THEY say it's harder staying at the top than getting there in the first place.

But Peter Symonds sixth-form college in Winchester is making it look easy.

The college cemented its lofty position as one of the best sixth-form colleges in the country by being judged outstanding in every respect in the latest Ofsted report published last Friday.

Principal Neil Hopkins said: "Inspectors simply couldn't have graded the college any higher than they did. We were given the top grade in absolutely every aspect of our work.

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"The inspectors left saying that our support for students in particular deserved a better than outstanding' grade but there isn't one. We have over 2,800 students here as well as 3,000 adults on the Stoney Lane site. An accolade like this is most gratifying.

"I know my staff run a good college - and we all know our students are among the best you will find anywhere - but to have it all recognised nationally is something every college in the land seeks but not many achieve."

Symonds' status is all the more laudable because it is non-selective. Ofsted summarised their judgements in four areas: achievement and standards; quality of provision; capacity to improve and leadership and management.

The key strengths are: outstanding achievement and high standards of students' work; highly effective teaching and learning; broad and inclusive sixth form college curriculum; exceptionally good use of data to support learning; excellent quality assurance; highly effective guidance and support for students; extensive and well attended enrichment activities; outstanding leadership and management. All received a grade one.