Education Partnership North East celebrates success in national achievement rates

March 26, 2026

Education Partnership North East (EPNE) has been named among the country’s top performing college groups for student and apprentice achievement.

The group, which includes Sunderland College, Northumberland College, and Hartlepool Sixth Form College, is third nationally for apprenticeships, and in the top five for 16-18-year-olds in the 2024-25 National Achievement Rates Tables (NARTs) which were published by the Department for Education today (Thursday 26 March 2026).

EPNE was also ranked as the joint top performing college group in the North East alongside New College Durham.

This success is another significant milestone in a remarkable place-based and changemaking journey which has seen EPNE grow in reach and scale to unlock potential, create opportunities and transform over 17,000 lives each year through outstanding education, skills and training.

The NARTs are key summary indicators of performance in apprenticeships and education and training and show the percentage of students that were awarded their qualifications. The national tables rank over 200 sixth forms and colleges.

EPNE’s apprenticeship provision demonstrated an exceptional performance, most notably in construction, business and administration, and engineering and manufacturing. The wider North East region also performed strongly, with the combined college achievement rate surpassing the national average.

The group’s sixth forms in Sunderland and Hartlepool were also named among the country’s best and retained their place as the top performing in the North East.

Northumberland College’s Kirkley Hall Campus is once again the leading land-based college in the region when compared to other specialist colleges.

EPNE’s apprenticeship provision also demonstrated an exceptional performance, ranking in the top three nationally, most notably in construction, business and administration, and engineering and manufacturing. The wider North East region also performed strongly, with the combined college achievement rate surpassing the national average.

The group’s colleges continue to deliver standout performance across priority areas such as digital technologies (ranking top fourth nationally for 16-18 students) and engineering (well above the national rate). T Level subjects also excelled, with outstanding pass rates in health, agriculture, and construction courses.

Toni Rhodes, EPNE’s Chief Executive, said: “This exceptional achievement reflects the relentless dedication of our staff, the ambition of our learners, and the strength of our partnerships across the region.

“Being recognised as the top-performing college group for the fourth consecutive year, alongside a top five national ranking, highlights our purpose of creating opportunities and transforming lives through outstanding education, skills and training.

“We are equally proud of the exceptional performance of our apprenticeships, and of the continued success of our land-based offer at Kirkley Hall, which remains the leading specialist provision in the region.

“These milestones are not just a celebration of results, but of the changemaking impact we continue to make in our communities every day.”

In recent years EPNE has invested significantly in its campuses through industry standard training facilities and cutting-edge technologies to enhance learning experiences, ensuring learners are well prepared for the world of work, now and into the future.

September 2025 saw EPNE open Sunderland College’s Housing Innovation & Construction Skills Academy (HICSA) in Sunderland, a pioneering training facility which is one of only 10 Construction Technical Excellence College’s (CTECs) in the country.

Rounding off an exceptional academic year, EPNE was also named a Centre of Excellence in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities by the Education Training Foundation, leading on the theme of ‘People’ to empower leaders, managers and practitioners to ensure those with SEND thrive and reach their full potential.

Looking ahead, Northumberland College will welcome students to its new Ashington Campus Wansbeck Business Park from October 2026; a £54m trailblazing campus which will revolutionise academic and vocational training in the North East.