spanning more than 20 years. She brings to the NEC experience in corporate governance, change […]
Tag: education
From the 1960s to today: A levels with NEC lead to dream teaching job
Over the years, we have helped thousands of students gain English language and literature qualifications and achieve their full potential. Patricia first studied with NEC in the 1960s and went on to study at university, ultimately gaining her dream job of teaching. Here is her experience of studying with a newly-founded NEC and rediscovering our […]
How is bookkeeping done differently in the digital age?
Whether you are running your own business, wanting to develop skills for a career as a bookkeeper, or wanting to support your family business, having an understanding of a business’ finances is essential. Even when using finance software such as Sage or Quickbooks, an understanding of the methods and processes of bookkeeping will give you […]
The new online learning generation
Report of a survey of NEC’s changing student profile If you left school as I did without the currency of 5 good GCSEs and 2 or 3 good A levels, you will find that as an adult many doors will never open for you, no matter how much you achieve in your life or career. […]
Lessons from lockdown – do we need to create an open school for the UK?
Peter Lavender OBE discusses lessons from lockdown, the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on attitudes towards distance learning, and the need to create an open school for the UK. At the start of lockdown in the UK, educationists were not short of ideas on how things could change. A notable comment included the significant voices […]
Women in art history and the resurgence of Artemisia
This blog post was written by NEC A level History of Art student Fleur. Due to themes and images that may be disturbing to some readers we have cropped the images – the full paintings can be viewed by clicking on the images. “You will find the spirit of Caesar in this soul of a […]
What is National Marine Week?
National Marine Week runs from 25th July to 9th August and celebrates the over 30,000 species that call the seas around the UK home. Marine ‘week’ takes place over 15 days to allow for the different tidal patterns around the country, and whilst it is slightly different this year due to Covid-19, there are still […]
Bouncing back and moving forwards: how NEC can help with home education in an uncertain world
The National Extension College was founded by Michael Young and Brian Jackson as an educational charity in 1963 to widen participation in education, and to promote lifelong learning. Michael Young, wrote: “we were searching for education without institution, learning while earning, courses which people of all ages could take in their own time, at their […]
Getting back into maths and English with Functional Skills
Want to learn more about improving English and maths skills as an adult? Catherine Paulson-Ellis discusses the advantages of gaining Functional Skills qualifications. Just about everyone in the UK has heard of GCSEs. After all, most children in England do them at school and employers often include them in job requirements, not unreasonably – anyone […]
Why study astronomy?
Whether you’ve been captivated by the recent solar storms or the flyovers of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites, astronomy has provided a fascinating distraction during challenging times. The great news is, you don’t need a fancy observatory or a university lab to study the stars. Whether you have a garden, a balcony, or even a small […]