ALTON College is, like all educational establishments, facing an unprecedented period of disruption and change.

But unlike many it has been dealt a double whammy.

It was just a year ago that Alton College officially merged with Havant and South Downs College (HSDC) – a move triggered by the need to secure sixth-form education in the Alton area.

And just as the dust began to settle, it was plunged into a period of the Covid-19 lockdown.

As from Monday, March 23, the Alton campus closed to all but a limited number of vulnerable and key worker students.

The majority of students were at home virtual learning through Google Classroom and Moodle.

According to college principal Mike Gaston, the decision was also taken to cease external examinations and assessments.

The most recent government guidance says that before the end of July, GCSE, A and AS-level students will be awarded a grade that fairly reflects the work they have put in.

The message is clear: there may be no exams but, if you want to achieve a good calculated grade, you must keep working.

Students hoping to go on to university have been assured they will not be disadvantaged by the cancellation of exams.

While for those hoping to join Alton College in September, but who have been unable to undertake an entrance interview, Mr Gaston has given an assurance it will be “business as usual”.

Determined to establish a “one college, three campus” entity, Mr Gaston is aware that for Alton this has been an unsettling 12 months – but believes it is working, for students and staff.

Since the merger, HSDC has invested £1 million in IT infrastructure on the Alton campus and a further £1m on health and safety issues.

HSDC has also been working with M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to help determine the apprenticeship and skills gap in the local area to be covered by the planned introduction of T-level vocational courses.

Designed to broaden the curriculum and enable students to study nearer to home, the areas of opportunity already flagged up include gaming and coding, the latter to serve the cyber security sector.

With applications to join the college in September already up, the new man at the helm of HSDC Alton is confident the new partnership will provide security for post-16 education within the college catchment area.

* HSDC has also made a number of Level 2 courses available for students to take free of charge, covering subjects such as event planning, business administration and dementia care.

For more information, visit the college’s website at http://ow.ly/gJ6p50z7V4z