A sixth form college in East Ham is celebrating after 95 percent of its students have been offered places at a Russell Group University.

Newham Recorder: Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre is in East HamNewham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre is in East Ham (Image: Archant)

The success of Newham Collegiate Sixth Form (NCS) in Barking Road, means it is on par with the best schools in the country.

Their leavers include nine pupils who are due to take up place at either Oxford or Cambridge and one who has won a scholarship to MIT in the US.

A total of 39 students will take their place on either a medicine or dentistry course while five others will have their university fees paid for by top City firms KPMG or PWC.

Headteacher Mouhssin Ismail said: “With nine pupils offered places at either Oxford or Cambridge and a remarkable 95 per cent of students offers at Russell Group Universities, we are offering students life changing opportunities at NCS.

“We share with our community a belief that our students with their limitless potential can compete with students at the top independent and grammar schools nationally.

“Our mission is to challenge the status quo, to challenge the belief that you have to be from a privileged background and go to an expensive school to get into the best universities.

“When our students leave here with the belief that for them absolutely anything is possible do we know that we have done our job.”

NCS Student Abdulkadir Mohamed, 18, from East Ham, has been offered a place to study Natural Sciences at Churchill College in Cambridge, which was set up by former prime minister Winston Churchill to rival MIT.

He said: “I can’t really believe that I have been offered a place at Cambridge. It hasn’t really sunk in at all.

“Two years ago, when I arrived at this sixth from, I never would have believed that these kids of opportunities would be available to me

“I had the results at school but I lacked confidence in myself. NCS has not only developed me academically but has developed me as a person.”

The NCS is running taster days on Wednesday and Thursday from 9am until 1.30pm. For more information call 020 3373 5000.