The Open and Distance Learning Quality Council has awarded Cleland Thom Journalism Training Services full accreditation.

To achieve such accreditation, the three-year-old company had to undergo a rigorous assessment by independent experts of all aspects of its work, including administration, learner support, educational materials, and publicity.

Cleland Thom has delivered journalism training courses to staff from more than 250 businesses and organisations, newspapers, magazines and radio stations.

Its online courses range from Professional Journalism to Travel Writing with additional services such as proofreading workshops.

Cleland said: “We are delighted that our operation has received full accreditation by the ODLQC.

“Inclusive learning is a very important issue at the moment. Since we started business three years ago, we have made the NCTJ exams, and careers in journalism, available to dozens of people who have been excluded in the past for domestic, financial or geographic reasons.”

ODLQC chief executive Dr David Morley said: “This is one of the best new small provisions to come before Council in recent years, and we are delighted to acknowledge its quality ”.

In the report the Specialist Assessor added to this by stating: “Cleland Thom appears to be delivering a very good course online, and I am impressed by its content and tutor/student on-screen interaction.”