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...

Thoughts on OEAS

The National Extension College (NEC) welcomes the decision by the Department for Education (DfE) to introduce an accreditation scheme for online education providers in…

The importance of Maths in everyday life and unconventional careers

As an online education organisation that delivers Maths A Levels, GCSEs, and Functional Skills, we are passionate about the importance of mathematical skills in…

University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education offers tuition fee bursaries for NEC students for 2023-2024

The Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) and NEC  are once again collaborating to offer a 100% tuition fee bursary for the 2023-2024 academic year. …

The Importance of Mindfulness in Education

In this podcast, Esther Chesterman and Samreen Shah speak with Dr Helen Maffini, an expert in mindfulness and social-emotional learning, about the importance of…

Motivation to Study

In recent years, online learning has become increasingly popular as technology has advanced and more people have access to the internet. The National Extension…

Issues around School Refusal

The term “school refusal” has gained more awareness since COVID hit in 2019. With parents and guardians finding it difficult to navigate and adapt…

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…

Access to education for marginalised students: Exploring access arrangements

In this blog post, we delve into a thought-provoking podcast episode that focuses on the topic of access arrangements for students with special educational…

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,…

Free online events

We work with a range of partners and experts to bring you a calendar of virtual events. Book your free tickets and learn more…