The government’s official national post-16 Performance Tables for schools and colleges have been released, and show that in 2013 Truro and Penwith College was the best performing 16-18 provider in Cornwall.

The data also shows it was the largest Cornish post-16 provider of both A levels and higher vocational qualifications.

The college topped the performance tables for state schools and colleges on every single measure, not only for A levels, but also for wider academic provision (which includes the International Baccalaureate).

On the key ‘points per student score’ for A level students, which effectively measures how much university “currency” students have earned, the college’s score of 852.6 was not only well above that achieved by any state provider, it also exceeded private providers in the County.

The college exceeded the national average score by over 50 points. A level students at the college, now numbering nearly 900, also achieved an "outstanding" points per entry score, well in excess of both the Cornwall and national averages.

Progress made by A level and other students at the college show that they achieved significantly higher grades than those predicted by their GCSE results.

This was confirmed in the college’s value added score, which is not only the highest achieved in Cornwall but also places Truro and Penwith College in the top three per ecnt of all providers nationally. 

The performance of the nearly 800 students following higher level vocational courses at the college was also excellent. Here again the ‘points per student’ and ‘points per entry’ scores were above both the national and Cornwall averages, and the value added was the second highest in the county.

Mark Arnold, director of quality at the college, said: “This result confirms the remarkable progress made by students from their results at GCSE. It means that the exceptional scores students reached were not simply the result of high GCSE grades on entry or selective recruitment practices. The fact that learners here make much better than expected progress reflects the hard work put in by our students and the outstanding teaching provided by our staff.”

College Principal David Walrond said he was "delighted" with the assessment of the college's performance.

He said: “These outcomes for students are really excellent, but the even better story is what these great results led to for many hundreds of young people. The outstanding performance which these tables confirm enabled, for example, 1,250 students to progress from Truro and Penwith College to university, with 319 of those achieving places at Russell Group universities.

"They also enabled hundreds of other students to progress into a wide range of excellent employment opportunities. The best contribution we can make to social mobility, the best means we have of enhancing life chances, is to improve achievement levels and progression opportunities post-16. This is what this college is determined to do.”