East Durham College Celebrates Distinction Success

East Durham College is celebrating a high volume of T Level Distinctions across its 2026 cohort as students celebrate their results and the next steps in their careers and education.

The exceptional results, with Distinctions achieved across a wide range of subject areas, highlight the talent, dedication and ambition of East Durham College’s T Level students and the high standard of technical and practical learning they have achieved to support their future journey into employment or university.

T Levels are two-year, Level 3 technical qualifications designed with employers and provide a practical alternative to traditional academic routes. Combining classroom learning with a substantial industry placement, they give students the opportunity to develop technical knowledge alongside the practical skills, confidence and professional behaviours required in the workplace.

A key strength of the college's T Level approach is the opportunity for students to gain meaningful experience with employers, a T Level course programme combines together the very best of college with the experience of work. The main way T Levels differ from A Levels is that an essential part of the course is an extended industry placement which must take place over at least 45 days.

Evie McIndoe, was at the college to pick up her Distinction in T-Level Early Years Education, and said:

“I’m very happy to get a Distinction, it’s been a lot of work. I was very nervous but now I’m excited to go to Durham University and hopefully become a Reception Teacher in the future.”

Scott Bullock, Principal and CEO of East Durham College, said:

“We are once again delighted with the results of our 2026 T Level cohort. T Levels provide an excellent route for students who want to develop practical skills and gain experience in the workplace while continuing their education. T Levels combine technical learning and employer experience and provide an invaluable foundation for their future.”

East Durham College has been delivering T Levels for several years and continues to develop its offer in response to the needs of employers and the opportunities available across the region. From Engineering to Animal Management and Behaviour, T Level success has been on a strong growth trajectory at the college including growing health and care routes, with East Durham College providing a Health T Level and the Education and Childcare T Level at the Peterlee Campus, and at Houghall Campus students can also study the Animal Management and Science/or Behaviour T Level, providing a specialist technical route into animal-related careers while developing practical skills in a real land-based environment.

The college's programmes give students the opportunity to progress into employment, higher apprenticeships, university and further study, while developing skills in sectors where there is a strong demand for qualified and experienced people.

The college's T Level success comes alongside strong performance in apprenticeships, with East Durham College recently achieving a 75% apprenticeship achievement rate, significantly above the national average of 65.7%, placing it among the top 10 college providers nationally for apprenticeship achievement.

The college has also been identified as the fastest-growing college provider of apprentices in the North East, based on apprenticeship starts between August 2025 and January 2026 compared with the same period in the previous year.

Scott added:

“Our T Level and apprenticeship results demonstrate the strength of our technical education offer and the importance of working closely with employers.

Whether a student is looking towards a career in health and care, animal care or another specialist sector, our aim is to provide the skills, experience and confidence they need to take their next step.”

The college is currently undertaking a major transformation of Houghall campus that is set to create modern learning environments for agriculture, animal management and science, floristry and environmental management, alongside enhanced agricultural training facilities and a new teaching and learning centre.

The redevelopment, due for completion in April 2027, reinforces East Durham College's commitment to providing industry-standard facilities and ensuring students are equipped with the skills needed for the careers of tomorrow.

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