A COLLEGE in Benfleet has been crowned the number one spot for highest student satisfaction in the county.

USP College came number one for satisfaction of its education quality in figures released by the National Student Survey.

The college is 11 per cent above the national average and 19 per cent above its leading competitor.

A total of 413 universities, colleges and alternative providers took part in the survey which is published annually by the Office for Students (OfS).

This year’s survey was completed by more than 320,000 Higher Education students, and gives students the chance to provide honest feedback on what it is like to study at their institution.

The students also scored the college 100 per cent for its “intellectually stimulating courses” that challenge them to achieve their best work, as well as receiving helpful comments on their work and sufficient advice and guidance in relation to their course.

They also gave the lecturers top marks, stating that they feel they value their views and opinions about the course.

Dan Pearson, Principal and CEO of USP College, said: “Higher Education at USP College gives our students excellent value for money with competitive fees, whilst ensuring our teaching and support is second to none.

“We are very proud of the results published.”

USP College provides an “alternative” to university, bringing Higher Education courses closer to home with lower tuition fees, working in partnership with the University of Hertfordshire, Writtle University College and Docklands Academy.

The college, with campuses in Benfleet and Grays, have small class sizes, providing its students with more individual tuition and advanced support.

Sally Tetheredge, 48, travels all the way from Wix, near Harwich, just to attend the college and study the BA in Education Studies and Early Years.

She hopes to become a qualified teacher after completing her degree and workplace assessment.

Ms Tetheredge said: “On a good day it takes me about an hour to get to the Seevic Campus. I looked at other colleges closer to me but I just clicked with the lecturer when I had my interview; they have such a supportive attitude.

“There is a strong student community here if there’s ever a problem or someone needs help all the students and lecturers just pull together.

“I would definitely recommend studying at USP College. The course is fascinating and very practical. It’s really improved my practice as I’m able to implement what I’ve learnt at college in the workplace.”

Visit www.uspcollege.ac.uk.