Our Courses Expand We run 182 residential short courses and 1 Access to HE Diploma every year. 34% of short courses are English, Maths or IT. 29% are Personal Development. 27% are directly work-related.
Our Learners Expand 60% of learners are new. On average they do 3 courses with us. 30% of short course learners have no previous qualifications and 41% nothing at Level 2. 83% are unemployed. Half our learners are referred here and by 99 different agencies: 35% from Drugs and Alcohol Recovery 15% from Mental Health services 18% from Supported Housing 10% from Employment services 412 learners had additional support in 16/17 6 Access starters had an Individual Learning Support Plan in 16/17 46% of learners have a disability 60% are over 40 There is more or less a 50:50 split men and women 40% are Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic
Learner Experience Expand 96% of learners would recommend Fircroft, which puts us top in the national satisfaction survey for providers of our type 94% are happy or very happy with the way they plan their learning 96% say that residency supports their learning. Learners give 4.63 out of 5 to the statement “I feel safe at Fircroft” Retention is very high, with 86% completing Access and 97% completing their short course
Learner Outcomes and Progression Expand Short course success is very high at 95.6 % and Access success is above the national average. 5 Access learners have won the national Helena Kennedy award for the barriers they have overcome. The proportion of Merits and Distinctions on Access is 47%. As a result of coming to Fircroft: 57% felt they had now set clear goals and ambitions for themselves 85% felt they were more confident and self-aware 63% felt they had learned better ways to manage their feelings and behaviour 51% felt they had improved their mental and physical wellbeing 49% felt they had developed work-related skills such as communication and teamwork 85% felt they had increased their confidence as an independent learner 51% felt they had developed their critical thinking Our follow up survey shows: 49% are now in further learning 4 % are self-employed 27% are in other paid work 25% are in voluntary work Of those already in work 8% have improved their pay/position/role 36% say they now “do more for others in my community" 8 progressed from 16/17 short courses to 17/18 Access (38% of Access cohort) Nearly all Access achievers progress straight to university, usually to their first choice.