AN East Lancashire college has completed another challenging year in a stronger position.

Kath Belton, principal of Nelson and Colne College, said hard work and dedication by staff had enabled it to get a good report by education inspectors which boosted its reputation.

Addressing the audience at the college's annual prize presentation night at Colne Municipal Hall yesterday, Mrs Belton said: "The college has responded to the challenges of increasing its activity whilst continuing to operate in stringent financial conditions."

The college made a surplus of £14,000 which helped boost its general reserves to £377,000.

In the summer exams students achieved a pass rate of 95 per cent -- well above the 89 per cent national average -- and 62 per cent of passes were at grades A-C compared with 58 per cent nationally, helping to put Nelson and Colne among the top ten per cent of further education sites in the country.

"The very substantial number of adults who gain access to the adult basic education programmes, and then succeed in gaining useful qualifications, is a matter of some satisfaction to the college," added Mrs Belton.

She said the college looked forward to working with the Lancashire Learning and Skills Council (LSC) which will take over responsibility for post-16 education from April. The college will also forge even closer links with its partners in the community, she added.