Guinness World Record attempt as College changes name

by | Sep 14, 2015 | Dartford News

Guinness World Record attempt as College changes name

North West Kent College has today (14th September 2015) changed its name to North Kent College

and celebrated by attempting to break a Guinness World Record.

The College are attempting to make the World’s largest currency symbol using students and staff to

make a giant £.

The change comes as the College celebrates another year of student academic and progression

successes, and reflects recent achievements such as the Ofsted ‘Good with outstanding features’ of

March 2014.

The £ was felt an appropriate symbol for a number of reasons:

• Graduating students go on to earn as much as £21,000 as a starting salary at 18 for Legal

Secretaries, while Accountants start between £12,000 and £25,000

• Many hair and beauty students open their own salons and generate incomes immediately

• Apprentices can earn as they learn

• The College’s undergraduate programmes are a fraction of the cost of Universities, saving

students money on fees and accommodation

• £90million has been invested in new facilities over recent years

On a wider basis, an EMSI report from July 2014, indicates the following financial benefits of an NKC

education as:

• Learners will increase their future earnings by coming to College – Every £1 that learners pay

for their education at NKC yields £4.80 in higher future wages. This translates to a 14.1%

annual return on their investment

• The accumulated impact of former NKC learners who are currently employed in the regional

workforce amounts to £365.6 million in added income in the NKC Service Area’s economy

each year

• Altogether, the economic contribution of the College to the local business community in the

NKC Service Area is £389.4 million each year

The College has rebranded with a new logo and a simple, vibrant, contemporary new look, plus a

new mobile enabled website www.northkent.ac.uk with social media feeds and online application

functions.

Principal David Gleed comments “We’ve invested £90million in new facilities at our Dartford and

Gravesend Campuses and we felt it was time to reflect the high industry-standard learning

accommodation we now have, with a new modern brand and change the name to reflect our wide

catchment area across the whole of the North Kent and South East London Thames corridor.

We are anticipating that the number of young people in our catchment area will increase further as

Ebbsfleet Garden City grows and when London Paramount break ground mid-way between our 2

campuses. It’s important to recognise therefore that North Kent will become a significant location in

the region and that we are the key FE College to cater for the educational needs of this growing

community.

We’re really proud of our recent Ofsted report and with our students achieving fantastic academic

successes and progression over the last few years, the timing is right for us to celebrate our impact

with a new name and brand.”

The College continually invests in new technology and ways of communicating with students and

potential students, as young people become more technology savvy, “as an education establishment

teaching young people vocational skills to get them ready for the world of commerce and industry, it

is vital that we develop new teaching and learning technology that is ahead of the game. We

endeavour to immerse our students in the latest IT, increasing their chances of success and

progression to a career or University. The new website is indicative of this aim, being fresh and

current, and enabling greater engagement across our communities” comments Sean McCormick,

Executive Director of Facilities and Resources.

The name change will also help differentiate North Kent College from the other Kent FE Colleges of

West Kent, East Kent and Mid Kent.

The World Record attempt will take place at 1pm on 14th September 2015 at both the Dartford and

Gravesend campuses. The current record stands at 351 people, so each campus will attempt to

better this figure.

Some Further Education and Higher Education places are still available for this academic year – apply

now on www.northkent.ac.uk or call 0800 074 1447

The next Open Days for September 2016 intake are on Wednesday 4th November at Dartford

Campus and Wednesday 11th November at the Gravesend Campus.

DARTFORD FC | CLASS OF 2024-25 | TO THE FANS

CLASS OF 2024-25 | TO THE FANS The matchday programme for our Playoff Final against Dover Athletic featured messages from the Dartford players to our supporters. For those who missed them, here are those messages: Josh Hill:"I just want to say a big thank you. The...

Dartford Borough Council marks 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe

This year marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe – a pivotal moment in our shared history. Following a poignant wreath-laying event on the actual day, Dartford Borough Council is marking this important anniversary on Sunday 18th May in Dartford’s Central...

DARTFORD FC | CLASS OF 2024-25 | SEASON REVIEW

The Playoff Semi-Final saw Dartford host Cray Valley PM in a thrilling encounter on a lovely evening in Kent. The matchday programme that evening featured our review of the 2024-25 season. For those who missed it, here is the full article: As the 2024-25 Isthmian...

Forward2Employment: Empowering Young People with SEND to Succeed in the Workforce

Forward2Employment works alongside Fortis Trust to support young people, with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND), in Kent, to find permanent and purposeful employment. We provide Supported Internships for young adults, with an Education, Health and...

DARTFORD FC | CLASS OF 2024-25 | THE RACE FOR THE GOLDEN BOOT

As Dartford hosted Carshalton Athletic on the final day of the regular season, our matchday programme featured four players who were chasing the Dartford Golden Boot. For those who missed it, here is the full article: Regardless of what happens come the end of this...

ULTRASUN AND SKINSENSE TO LAUNCH EXCLUSIVE PRE-SUMMER SPF & SKINCARE POP-UP AT BLUEWATER

The best-selling sun protection and targeted skincare brands’ store opens 8th May 2025. Lamellar-based UV protection brand Ultrasun and advanced skincare brand SkinSense are teaming up for a unique pop-up store at Kent’s Bluewater Shopping Centre, running from May 8th...

Home Instead Dartford Commits to Environmental Sustainability by Offsetting All Carbon Emissions

Home Instead Dartford, a leading local provider of in-home care for older adults, is taking significant action to reduce its environmental footprint by committing to offset 100% of its carbon emissions. This ambitious step covers all aspects of the business's...

NEXT to triple its footprint at Bluewater, with a new store opening in 2026

Bluewater has announced that leading retailer NEXT will significantly grow its presence at the Kent-based shopping centre by tripling its footprint. NEXT’s Bluewater store will become one of its largest stores in the UK once the doors open in 2026. The...

We Are Beams rated ‘OUTSTANDING’ by Ofsted

Dragons Retreat, a vital short breaks service run by local charity We Are Beams, has received the highest possible rating of ‘Outstanding’ from Ofsted following a rigorous and comprehensive inspection With six fully fitted bedrooms, Dragon’s Retreat is an independent...

Orchard West partners with Dartford Borough Council to launch a Spring/Summer Season of Community Events.

EVENTS INCLUDE: Community Fair – Sat 10 May, Sat 7 June, Sat 5 July – local businesses, makers, bakers, showcase their products and services in this free-to-attend event at Acacia Sports Hall. Open House – Sat 24 May 11am - Experience a special access-all-areas open...