Students from an East Lancashire college have been rewarded for their efforts in a special awards ceremony.

Nelson and Colne College held their 2019 Star Awards last week, marking the achievement, commitment and talent of A Level and vocational students.

College staff, VIPs and dignitaries were also present to celebrate student success, while NCC alumna and former Park High School student Alexandra Mitchell-Males returned to college as guest speaker for the evening.

Ms Mitchell-Males highlighted her fantastic learning experience at NCC and how tutors supported her to achieve her dream of taking up English Literature studies at the University of Oxford.

Principal of Nelson and Colne College, Amanda Melton said: "Our 2019 Star Awards was an amazing occasion, and a chance to reward the outstanding success of our A Level and vocational students who we are very proud of.

"It was a special night to remember and it brought the curtain down on another stellar year for the college."

Individual subject awards were presented to those students who had been top performers throughout their time at NCC, while a series of special awards were presented to exceptional cases.

These included the Robert Fort Prize for the highest achieving A Level student, Outstanding Achievement Awards marking contributions to College and community life, and awards for diligence given to students who strived to achieve the very best that they could be.

Former Colne Primet Academy student Lewis Gorton, 18, won the Robert Fort Prize for his A*A*A*A grades at A Level, and the A* he was awarded for his Extended Project Qualification.

Lewis, who has become the first NCC student to progress onto the University of Cambridge to study Mathematics, said: "Iā€™m absolutely delighted to win these awards, and I am incredibly grateful for the amount of time and effort my teachers consistently put in to push me forward ā€“ it really has been a phenomenal time at NCC and I have made lifelong friends."