Policy and Campaigns

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…

The National Extension College response to the 2020 exams fiasco

The National Extension College understands how important A levels and other qualifications are to our students. Over our 57 years as an education provider…

Coronavirus (COVID 19) – important update

The offers listed on this page have now expired. For the latest information on our fees and services, including special offers if we are…

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science was set up in 2015 to advocate for gender equality within the sciences and highlight…

Adult education is on its knees: ‘Let’s hope when the dust settles on the General Election, policy makers will take heed’

No one can doubt that times are tough for adult learners. Since 2003 there are 2 million fewer adults in publicly funded further education,…

The future is digital for A level History of Art

Yesterday (12th November), I attended the official launch event of our online A level History of Art course, held at The Grammar School at…

How has the Brexit referendum affected A level Politics intake?

Academics at several universities confirmed “the Brexit effect” was driving a boom in applications for both politics and international relations degrees.* It is no…

Celebrating 30 years of the Prisoners’ Education Trust

The Prisoners’ Education Trust was started around a kitchen table in 1989 by David Burton, Donald McGovern and Elizabeth Andrew. All were passionate about the power…

How do we reverse the decline in mature student numbers?

Today’s blog is written by NEC Marketing and Policy Intern Rea Duxbury, pictured here (centre) with NEC Chief Executive Ros Morpeth (left) and Cambridge…

Taking the stigma out of dyslexia by raising awareness

In support of Dyslexia Awareness Week, we thought we’d highlight the features available on NEC courses that can help support our students with dyslexia….

Other articles...

A Head Teacher’s Priorities for 2024

Head teachers in secondary schools are steering through an intricate landscape of advanced planning, critical evaluation, and strategic decision-making. This period is pivotal, marking…

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 is the difference between GCSEs and IGCSEs?

When it comes to navigating education systems as a traditional student, distance learner or parent, there are many terms and qualifications that can cause…

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…

What careers can computing lead to?

Does the idea of a career in computing appeal to you? In this post we will be diving into everything you need to know…

Rapid change and the need to upskill and reskill means more of us are likely to be second-chance learners

Traditional providers alone can’t solve inequality “The next government must fully embrace ‘second-chance’ education in the drive to reverse the decline in social mobility.”…

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 Should Children Learn Computer Programming?

As we stand today, it’s undoubtedly more important than ever to be able to navigate and explore the use of technology with ease. It’s…

Happy Holidays from NEC

A message from our CEO Esther Chesterman: As the year comes to a close, I want to wish all our wonderful students, partners and…

Exploring School Attendance Challenges: A Podcast Discussion

In this episode of our podcast series, we discuss the critical issue of school attendance, led by our hosts Esther Chesterman, CEO of the…