A record 152 students completed their T Levels this year, up from 85 last year, studying across eight subject areas, up from seven. A quarter achieved a Distinction, the equivalent of three A grades at A Level, with 80% achieving a Merit or above.
Six of the eight subjects achieved a 100% pass rate, a remarkable achievement that reflects the strength of teaching and the quality of the employer partnerships behind every T Level at DCG.
T Level triumphs
- In Engineering, 90% of students achieved a Distinction.
- In Digital, 57% of students achieved a Distinction.
- Education and Early Years T Level students excelled, with 60% achieving a Distinction, a course well oversubscribed for the next academic year.
Matt Ridgill, Vice Principal, Academic Education, Derby College Group, said:
“This year’s results are a real step forward for T Levels at Derby College Group, and for the students who put their trust in this qualification.
“To see 152 students complete their courses, and six of our eight subjects achieve a 100% pass rate, shows just how far T Levels have come and how well our students, staff and employer partners have risen to the challenge.
T Levels matter because they give young people something a classroom alone cannot: real experience of the workplace, alongside rigorous technical study.
“That combination is exactly what employers are looking for, and exactly what our students need to move confidently into their next step, whether that is higher education, an apprenticeship or straight into a career.
“I could not be prouder of what our students and staff have achieved this year.”
Student successes
Rafe Neighbour, 18, Etwall
Rafe Neighbour has chosen to continue studying in Arboriculture
Rafe Neighbour came to Derby College Group from John Port Spencer Academy to study a T Level in Digital Production, Design and Development.
He found the course enjoyable and well taught, but along the way discovered his real passion lies outdoors.
Rafe now has his sights set on a career in arboriculture, and already works part-time for a tree surgery company.
He is enrolling on a Level 2 course in Arboriculture at Broomfield to build on that experience.
He said: “My T Level was fun and the teaching was good, but I’ve realised what I really want is practical, outdoor work.
“I’ve already started working part time for a tree company, and I’m enrolling at Broomfield to study arboriculture at Level 2.”
Rhys Allen, 18, Alvaston
Rhys Allen has been taken on by his T Level placement employers who are providing a higher apprenticeship
Rhys Allen studied T Level Engineering and gained a Distinction. He is now set to begin a degree apprenticeship in mechanical engineering via Derby College Group with Taudevin, the business where he completed his T Level placement.
He said: “I’ve been working there since I finished my placement and am really pleased to be taken on as a degree apprentice.”
Emilia Wuss, 18, Derby
Emilia Wuss benefitted from measures put in place to meet her support needs
Emilia Wuss studied T Level Digital Production, Design and Development and is off to Staffordshire University to study a degree in games development and design.
As a neurodivergent student, Emilia found Derby College Group very supportive throughout her course, with adaptations in place to help her succeed, including a quiet room to sit her paper exams.
She particularly enjoyed her T Level placement at Vaillant in Belper, where she assisted the product design team and even gave a presentation to the company’s CEO.
She said: “I’ve always been more of a coder than a gamer, but what I want to do now is make games.
“The course was hard, but college made sure they had adaptations in place.
“Because of my autism I need a quiet space, so when it came to doing paper exams I was allowed to do them in a room on my own.
“My placement at Vaillant was great. I even got to give a PowerPoint presentation to the CEO.”
Mysha Fatima, Lakshika Aarya and Nuha Rashid
Lakshika and Mysha became close friends on their course and placement
Lakshika Aarya (left) and Mysha Fatima celebrating at Joseph Wright Centre.
T Level Science students Mysha Fatima, Lakshika Aarya and Nuha Rashid formed a strong friendship at Derby College Group.
Not only did they take the same T Level, but they all completed their placement together at Royal Derby Hospital, and are all now off to study the same degree, at three different universities.
Mysha, 18, from Normanton, achieved a Distinction and now works in pathology at the hospital, having applied to study biomedical sciences at university next year.
She said: “It was so interesting. We got to work in different departments including biomedical, forensics and microbiology.”
Lakshika, 18, from Derby, gained a Merit and particularly enjoyed the microbiology side of her placement.
After taking a gap year, she will be heading to Manchester Metropolitan University to study biomedical sciences.
Nuha, 19, from Alvaston, is off to Derby University this September and, like her two college friends, is delighted she chose the T Level route.
She is not the only DCG success story in her family either, with her 18 year old brother Namo heading to Nottingham University to study pharmacy after achieving two A grades and a B in his A Levels at JWC.
Charlie Grattidge, 18, Cromford
Charlie completed his placement at East Midlands Railway
Charlie Grattidge gained a Merit in his T Level Engineering and enjoyed his placement with East Midlands Railway, working with fleet engineers on fleet design and maintenance.
Having always enjoyed maths, design and technology and construction at school, Charlie is now looking for an apprenticeship.
He said: “I worked with fleet engineers, on fleet design and maintenance. I’d like to go back to EMR if there’s an opportunity.
“I’m pleased with my results and am now looking for an apprenticeship.”
Frankie Palmer, 19, Ripley
Frankie has been taken on by Bowmer & Kirkland
Frankie Palmer gained a Distinction in T Level Business and Management and secured work with her placement employer, Bowmer and Kirkland.
She is now set to begin a degree apprenticeship with the company, having started out in a temporary HR post before moving on to study a degree in digital marketing.
Maria Kearney, 18, Ilkeston
Maria now works as a lab technician
Maria Kearney gained a Distinction in T Level Science and now works as a lab technician for Syensqo in Heanor.
She completed her T Level placement at Getinge in Derby, working in the chemistry labs on a project looking at medical detergents.
She said: “The T Level suited me. I like solving problems and finding ways to approach them.
“I did my placement at Getinge in Derby, working in the chemistry labs. I did a project looking at medical detergents, which I really enjoyed.”
Konrad Halsey, 19, Chaddesden
Konrad found his T Level placement to be very useful
Konrad Halsey gained a Distinction in T Level Digital Production, Design and Development and is off to Staffordshire University to study a degree in programming.
Konrad has always enjoyed programming and found his T Level placement at Vaillant in Belper hugely helpful.
He said: “It was good. I spent time in the design department making a website for one of their subsidiaries.”
