Duke of Edinburgh
Ascent College is a Duke of Edinburgh Award provider. We are pleased to be able to offer all levels, up to and including Gold.
Duke of Edinburgh Award
Through the award we aim to provide students with an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding programme of personal development that helps and and supports our students in developing key skills for life.
Students take part in various trips, visits and challenges as well as work built into our curriculum that helps us to complete the four different sections. These four sections are tailored to your interests , ensuring everyone has the opportunity to take part.
Volunteering: Working in College and out in the community we will make a difference to other people’s lives.
Physical activities: We will offer various activities to give you the opportunity to work towards a healthy lifestyle and contribute to your physical and mental wellbeing.
Skills: From E-Sports to Cookery, whatever strikes your personal interest, we will explore it with you while building practical and social skills along the way.
Expeditions: Be it camping or an indoor accommodation we will take part in overnight stays of various lengths, preparing meals, travelling across countryside, reading maps and learning more about the outdoors.
Residential: This is for Gold Level participants only and involves five days and four nights away from home. The residential is all about having new experiences, in a new environment and gaining new life skills.
Student Life
Specialist college launch community autism advice forums to help families
Ascent Autism Specialist College, based in Newton-le-Willows, has announced a new initiative to support parents and carers as their child progresses into adulthood. The Ascent Autism Advice Forums, developed in-house by head of adult services Julliet Doherty, employer...
Specialist college named finalists in the Northern Cultural Education Awards
Ascent Autism Specialist College, Newton-le-Willows, has been shortlisted for a Northern Cultural Education Award. The awards aim to shine a light on best practice, innovation and activism in the field of creative and cultural education across the North of England....
Specialist college launch ‘Hubway’ project
Ascent Autism Specialist College, Newton-le-Willows, has launched the ‘Hubway’ project, an initiative run by two students, Will and Tarran, to help them develop entrepreneurial skills and support them to integrate socially with their peers from the college’s main...
Ascent College leader shortlisted for prestigious TES Schools Awards
Julliet Doherty, head of adult services at Ascent Autism Specialist College in Newton-le-Willows, has been named as one of only four finalists in the Specialist Provision School Leader of the Year Award at the TES Schools Awards. The national awards celebrate and...
Specialist college welcomes the local community for spring fayre extravaganza
Ascent Autism Specialist College, based in Newton-le-Willows, recently celebrated the beginning of a new season with its annual spring fayre. The spring fayre, which took place on the college grounds, welcomed students, staff, parents/carers and the local community to...
Ascent Autism Specialist College celebrate Neurodiversity Week with a jam-packed schedule of activities
Ascent Autism Specialist College, based in Newton-le-Willows, recently participated in Neurodiversity Celebration Week from Monday, 18 March to Friday, 22 March. The college, which provides specialist education to autistic individuals aged 16 to 25, is committed to...
Finalists in the Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Awards
Ascent Autism Specialist College, based in Newton-le-Willows, has been shortlisted for two prestigious awards at the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Culture & Creativity Awards 2024. The shortlist, which was announced earlier today, revealed that the college had been...
Breaking down barriers with employer-focused autism awareness training
Ascent Autism Specialist College, based in Newton-le-Willows, is helping employers break down barriers to work for autistic individuals with employer-focused autism awareness training. On Thursday, 9 November, Ascent College staff and student, Alicia, visited a...
Ascent Autism Specialist College teaching assistant receives national award
Sam Lowe, a teaching assistant at Ascent Autism Specialist College, has received a national award from Teaching Personnel. The SEN Teaching Assistant of the Year Award recognises and celebrates the hard work and dedication of teaching assistants in Special Educational...
Ascent Autism Specialist College shortlisted for three prestigious Educate Awards
Ascent Autism Specialist College, part of the Remarkable Autism Charity, has been shortlisted for three awards in the highly anticipated Educate Awards 2023 shortlist. . The Educate Awards is the largest education awards in the North West and celebrates the...