IT'S official - Kendal College as the most successful college in the country.

In the annual league tables published by leading educational publication FE Week, it beat off the challenge of 171 competitors to be placed at number one in the list of all England's FE colleges.

Both students and staff reacted with delight at the news, and principal Kelvin Nash said everyone at the Milnthorpe Road college was "both proud and delighted."

"The college has a unique culture of support, ambition and maturity embedded in everything that we do, which means that our staff, students, and employers all work together in partnership," said Mr Nash.

"Every one of our students is capable of achieving great things.

"I am proud of the fact that our students have talked so positively about their time and experiences here at Kendal College."

The annual college league table, now in its fourth year, was created by FE Week editor Nick Linford.

It is based on official performance measures determined and published by the Department of Education.

In configuring the tables, the publication rates the colleges in four categories: employer satisfaction, learner satisfaction, 16-18 positive progression and adult progression into work.

The college scored highly in all of the four categories, securing 90.7 per cent for employer satisfaction, 89.8 per cent for learner satisfaction, 85 per cent for 16-18 positive progression and 66 per cent for adult progression into work, which was the highest in the country.

And when those statistics were totalled up,Kendal College was ranked number one after gaining the highest overall average point score of 37 out of 40.

"As a college, we do everything we can to help our students to excel in their studies," Mr Nash explained.

"We prepare them to think about life after college, and this is reflected in the majority of our students who find themselves in sustained employment, further study or higher education.

“This whole college approach is why I believe we have been recognised as one of the country’s top colleges, and for that I have to thank all the staff and students for making Kendal such a positive and enjoyable place to be.”