A NUMBER of BTEC Sport and Exercise Science students at Hereford Sixth Form College were celebrating after passing the course with strong performances.

The college is the largest centre for this qualification in the county and many ex-students go on to the leading universities offering sports-related courses.

This year's cohort included stand-out performances from Emily Denson, who is a Great Britain international horse rider, Tom Neal, who plays international rugby for Malta and Kieran Henry-Fellows, a basketball player who plays for Team Birmingham Under-18s.

“I choose Hereford Sixth Form College as I could combine my studies with the Basketball Academy," said Henry-Fellows.

"The facilities and coaching at the College provided vital resources and knowledge to improve my skills.

"The BTEC course opened new pathways, providing a brighter future for me in sport.”

Footballer, Charlie Coles, who is heading to university, added: “Doing the BTEC Sport and Exercise Science course has really been a great stepping stone.

"The assignments and self-directed study have helped set me up for making the next step to university.”

Head of PE, Andy Douthwaite, said, “The results achieved by our students are testimony to the amount of work and effort they have put in over the two years.

"The BTEC at Level 3 is certainly not a soft option and these students have an excellent grounding to go on and be successful in their chosen careers.”