AN ESSEX sixth form college has received a number of awards from this year's Good Schools Guide.Colchester Sixth Form College received a total of 18 awards, more than any other participating school or college in the country.

By Roddy Ashworth

AN ESSEX sixth form college has received a number of awards from this year's Good Schools Guide.

Colchester Sixth Form College received a total of 18 awards, more than any other participating school or college in the country.

Outstanding student achievements in arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences during 2006 were all recognised by the guide, which bases the awards on data supplied by the Department for Education and Science.

The guide classifies performance in three different categories of school or college - independent, selective and non-selective. The Sixth Form College in Colchester is a non-selective institution.

Seven of the awards identify the college as having the best overall levels of exam points for both male and female students of any school or college in England in 2006.

Included in these were A-level environmental science and AS Level sociology, classical civilisation, environmental science, statistics, citizenship and health and social care.

In the non-selective college category, girls came top in A-level art history and, at AS-level, in sociology, archaeology, classical civilisation, environmental science, politics, health and social care and citizenship.

But the boys put also up a strong performance, coming top in A-level environmental science and top in AS Spanish and mathematics (statistics option).

Principal Ian MacNaughton said: “We knew last summer's A and AS-level results were outstanding at the time of release, but these awards by the Good Schools Guide confirm the significant levels of achievement by students in these subject areas.

“We are particularly pleased with the number of awards given for boys' achievements”.

Head of environmental science at the college, Dr Joanna Browne, said: “We are very honoured to receive these awards.

“They are a reflection of the quality of the teaching by environmental science tutors, and the hard work put in by enthusiastic and motivated students.

“With its strong emphasis on fieldwork and practical assignments, this subject does appeal to a wide audience.”

The Good Schools Guide was founded in 1985 by Amanda Atha and Sarah Drummond, who were two parents in search of schools for their children.

With the help of others they visited hundreds of schools and wrote up their experiences. Not every school or college in the UK is covered although it currently monitors the performance of 1,126 institutions.

roddy.ashworth@eadt.co.uk