Student Stories

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…

Distance learning as a mature student working abroad: Chun’s Experience

As distance learning has grown in popularity as an effective alternative to traditional learning, the benefits of this type of study for mature students…

Sharon’s positive experience of distance learning leads to an A grade in her English Language A level

There’s no denying that distance learning is rapidly gaining popularity as a successful educational platform outside of traditional schools and colleges. With this in…

Martin’s story: From no qualifications and working in a factory to a long academic journey and a professional career

With NEC celebrating our 60th birthday in 2023, we have been asking students for their stories of studying with NEC. Throughout our 60 years,…

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…

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,…

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…

Other articles...

What To Do When You Didn’t Get the A Level Results You Wanted

Receiving your A Level results can be an overwhelming experience, especially if the results turn out to be less than you had hoped for….

What is Homeschooling?

In recent years, the idea of homeschool learning has been gaining popularity as an effective academic alternative. Homeschooling offers a unique approach to learning…

How to Apply to University with Confidence

Starting the university application process can be both exciting and overwhelming. From deciding what course is right for you, to campus tours and filling…

National Extension College celebrates its 60th birthday

The National Extension College (NEC), is marking a special birthday in 2023 as we celebrate 60 years since the college was founded by Michael…

Resits or retakes – what is the difference?

Examinations play a crucial role in our educational journey, and sometimes we don’t achieve the results we had hoped for. However, it’s important to…

Why study Classics as a teacher?

The Classical Association is offering five bursaries for state sector teachers to study A level Classical Civilisation flexibly with NEC. Bursary recipients will be…

The benefits of offering Classics to your students

The Classical Association is offering five bursaries for state sector teachers to study A level Classical Civilisation flexibly with NEC. Bursary recipients will be…

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…

Exploring the NEC Podcast – Postbag: Insights and Discussion

Welcome to our fifth podcast! In this episode, Esther Chesterman, CEO of NEC and Samreen Shah take a trip down memory lane to the…