Statistics from the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) have revealed that Selby College received zero complains for its Higher Education programmes in 2020 –the sixth year in a row without a complaint.

The Annual OIA report revealed that Selby College handled zero complaints or appeals for its degree-level provision within 2020, despite the disruption caused to education due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Online learning was provided to all Higher Education students during the national lockdowns, with face-to-face learning now being delivered on campus in line with Government guidance.

Will Matthews, Higher National Diploma in Computing student and the Higher Education Student Governor at Selby College, said: “Throughout this past year, my tutors have been on hand to help myself and fellow students both from an education point of view and personally. They made themselves available to share advice or discuss any concerns that I had regarding my course work or how I was feeling due to implications of the national lockdowns. Although I fully support the use of online learning, it has been great to be back on campus in recent weeks and to experience face-to-face learning.”

For the academic year 2019-2020, 101 students completed their degree-level studies at the College.

“This past year has been extremely challenging for all education institutions and its students, with the pandemic causing significant disruption to learning. Despite this, our fantastic teaching staff have still delivered our Higher Education programmes to a high-standard and ensured that students had the resources and support that they needed during the numerous lockdowns in 2020, always encouraging them to achieve their best despite the challenges presented by the pandemic,” said Stephen Mulligan, Assistant Director for Higher Education at Selby College.

In 2020, 57% of the College’s Higher Education students achieved the highest grades of First Class/Distinction – 31% above the national benchmark. 93% of students have also progressed on to a positive destination within six months of completing their degree-level studies at the College.

National Student Survey (NSS) results for 2020 also placed Selby College amongst the top five Higher Education institutions in Yorkshire for Overall Student Satisfaction, achieving a score of 86%, above the national average of 82%.

“At Selby College, we’re incredibly proud of our Higher Education offering and the difference it makes to our students’ lives, enabling them to study for a degree locally and affordably. The OIA’s recent report highlighting the lack of complaints or appeals in 2020, and over the past six years, is a testament to our highly-qualified team of lecturers and their hard work. This past year has also highlighted the resilience and dedication of our Higher Education students and their commitment to completing their studies and achieving their goals,” said Phil Sayles, Principal and Chief Executive at Selby College.

Selby College offers a range of high-quality degree-level programmes in a variety of subjects, including Art & Design, Business, Childhood Studies, Digital Technologies, Education, Engineering, Social Science and Sport. The College also offers Access to Higher Education courses in criminal justice, health science and science professions, for those without the relevant entry requirements for degree-level study.

To deliver its Higher Education offering, the College works with a range of universities and awarding bodies including the University of Huddersfield, the University of Hull and Pearson. Its degree-level qualifications include Higher National Certificates and Diplomas, Foundation Degrees and full BA/BSc (Hons) Degrees.

To find out more about Selby College’s Higher Education programmes, please visit: https://selby.ac.uk/higher-education/