WESTON College has celebrated a successful year after receiving its annual OFSTED report – which placed it in the top five per cent of further education colleges.

Representatives from North Somerset and Weston Town councils, along with businesses and organisations, were among 200 people who met for the breakfast launch of the annual report which highlights the college’s achievements in the past year.

College Principal Dr Paul Phillips said: “By OFSTED standards Weston College is outstanding, with a success rate 11 per cent above the national benchmark.

“We are in the top five per cent of further education (FE) colleges and top two per cent of FE colleges offering long courses.

“We are bucking the national trend by investing more than �7million in the college this year.

“When I started 11 years ago we had a turnover of �7million. This year it’s �34million and next year it is set to be �45million.”

Among significant results this year was a 99.8 per cent pass rate for A Levels – the best in North Somerset – with more than 80 per cent gaining A* to C grades.

Twenty per cent of higher education students gained a first class honours degree, compared to 14 per cent nationally.

Another 46 per cent were awarded a 2.1 degree compared to 27 per cent nationally.

Sixty-five per cent of graduates also secured employment within six months of completing their degree compared to the national average of 45 per cent.

With 1,200 apprentices studying with the college, more than 80 per cent gain permanent jobs by the time they complete their course.

The college has also won a �30million prison education contract to teach in 13 South West prisons and is also set to invest millions of pounds in a new college for post-14 education in Weston, operating like a modern business.