Lifelong Learning

University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education offers tuition fee bursary for NEC A level students

Applications open now  Continuing the relationship that began in 2021, the Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) and NEC are once again collaborating to offer…

What Qualifications Do I Need to Be a Nurse?

Have you decided that this year is the year you finally take that leap towards a new career? Are you considering a career in…

Why is it important to study maths?

In today’s world where technology is so openly available, it’s easy to assume that maths skills aren’t as in high demand and worth continuing…

What is an AS level?

Have you come across AS level courses, but have no idea what they are? In this blog post, we’ll explore the ins and outs…

Embracing Distance Learning: A Path to Inclusive Education and Lifelong Learning

In the realm of education policy, recent discussions have circled around the merits of reshaping our approach to learning, making it more inclusive and…

NEC’s 60th Birthday Bursary Winner

2023 has been marked as an incredible year as NEC celebrated its 60th birthday. As part of the celebrations, NEC offered a bursary which…

National Extension College: Sixty years of second chance learning – FE Week

“There is no doubt that its (National Extension College) original remit – to offer second chances to learners in our educationally divided country –…

The key to reviving social mobility

In our blog post on 13th July 2023, Is education the answer to social mobility? The contribution of the National Extension College, Ros Morpeth,…

Is education the answer to social mobility? The contribution of the National Extension College.

All political parties talk loudly about their commitment to social mobility and levelling up, but progress over the last decades has been dire and…

Workplace returners and those seeking a change of career given the opportunity to apply for a bursary to study with NEC

APPLICATIONS FOR THIS BURSARY ARE NOW CLOSED. NEC’s 60th Birthday Bursary will support one learner to get back into the workplace or to plan…

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NEC’s top courses for classics connoisseurs

The crowdfunded return of Time Team proves support for our interest in hidden histories. Although there has always been an interest in ancient history,…

Changing keys: from jazz guitar at a conservatoire to an engineering degree at the University of Sheffield

Toby left school with a string of A*s at GCSE, but the experience of suffering a bereavement during his exams led him to abandon…

National Work Life Week 2021: finding time for professional development 

National Work Life Week, established by the not-for-profit Working Families, takes place every year between the 11th and 15th of October. It is a…

NEC moves house: bigger premises and a brighter future

The National Extension College (NEC) is delighted to announce its expansion and relocation to new premises in the village of Sawston, Cambridgeshire.  Since its…

National Poetry Day 2021: a whistle-stop tour through NEC English tutor Colin’s favourite poets and poems

Thursday, 7 October is National Poetry Day. To celebrate, we challenged NEC English tutor Colin to pick a favourite poem…  Phew! This is the…

The STEM home educator’s guide to navigating Biology Week and World Space Week

STEM educational weeks are only marginally better than buses: you wait for one and then suddenly it’s both Biology Week and World Space Week…

Rediscovering self-belief through A level History of Art

When NEC student Rosa decided to give herself a second chance at further education, it was not for lack of success the first time…

Why study A level Economics?

In March 2016, we published a blog post outlining the benefits of studying Economics or Business at A level. The points we made remain…

Common misperceptions of distance learning

One common misperception is that distance learning students teach themselves, simply watching videos online. However, our courses, whilst flexible in the time that you…

How to stand out on LinkedIn as a student – NEC’s ten-step guide

Logging on to LinkedIn as a student can feel daunting. As the self-described “world’s largest professional network” with over 774 million members dotted across…