A-levels on way back to Stafford College
A-levels will return to Stafford College for the first time in six years from September 2017.
New principal Karen Dobson has revealed that there will be 17 subjects delivered out of a new £3.4 million centre in the town.
The college, which came under the control of Newcastle-under-Lyme College on November 1 as part of a merger, axed A-levels in 2011.
Principal Dobson said: "The lack of an A-levels on offer does seem like something has been missing.
"New for 2017 will be an introduction to an initial suite of 17 A-levels building on the existing expertise of A-level provision at Newcastle-under-Lyme College.
"This will allow Stafford College students to take a pure A-level programme, or new combined vocational and academic pathways where students can chose a vocational programme to study alongside two A-levels over two years.
"This new combined pathway is linked to a range of employers and universities to help ensure students not only achieve high quality advanced qualifications but also develop their employability skills alongside their study."
The 17 new subjects will be grouped into nine 'pathways' – Health & Social Care, Enterprise & Entrepreneurship, Creative Digital Media, Applied Science, Art & Design, Computing, Forensic & Criminal Investigation, Engineering and Sport.
There are currently no estimates as to how many places there will be on each course.
Principal Dobson said: "It is a very exciting development. Not everybody wants to stay on at school and the biggest benefit of these courses will be the professional background of the people involved, from nurses to engineers."
Many of the courses will be run out of the Broad Eye building in Earl Street, which is being overhauled. The new STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) centre will feature engineering and sciences laboratories with 3D printers, IT suites and even a LEGO Education Innovation Studio.
Stafford College has been blighted by controversy. Last year staff held walkouts in criticism of the management team, and principal Beverley Smith stepped down in October 2015.
Wider problems, including poor exam results, culminated in Ofsted rating the college 'Inadequate' in February this year. A temporary leadership team spearheaded by former interim principal Ian Clinton has now been credited with addressing many of the problems.
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