Runshaw College – Our Purpose
Established in 1974, as a small sixth-form college for two local high schools, Runshaw College has developed to be a strategically important tertiary college with an extensive geographic reach and a long-standing local and national reputation for excellence. We provide the full range of academic and vocational courses to young people, as well as an array of adult learning programmes and apprenticeships, combining the main functions of a further education college and a sixth form college. We are proud to be a truly comprehensive college, expertly serving the diverse needs of our local communities. The majority of young people in the area choose to continue their post-16 studies at Runshaw, whether they are studying at entry or advanced level.
In the year of our 50th anniversary, what has never changed at Runshaw is our enduring focus on teaching, learning and the needs of our students, which is always at the centre of everything we do. As a result, we have developed a national reputation for educational excellence and continue to build on this all the time.
As a genuinely comprehensive and inclusive college, we are particularly proud of our high standards which result in exceptional student achievements. Runshaw College is one of the largest providers of A Level courses in the country, offering an extensive range of over 40 different subject options. A Level students have consistently achieved an average of a Grade B in their qualifications for more than 10 years, and there were more than 1000 A*-A grades awarded to Runshaw students in 2023. The sixth-form curriculum includes a very broad range of vocational courses, from Entry Level to Level 3.
We are particularly proud to be recognised by the Department for Education (DfE) as the top GFE college in the country for progression to Russell Group universities and to Oxbridge. We continue to invest heavily in our facilities, so that our learning environments are sector leading. We are making rapid progress on our estates strategy, with significant investment in the Leyland Campus, following the sale of our second campus on Euxton Lane Chorley.
Our new Buttermere building opened in January 2023, and our new Health Science facilities opened in August 2023. Further plans are in place for more investment and development over the months ahead.
Strategic Plan 2024-27 Careers & Employability Strategy 2023-25
