Association of Colleges

09 February 2012

South West College is today celebrating an awards hat-trick after scooping two Association of Colleges Beacon Awards - and then picking up the coveted President’s Award.

The college was selected from among this year’s 14 award winners by Lord Willis of Knaresborough, President of the AoC Charitable Trust, for a scheme which aims to inspire pupils towards further study and careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), which won the AQA Award for College/School Partnerships.

South West College, based in Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, has the only dedicated, purpose-built STEM Centre of its kind in the UK and Ireland. The Centre aims to teach STEM subjects, regarded by the Government as a priority, in an innovative and engaging way to encourage further study and create future careers in these areas.

One of the interesting projects the school pupils were involved in was building a structure out of marshmallows and spaghetti to help them understand more about engineering and the process of using materials and testing structures.

Announcing the college as winner of his award, Lord Willis, said: “If the further education sector is to be the ‘engine room’ driving the UK’s economic recovery, then addressing the STEM agenda from a vocational viewpoint in our schools and colleges is crucial. The South West College STEM Centre project encapsulates all that is good about an FE college seizing the moment and recognising the huge employment and career opportunities there are in STEM-related industries.

“South West College has also recognised it needs to be a catalyst for change within a broader community and its model of working with some 30 of the region’s schools is one that needs to be translated across the UK.”

Almost 3,000 students have participated in the activities of the STEM Centre. As a result of the exciting and interesting approach to teaching these subjects, 96% of pupils are more likely to choose to study them further following a visit to the Centre.

All of the Beacon Award winning colleges from across the UK gathered in Westminster to receive their awards from John Hayes MP, Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning.

Malachy McAleer, Director of South West College, said: “We are delighted to be benchmarked against all the other very successful winning colleges.It is an honour to have such good staff who have proved they can achieve outstanding standards in such a short time.”

Andrew Hall, Chief Executive of AQA and sponsor of the award, said: “AQA is delighted that its award for school/college partnership this year has resulted in outstanding submissions. South West College’s STEM Centre, accessed by a wide variety of schools, was a great example of innovation and collaboration and we hope that other schools and colleges will benefit from learning more about this exemplary project.“

South West College also won an AoC Beacon Award for College Engagement with Employers, sponsored by AoC Create. The award was given to the College’s Innotech Centre which supports local businesses through training, knowledge transfer and innovation.

The AoC Beacon Awards have been running for 18 years and are awarded annually to UK colleges who capture and celebrate the positive impact they have on their students, staff and communities.

For more information about the AoC Beacon Awards, please contact Louise Duffy, AoC Charitable Trust and Communications Officer, at louise_duffy@aoc.co.uk or 020 7034 9957. Alternatively, contact Alice Thiagaraj, AoC Charitable Trust Manager, at alice_thiagaraj@aoc.co.uk or 020 7034 9917.

A pdf copy of the press release is available here:   AoC Beacon Awards - President's Award

Notes to Editors:

1. The AoC Beacon Awards highlight the breadth and quality of education in colleges throughout the UK and increase understanding of colleges’ contribution to UK educational skills policy and economic and social development.

2. The Awards are administered by the AoC Charitable Trust which was established to advance the education of members of the public over the age of 16.

3. AQA is an educational charity which aims to bring out the best in students and teachers by providing services that lead to inspiring lessons and great learning.AQA is the leading provider of GCSEs and A-levels and its qualifications are used in most secondary schools and colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The qualifications are also internationally recognised and taught in 44 countries around the world.

4. AoC Create Ltd (formerly AoC Management Services) is a distinct company, wholly owned by the Association of Colleges. Profits are reinvested into AoC in order to deliver the level of service its members deserve. The strength of AoC Create lies in offering high quality and cost-effective support to colleges, including consultancy, executive and interim resourcing, event management and training.

The Award-winning Colleges in 2011/12 are:

The AQA Award for College/School Partnerships

Award winner: South West College

The AoC Create Award for College Engagement with Employers

Award winner: South West College

The Association of Colleges Award for Inclusive Learning

Award winner: West Cheshire College

The Association of Colleges Award for Procurement, Collaboration and Shared Services

Award winner: City of Bristol College

The CoLRiC Award for the Effective Integration of Libraries/Learning Resources Centres in Curriculum Delivery

Award winner: Northampton College

The City & Guilds Award for Staff Development

Award winner: West Nottinghamshire College

The Edge Award for Practical Teaching and Practical Learning

Award winner: Exeter College

The Jardine Lloyd Thompson Benefit Solutions Award for Health and Community Care

Award winner: Fareham College

The LSIS Award for Efficiency through Effective use of Technology in FE and Skills

Award winner: Preston College

The LSIS Award for Leadership of Innovation in Curriculum Development

Award winner: South Birmingham College

The OCR Award for Skills

Award winner: Walsall College

The Pearson Award for Widening Participation to Lifelong Learning

Award winner: Ruskin College

University of Southampton Award for 14-19 Widening Participation

Award winner: South Birmingham College

The Welsh Assembly Government Award for Overcoming Deprivation

Award winner: Cardiff and Vale College

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