THE number of West Somerset Community College students applying to university has risen for the sixth year running while national figures continue to fall.

Offers from top universities have been received by 60 students in their final year.

Among the successes are A-level student Alex Christmas, who has offers from Cambridge and Dundee to study Medicine, and Mark Westcott, who received offers from Durham and Exeter to study Engineering.

Jake Davies hopes to use his public services qualification to study law and already has an offer from UWE, while three students have already received offers for very competitive teaching courses; Lucy Deary, Rachael Legge and Martha Day are completing BTEC courses in sport or child care.

Joshua Fitzgerald, head of post-16 at the college, said: “To be bucking the national figures is an amazing achievement – at the college we work hard to raise aspirations of our students and to educate them about the opportunities university can offer; not only to further their education and career prospects but also the chance to experience university life.

“Teaching and pastoral staff here deliver first class individual advice to support students through the application process.”