wakefield.ac.uk
As the Head of Sixth Form, I am delighted to introduce you to our amazing community, where we are dedicated to nurturing your academic and personal growth.
The Sixth Form Department and its tutors are always committed to enhancing the student experience outside of the classroom.
Wakefield College celebrated exceptional results in 2025, achieving an impressive 98% pass rate for A Levels.
In this newsletter, you can find out what our current and former students have been up to over the past year – from career activities to college trips, enrichment and student stories.
Each cohort we welcome to the College consistently demonstrates academic excellence and enthusiasm to learn. We are very proud of our class of 2025 who achieved amazing results in their A Levels in summer – read about their successes inside.
It is important to us that our students feel at home at the Sixth Form, so we have a support system open to all of our students. This includes our Student Wellbeing Officers, a Student Experience Team, counselling services and more.
I hope you enjoy reading through this newsletter and we look forward to welcoming you in September.
Many students secured places at prestigious Russell Group universities or into careers in sectors such as policing, engineering and beyond.
Wakefield College’s A Level programmes excelled, with fifteen of eighteen subjects achieving a perfect pass rate. This included English Literature, which maintained its 100% record for the 20th year running.
Karen Ralphs Head of Sixth Form & Science
I’ve always wanted to be a Surgeon from a young age as my mum works in the healthcare sector and I really look up to her. The teachers at College are great and treat you like adults and peers, they really showed they care about us. My biggest takeaway from College was becoming more independent, it made me enjoy it more.”
Subjects: Chemistry, Biology and Maths
James has now progressed to studying Medicine at the University of East Anglia
Wakefield College gave me massive support – my tutors did an amazing job. I loved studying Law and History, especially the interesting cases and the trip to Leeds Crown Court was a real highlight. The College helped me build perseverance and resilience, which will be so important for university. My ultimate ambition is to become a Solicitor.”
Subjects: History, Law and Sociology
Zunaira has now progressed to studying Law at the University of Leeds
98% overall pass rate achieved by the Class of 2025.
Students secured places at some of Britain’s top universities, including the University of Leeds and University of York.
100% pass rate achieved for English Literature for the 20th year running.
It’s packed with information about our courses, our Mentoring for Excellence programme, enrichment opportunities and lots of student stories. You can read and download it through the QR code! Scan the QR Code to have a read.
Our Sixth Form students actively explore the opportunities available to them after college by attending university open days, career talks and industry-led workshops.
Durham University Open Day: Five of our A Level students visited Durham University’s Open Day. They were able to look around the residential areas and any subject departments they wanted to study in, as well as explore the rest of the charming city including Durham Castle and the Oriental Museum.
University of Law Visit: The University of Law visited the College to speak to Criminology and Law students and give them an overview of the different careers they could consider within the Criminal Justice System following their A Levels. The students were told about all the options available to them such as apprenticeships, degree courses and direct entry into the Police Force.
Media Trip to Bradford Media Museum: A Level Media & Film Studies students visited Bradford’s National Science and Media Museum where they got to explore all the museum’s exhibitions and learn
Did you know the we have our own Film Club?
Every other Wednesday our A Level students run a Film Club in the Harrison Building, where they debate and discuss all things film. Discussion topics are voted on by club members and Y13s typically lead the sessions. They have discussed all sorts from feminist films to moral dilemmas and the ethics of biopics.
The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group has ranked first in Yorkshire & the Humber for student achievement amongst General Further Education Colleges, also securing fifth place nationally.
This highly impressive result follows a strong performance across the Group’s 16–18 provision, with the latest Department for Education National Achievement Rate Tables (NARTs) for 2024/2025 confirming the Group as the region’s highest-performing FE college for learners aged under 19.
In addition to this success, the Group also achieved fourth place regionally for Apprenticeship achievement rates, further highlighting its strength across further education and skills training.
The results position the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group and its three colleges – Castleford College, Selby College and Wakefield College - as having the best achievement results of all further education colleges in Yorkshire & the Humber region and being the fifth top-performing further education college in England, reflecting the quality of teaching, support and student outcomes delivered across its campuses and programmes.
The NARTs are key summary indicators of performance in education and training and apprenticeships and demonstrate the percentage of students that were awarded their qualifications. Published annually, the national tables rank over 150 colleges.
I am so proud of this phenomenal accolade. Being ranked first in the region for our 16-18 achievement rates and fifth nationally is something we are incredibly proud of and reflects both the ambition of our students and the quality of education and support across the Group. These results are a true reflection of the dedication and care shown by our staff, who go above and beyond every day to help our learners succeed academically, grow as individuals and move forward with confidence into their next steps.”
Sam Wright Principal and Chief Executive at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group
OCTOBER 2026
MONDAY 19TH OCTOBER: 5PM-7PM
Castleford College
WEDNESDAY 21ST OCTOBER: 5PM-7PM
Wakefield College
NOVEMBER 2026
SATURDAY 21ST NOVEMBER: 10AM-12PM
Wakefield College and Castleford College
FEBRUARY 2027
WEDNESDAY 10TH FEBRUARY: 5PM-7PM
Wakefield College and Castleford College
Combining Castleford College, Selby College and Wakefield College, the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group saw outstanding pass rates in 2024/2025, with Selby College securing a 99% pass rate across its A Level programmes and Wakefield College a 98%. Castleford College and Wakefield College also achieved an impressive 100% pass rate for their T Level courses.
A significant number of its learners also progressed onto employment or higher education, including Russell Group universities such as the University of Oxford, University of Sheffield, University of Nottingham and many more.
Across its colleges, the Group offers a broad range of 16–18 study programmes, including A Levels, T Levels and vocational and technical courses. It also delivers a wide variety of apprenticeships, designed to reflect local labour market needs and support learners into meaningful careers.
