TWO years ago a handful of Higher Education adult students graduated at a small ceremony at the Hospital of St Cross.

Present day and that number has more than trebled as over 90 students from Peter Symonds College celebrated the end of their course from the Adult and Higher Education Division.

This year’s event saw the college’s first every graduates in Business Practice Management and the first group of students converting their foundation degrees in Early Years and Teaching and Learning Support to a full BA honours degree following a further year of study.

Also graduating were those who completed the Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS), Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care, PGCE and HND Business courses.

They were congratulated by guest speaker James Kewin, deputy chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges’ Association.

Alexandra Day, director of Adult and Higher Education at Peter Symonds said: “We are delighted that the graduation ceremony still fits the venue at St Cross as its intimate surroundings help to make this momentous occasion a very personal, special and memorable one.

“Once again this year we celebrated some firsts; both with levels of achievement and with conversions of foundation degrees to BA honours.

“The ceremony is a wonderful way for the Peter Symonds staff to celebrate and acknowledge the incredible successes of this batch of graduating adult students,” she added. “We are privileged do this together with their families, whose love and support has enabled them to undertake this journey into higher education. Many of the graduates have juggled work and family life alongside their studies in order to reach and achieve this incredible personal milestone. We are immensely proud of them all.”