Beacon Awards 2026/27 - commended colleges

To accelerate sustainable development a new Environmental and Sustainability Strategy was approved by the Corporation in July 2025 ahead of whole college launch.   Aligned to the FE Climate Action Roadmap, action plans across 7 key areas ranged from Curriculum to Estates, Personal Development, Data/Tech, Procurement, Governance and Partnerships. Campaigns included: 1 Sustainable Education Campaign (Enhancing SDG curriculum content and Personal Development programme, developing new partnerships and green pedagogy through the Clean Energy TEC bid, launching formal staff training) 2 Carbon Reduction Campaign (Delivering on the 50-point plan for carbon reduction including new solar PV and EV charging, replacement vehicles and creating new initiatives such as the fossil fuel divestment plan) 3 Whole College Marketplace Campaign (Impactful departmental Climate Action projects devised on 24/10/25 CPD day, delivered through the year and showcased at 09/07/26 Marketplace) 4 External Awareness Campaign (Including Charity fundraising, Sustainability Roadshows for school pupils, and our innovative National Emergency Briefing Campaign for learners, staff and local residents – 15 sessions delivered in college and in local communities) 5 Wild College Campaign (Rewilding our campuses, 10 glorious gardens, wildflower and spring meadows, partnering with others to survey and deliver tangible gains for biodiversity on our Local Nature Reserve)​

​The Group has embedded sustainability across our operations, curriculum, estates, and community engagement through a coordinated approach aligned with the FE Climate Action Roadmap. Our Climate Action Plan, Carbon Action Plan, and Sustainability Strategy drive progress towards our commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2038 while developing climate literacy and empowering sustainable action.  Students have played a central role through programmes including Climate Leaders, Unloc Climate Leaders, Planet Earth Games, and Sustainability Week. Their impact extends beyond campus through initiatives such as the adoption of Glasshoughton Railway Station in partnership with Northern Rail, improving local spaces and strengthening community connections.  Staff engagement has been supported through Green Careers Week, Sustainability Week, and Green Changemakers programme, leading to innovative cross-department projects that promote circular economy principles and reduce waste.  Together, these initiatives are creating lasting environmental, social, decarbonisation and educational benefits, preparing learners and communities for a more sustainable, climate-resilient future.​

Farm to Fork is an innovative cross-college initiative connecting Loughborough College Group’s Agriculture, Countryside Management, Hospitality and Professional Cookery learners through an authentic, sustainable food supply chain. Learners gain practical experience from regenerative and agroecological farming, livestock production, and habitat and woodland management through to harvesting, whole-carcass butchery, food preparation, sustainable menu development and point of sale.  The initiative promotes inclusive learning by ensuring learners with SEND and additional learning needs participate alongside their peers in meaningful, industry-focused activities. This develops confidence, teamwork, communication, employability and a sense of belonging and achievement.  Sustainability is embedded throughout the project through agroforestry, biodiversity and habitat restoration, responsible consumption, whole-animal utilisation and reducing food waste. College-grown produce and livestock are used within the college’s Radmoor restaurant and sold through the internal meat-box scheme, which normally sells out within 24 hours.  The initiative also extends learning beyond the college through partnerships, sector presentations, podcasts and engagement with organisations including Landex and the wider food and hospitality sector, positioning Loughborough College Group as a leader in sustainable land-based and food education.

Power Up Your Potential is NWSLC’s Skill Guarantee, recognising students for their wider learning and skills development at college, in addition to their courses.  This accredited programme recognises students’ achievements in five areas, including Citizenship and Sustainability, where they earn awards for developing skills connected with ‘Environmental Responsibility’ and ‘Climate Change and Action’. This theme was selected after NWSLC’s employer partners identified gaps in sustainability knowledge in the workplace which could be addressed through the provision of additional training.  Sustainability already featured heavily in NWSLC’s operations and curriculum but the launch of Power Up Your Potential has united all its sustainable activities under one unifying banner for the first time. There is now an even greater focus on sustainable activities.  NWSLC has provided additional training to enable all curriculum areas to pinpoint what sustainability excellence looks like, enabling them to help students to expand their green knowledge, engage in sustainable activities and develop sustainable working practices that are helping them to begin their journey to reaching industrial and international sustainability benchmarks in their chosen careers.  Staff have also used their training to further develop NWSLC’s academic courses, leading to sustainability becoming the green thread which runs through the curriculum.

Career Zone – Your Future You is Truro and Penwith College’s careers programme, providing a structured journey that helps learners understand themselves, explore opportunities and make informed decisions about their futures. Underpinned by the CDI Career Development Framework and strengthened through Employer Connect, the programme combines impartial careers guidance, employer engagement, LMI, skills development and reflective learning. The programme is delivered through a range of interconnected activities – personal guidance, Future You Awards, Skills Clinics, employer encounters, careers conventions, volunteering, curriculum-linked careers learning and the Your Future You Careers Convention. Navigate acts as the programme’s developmental spine, enabling learners to record experiences, reflect on their growth and create progression plans.  Key strengths are the programme’s ability to connect learners with employers and opportunities while remaining inclusive and learner-centred. Dedicated support is available for SEND, disadvantaged and at-risk learners, ensuring equitable access to guidance, employer engagement and progression. Supported by 270 employer partnerships and extensive industry engagement, the programme ensures learners gain meaningful insight into the world of work while employers contribute to the development of future talent. It promotes aspiration, resilience and career management skills, helping learners progress successfully into higher education, apprenticeships, employment, volunteering, gap years and lifelong learning.

​West Thames College has transformed careers education into an inclusive, whole-college progression culture, combining personalised guidance, curriculum integration, employer engagement and digital innovation. Careers is a shared responsibility, with new staff completing bespoke IAG induction and colleagues accessing ongoing Labour Market Information sessions through the West London Careers Hub.  Aligned to the Gatsby Benchmarks, the programme achieved 100% across seven benchmarks, while Benchmark 7 improved from 75% to 83% within a single review cycle. Careers specialists, Student Learning Advisers, Employability Coaches, curriculum and support teams work collectively to provide guidance, essential skills development, employer engagement, work experience and ambitious progression pathways.  Digital innovation broadens access through Navigate, TikTok, Instagram and the student-led Careers Lab podcast, extending careers information beyond traditional workshops and supporting learners who may face barriers to engagement. The Aspire Careers Fair connects over 1,000 learners with approximately 50 employers annually, supported by sustained partnerships with employers, universities and the Careers Hub.  Equity is central, with tailored interventions supporting adult and ESOL learners, apprentices, care-experienced learners, young carers, and students with SEND and High Needs.  Strong progression outcomes, Outstanding Ofsted judgement, Matrix accreditation and Careers in Excellence recognition demonstrate an effective, sustainable and transferable model for the wider FE sector.​

Yeovil College has developed a nationally recognised, whole-college careers ecosystem that supports learners from Year 7 through to adulthood, embedding careers education, employability and work experience into every stage of the learner journey. The programme combines strategic leadership, employer-responsive curriculum design, personalised guidance and meaningful workplace experiences to ensure every learner can make informed decisions and progress successfully into employment, apprenticeships, higher education or further training.  The College's approach has been independently recognised through a January 2026 Ofsted inspection, which praised its high-quality careers programme and consistently impactful work-related learning, and through participation in the Careers and Enterprise Company's National Systems Review, where Yeovil College was selected as an example of effective and innovative practice. Inclusion is central to the programme. Learners with SEND, EHCPs and additional barriers receive personalised support through Vocational Learning Profiles, learning companies, Supported Internships, job coaching and tailored employability programmes. In 2025/26, 100% of Life and Living learners participated in work experience, while Supported Internship employment outcomes reached 54%, significantly above national averages.  With 100% achievement in seven Gatsby Benchmarks, regional leadership through careers networks and support for approximately 5,000 work experience placements across 61 providers, Yeovil College demonstrates how careers education can drive learner success, social mobility and workforce development at scale.

​Developed in response to increasingly complex learner needs and rising specialist referrals, the project shifts from reactive intervention to proactively equipping staff with the knowledge, skills and confidence to create environments where every learner can participate, belong, and succeed. Coleg Cambria’s Inclusive Classrooms initiative embeds support for neurodivergent learners directly into mainstream teaching, rather than operating solely as a separate support service. This is in contrast from when learners were singled out to receive specialist support.   The initiative combines professional learning, personalised support, practical strategies, reflective practice, digital resources and leadership development. By embedding inclusion into professional development and improvement, the project creates a consistent approach across curriculum and support services, enabling colleagues to identify and remove barriers.  Internal specialist referrals reduced by 73%, demonstrating increased staff confidence in supporting neurodiverse needs within the classroom. Furthermore, practices that are essential for neurodivergent students benefit everyone. Learner voice confirms this, with 96.9% of learners agreeing that ‘Coleg Cambria is an inclusive place’ and 94.4% agreeing that ‘my learning spaces are inclusive to mine and my peers' individual needs’. The initiative provides a sustainable, transferable FE model showing how strategic workforce development transforms inclusive practice and improves outcomes for all​

​​The Media Literacy Ambassador project is a peer-led initiative that has been co-designed with the Guardian Foundation and the college to promote inclusion, resilience and self-efficacy. A high proportion of disadvantaged students have participated in the programme which seeks to build cultural capital through developing media literacy. In an era where fake news, mis- and dis-information are ubiquitous we wanted to equip students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to navigate this changing world. The project aims to develop transferable skills, such as horizontal research, fact-checking and critical thinking through the training programme whilst embedding those skills within our curriculum planning. Collaborating closely with a national employer enabled us to address one of the national and local skills priorities for digital literacy. The project adopts a peer-to-peer learning approach to empower students ensuring they take a leading role in the delivery and development of the initiative. The model adopted allowed us to scale-up the delivery of the programme by using ambassadors to deliver to their peers and train other ambassadors cascading knowledge and skills to nearly 1,500 students and over 700 teachers. We are now extending our programme into our secondary school community through our ambassador led workshops.​ 

​The Preventative Safeguarding Project, developed over a three-year period, offers an innovative, trauma-informed, restorative approach to supporting vulnerable 16–19-year-olds at risk of exploitation, violence, disengagement or becoming NEET. Initiated in response to local safeguarding risks, including county-lines activity and increasing mental health needs, the project has enabled the college to take a more proactive risk-led and intelligence-informed approach to student support. This has been realised through multi-agency early identification of vulnerable college applicants, pre-enrolment risk assessment and targeted wraparound support. Working with 26 schools, 3 alternative provision settings, Police, Council services, Youth Justice and other partners, the college has identified 498 ‘at significant risk’ applicants prior to enrolment for the past two years. These have been risk-assessed by a new multi-agency Enrolment Suitability Panel, which created individual Safety Plans to accommodate students’ support needs and these were shared with relevant curriculum and employer colleagues, ensuring consistent cross-college support. Each learner received an assigned Safeguarding Practitioner, Positive Start Meeting, fortnightly reviews, family liaison, and mentoring and/or counselling, as needed. The model, which has significantly improved retention, safety, achievement, student satisfaction and positive destinations, offers a practical blueprint for inclusive, trauma-informed FE student support practice accessible to the wider college sector.​

​​Luminate Education Group supports more than 30,000 students and apprentices each year across seven member organisations in West and North Yorkshire. Our 2025/26 data demonstrates the scale of socioeconomic disadvantage within the Group. Of 25,576 learners represented in the dataset, excluding Leeds Conservatoire, 9,097,  had home postcodes within the 10% most deprived areas nationally. However, disadvantage is not experienced in one way. Learners may face SEND, lower prior attainment, refugee or asylum-seeking status, limited professional networks, lack of workplace experience or barriers to engaging through traditional institutional routes. The Luminate Social Mobility Framework responds through one shared objective: “To ensure that an individual’s circumstances, background or place do not determine their ability to access opportunity, develop skills and progress.” Rather than prescribing one intervention, the framework allows departments to respond to different needs through targeted pathways including Supported Internships, ESOL Leadership Development, World of Work, Step Up to Apprenticeships, Level 1 Occupational Studies and Unite Her. Activity is organised around four principles: Remove Barriers to Opportunity, Create Pathways to Progression, Connect People with Employers and the Labour Market, and Respond to Place.​ 

The Academy of Work, Land and Life represents a transformational redesign of Foundation Learning at Reaseheath. Created in response to the needs of learners with SEND and additional barriers to learning, the Academy provides a destination-led approach focused on employment, independent living, community participation and health and wellbeing.   At the centre of the model is the Inclusive Learner Development Framework, which creates a single learner journey connecting learner voice, personalised support, personal development, preparation for adulthood, progression planning and quality improvement. Support is not viewed as a separate function but embedded into every aspect of the learner experience.   The Academy includes several innovative elements, including Future Tracks, a transition and belonging programme; Forest College, a trauma-informed outdoor learning provision; and Pathway to Work, a specialist employability pathway designed to prepare learners for Supported Internships and employment.   The impact has been significant. Achievement has increased from 75.0% to 90.7%, retention has improved from 81.9% to 92.3%, and positive progression stands at 96.7%. Learners report high levels of satisfaction, confidence and belonging, whilst employers consistently recognise improvements in independence, communication and workplace readiness. The Academy has created a highly inclusive and transferable model that supports learners to belong, grow and progress.

​In late 2023, Heart of Worcestershire College (HoW) recognised that, while employer engagement activities existed across the organisation, they were not yet delivering consistent impact for all learners. Leaders launched a whole-college transformation that placed employer engagement, employability and labour market intelligence at the centre of curriculum design and delivery.  The College introduced its innovative 5Cs Framework, embedding Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity and Company Behaviours across all programmes. This was reinforced through the 3-2-1GO framework, which established very clear expectations for employer engagement in every curriculum area through curriculum co-design, employer encounters, and employer-delivered or employer-assessed learning experiences.  Combined with stronger strategic partnerships involving employers, civic organisations and wider regional stakeholders, these initiatives created a systematic, measurable and sustainable approach to addressing local and regional skills needs. Employer engagement became an organisational responsibility rather than an activity dependent on individual relationships, ensuring greater consistency, accountability and impact across all curriculum areas.  The impact has been independently validated. During inspection on 10 March 2026, inspectors judged the College’s contribution to meeting skills needs as a Strong Standard, reporting that leaders had significantly strengthened partnerships with employers and stakeholders and implemented a highly effective skills strategy centred on curriculum design, review.​

As an anchor institution spanning Wakefield, Castleford and Selby, the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group has developed a whole-organisation approach to employer engagement that places employers at the heart of curriculum design, workforce development and learner progression.  Working with over 1,300 employers across priority sectors including engineering, rail, construction, health, digital, logistics, clean energy and the creative industries, the Group has established a comprehensive engagement model aligned to Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), Combined Authority priorities and employer workforce needs.  Our approach extends beyond consultation. Employers co-create programmes, shape curriculum intent, contribute to teaching and learning, provide industry placements, support staff development, influence facilities investment and create employment opportunities for learners. Strategic partnerships with organisations including Siemens Mobility, Drax, Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, Vico Homes, Jet2, Caddick Construction and Viamaster ensure provision remains relevant, responsive and future-focused. Supporting this is a dedicated employer engagement infrastructure, strong governor and leadership oversight and extensive collaboration with civic, education and community partners.  The result is a sustainable ecosystem that delivers positive learner destinations, workforce development, inclusive growth and regional economic impact, whilst providing a transferable model of employer engagement that can be replicated by colleges nationally.

​​Lakes College has developed an innovative workforce development model that brings together curriculum design, skills training, learner support and progression pathways within a single, responsive apprenticeship ecosystem. Designed to address regional and national skills priorities across the nuclear, clean energy and wider technical sectors, the initiative provides learners with clear routes from entry-level programmes through to higher and degree-level qualifications.  A major achievement was the rapid mobilisation of a large-scale apprenticeship programme, with more than 200 apprentices transferring seamlessly to new provision while maintaining continuity of learning, wellbeing support and high-quality training. New technical and degree-level pathways were introduced, demonstrating the College’s ability to respond quickly to changing workforce needs.  Learners benefit from a unique three-environment delivery model, combining training in specialist college facilities, near-industry technical centres and real workplace settings. Practical projects, simulated scenarios, employer input and live challenges help develop both technical expertise and professional behaviours.  Supported by industry-leading facilities, including advanced robotics and specialist technical training environments, the project creates a highly skilled talent pipeline while providing a transferable blueprint for workforce development that can be adapted across engineering, advanced manufacturing, construction, renewable energy and digital sectors.​ 

The Sandwell Colleges’ jointly developed ‘Go Further’ programme is transforming opportunities for young people and strengthening the West Midlands region’s engineering talent pipeline. Working together with hydraPower dynamics - a company delivering world class solutions and working with a broad spectrum of industries to offer a comprehensive hose and tube manufacturing service - they have co‑designed a programme of substantial industrial placements for T Level and Level 3 vocational students with access to facilities, machinery, and live projects, giving learners unparalleled exposure to modern engineering environments. The ‘Go Further’ award-winning initiative was developed and designed to tackle a long‑standing challenge: many young people in the local area, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, struggled to transition from education into meaningful careers and lacked the confidence or opportunity to do so. Despite completing vocational qualifications, students often lacked the chance of real‑world experience required to secure roles in competitive sectors such as mechanical engineering. Results have been transformative with more than 100 learners completing industry placements, eight young engineers employed over the last eighteen months, and six students progressing directly from placement to full-time roles.

​Manchester Airport is a major driver of Greater Manchester and the North’s economy, contributing over £6.6 billion in annual GVA and supporting a complex ecosystem of more than 200 businesses. Yet post-Covid recovery exposed persistent recruitment, workforce and skills challenges. Independent LSIP research reinforced the scale of the issue: 90% of surveyed employers had attempted to recruit during the previous 12 months, 55% experienced recruitment difficulties and almost two-thirds were concerned about staff and skills shortages. The Manchester Airport Skills Hub was created as a collective response. Rather than employers tackling common workforce challenges independently, TSCG, Manchester Airport and airport businesses now work through a shared employer-led model to diagnose need, co-design solutions, test delivery and measure impact. Its three interconnected priorities - Future Talent, Recruitment and Employment, and Workforce Development - create pathways from early careers engagement through recruitment, apprenticeships and continuing professional development. The result is a more coordinated talent system designed around real employer demand while widening access to high-quality airport careers.​

Launched in July 2023, MindGreen is Activate Learning's whole-college model for moving mental health and wellbeing beyond crisis response and into everyday college life. It combines inclusive volunteering, curriculum-linked social action, staff and learner leadership, fundraising and needs-led reinvestment across eight campuses.   Its distinctive premise is that belonging, contribution and purpose are protective factors for wellbeing. Learners and staff therefore do not simply receive support, they create it. They fundraise, volunteer, lead campaigns, shape investment and participate in community, creative, physical and enterprise activity. Participation builds connection, confidence and skills; the money and social value generated fund further accessible wellbeing opportunities.   Since launch, MindGreen has raised £39,036 and reinvested £31,077 (75.4%) in learner and staff wellbeing, alongside £9,000 of social value. Youth Ambassadors have raised more than £13,000. Volunteer evaluation recorded gains across every wellbeing measure, including overall wellbeing (+15.1%) and social connection (+12.3%). Community Service Week participants reported stronger connection (90%) and improved wellbeing (92%).   The model is embedded across the group through Staff and Youth Ambassador networks, monthly committees, curriculum and SEND activity, leadership support and external partnerships. It has been shared with 25 colleges through the MindGreen Partnership.

We believe that wellbeing and learner success are intrinsically linked. Our approach is founded on creating a culture of belonging, where learners feel connected, valued, supported and can achieve their potential.   Rather than focusing solely on intervention when difficulties arise, we have developed a preventative approach that promotes positive wellbeing through learner engagement, enrichment, personal development and meaningful relationships. Learners are encouraged to participate in activities that build confidence, strengthen social connections and enhance their sense of belonging within our community.   Learners engage in a broad range of opportunities including Active Wellbeing programmes, clubs and societies, learner voice projects, cultural celebrations, community activities, awareness campaigns, Chatty Cafés, support groups and enrichment. These promote positive mental health, helping learners develop friendships, confidence, purpose and community connections. Activities across wellbeing, inclusion and belonging generated thousands of learner engagements during the year.    Alongside these opportunities, Learning Coaches, wellbeing practitioners, safeguarding colleagues and Inclusive Learning teams provide coordinated support that helps learners overcome barriers and remain engaged in learning.   Building on this established approach, the new Support Hub and Elevate Skills Strategy will further strengthen the college's whole-person approach by embedding wellbeing, personal development and learner success even more deeply across the learner journey.

New College Lanarkshire identified a critical gap: 64% of Scottish students report low mental health and wellbeing, directly impacting retention and attainment. Traditional pastoral support alone couldn't address mental health stigma, financial stress, and isolation that characterised student experience post-pandemic. Our response was comprehensive and strategic. Autumn 2024 saw the launch of three dedicated Wellbeing Academies, physical community hubs in Motherwell, Coatbridge, and Cumbernauld featuring quiet study zones, drop-in advisory services, gaming areas, and practical support (food/clothing banks). These spaces deliberately reject clinical institutional models, creating environments where students naturally seek support. Parallel college-wide campaigns addressed root causes: Be Well to Do Well challenges mental health stigma and promotes service awareness; Getting to Know You identifies vulnerable students at offer acceptance through meta-skills profiling; Being Financially Fit addresses the financial insecurity-mental health nexus through SCQF-accredited financial education and partnership products. Curriculum integration ensures sustainability. Three SCQF-credited wellbeing units -Being Resilient, Brain Health, Health Improvement - embed mental health education into academic pathways, legitimising wellbeing as academic achievement rather than peripheral support. Measurable outcomes include: 5,000+ student engagement; 2,000 direct service users; projected 2% improvement in withdrawals; staff reporting enhanced institutional wellbeing culture. One student describes the Academy as "a home away from home - a really welcoming place where I can unwind when overwhelmed." Sustainability is assured through 60+ strategic partnerships reducing institutional dependency on single funding streams whilst embedding professional expertise.

Following the increase in referrals, Waltham Forest College reimagined its approach to mental health, recognising that expanding services alone would not remove barriers to support. The College transformed mental health from a welfare function into a whole-college culture built on student leadership, co-production and strategic partnership.   At the heart of the initiative is an innovative Mental Health Ambassador Programme, complemented by Class Mental Health Ambassadors embedded within every tutorial group. Learners are trained to promote positive mental health, reduce stigma, encourage early intervention and confidently signpost peers to specialist support, creating trusted pathways into the College's safeguarding and wellbeing services.   Recognising persistent inequalities in mental health access, the College also partnered with NELFT, the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) and Project Zero to co-design culturally responsive support with young Black male learners. Their recommendations directly informed new mentoring, wellbeing and community-based interventions.   Between 2024 and 2026, the programme trained 201 student mental health leaders, strengthened multi-agency partnerships, expanded counselling provision, embedded peer referral into safeguarding practice and demonstrated measurable improvements in confidence, belonging and early intervention. The model is sustainable, evidence-based and readily transferable across the further education sector.

As Eastern Education Group (EEG) expanded across colleges, schools, SEND provision and professional services, it recognised the need for a more consistent and connected approach to staff wellbeing. Rather than creating standalone initiatives, EEG developed a Group-wide model that integrates prevention, manager capability, peer support, early intervention and specialist help into everyday organisational practice. The approach combines the EEG Staff Wellbeing Challenge, Licence to Lead manager development programme and the Development Zone learning platform with wellbeing roadshows, Professional Development Days, health checks, Mental Health First Aiders, staff networks, the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), Occupational Health and access to specialist support. These elements form a clear support pathway, enabling colleagues to engage through wellbeing activities, digital learning, their manager, peer support or professional services depending on their needs. The model is underpinned by measurable impact. The Development Zone has recorded 1,842 wellbeing-related course completions, while 92% of Licence to Lead participants rated the programme Good, Very Good or Excellent and 69% reported already applying their learning. Between February 2024 and September 2026, Mental Health First Aiders provided support to 75 colleagues, with 68% reporting improved wellbeing following the conversation. The result is a sustainable, scalable wellbeing culture that supports staff, strengthens leadership and enhances the experience of students through a healthier, more engaged workforce.

We believe the most effective mental health support begins long before a student reaches crisis point. Open Conversations, Real Support delivers a proactive and preventative approach that places wellbeing at the heart of the learner experience. Our model combines wellbeing-focused tutorials, transition programmes, awareness campaigns and a comprehensive package of early intervention support. Learners can access a range of initiatives including Pathway to Positivity, COMBAT, Together Through Loss, Wellbeing Lunch Club, Open Door support, Mental Health First Aid and the 5 Pillars of Wellbeing programme. These interventions provide multiple opportunities for students to develop self-awareness, resilience and positive coping strategies before issues escalate. Recognising increasing pressures on specialist services, we have developed strong partnerships with organisations including York Mind, IDAS and community wellbeing providers to create seamless pathways into specialist support when required. During 2025/26, 101 students accessed specialist support through York Mind, with 100% referral accuracy achieved through streamlined referral processes. This ensures students are connected to the right support at the right time while continuing to receive support within college

Sport has always taught resilience, teamwork and confidence. This programme uses technology to ensure that every learner can participate and benefit, regardless of their starting point and learning styles. A five-stage teaching, learning and assessment cycle embeds technology at every point: Microsoft Teams Learning Accelerators give personalised comprehension support, NotebookLM turns lesson content into short accessible revision podcasts, and assessment moves beyond written coursework into podcast, debate and presentation formats. GPS vests and AI-supported video turn performance data into something learners can read, understand and act on themselves, rather than waiting for a coach to tell them what it means. The impact is visible in individual outcomes: a learner with an EHCP who arrived from a small specialist setting went on to become Student Union President; a dyslexic learner who once struggled to take notes now graduates with a Distinction and is progressing to Higher Education. The programme is highly effective in removing barriers to learning: the College funds transport, kit and technology costs, has put an iPad in every student's hands, and has helped lift girls' football participation locally from 30% to 60%. The result is a genuinely transferable model for inclusive, technology-enabled learning design.

DFN Project SEARCH is a year-long supported internship based at Calderdale Royal Hospital, with all interns enrolled as students at Calderdale College. The programme supports young people aged 18–25 with a learning disability and/or autism to gain valuable, real-world work experience within an integrated and supportive environment.  Interns complete three 10-week work placements. The first two are within Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT), while the third can be with an employer anywhere in Halifax. This year, placements have included Calderdale Council, Overgate and Pladis.  Throughout the programme, interns receive dedicated support from job coaches, developing confidence, independence and transferable workplace skills that prepare them for meaningful paid employment. The programme has already achieved significant success, with four interns securing employment this year and more than 30 graduates gaining employment since DFN Project SEARCH began.  With the national rate of people with a disability securing full-time paid employment below 5%, DFN Project SEARCH aims high, targeting a 70% employment outcome. The achievements of our interns, staff and employer partners demonstrate what is possible when young people are given the right opportunities, support and belief.

East Kent Colleges Group and The Marlowe Theatre have worked in genuine partnership to co-develop and now co-deliver an inspirational performing arts provision directly in the 1,200 seat theatre itself. Students are exposed to the sector's way of working with professional Producers, Directors, Actors and theatre practitioners guiding their learning. The partnership ensures industry expertise is embedded throughout curriculum planning, delivery and assessment. Through workshops, practical projects, performances and direct engagement with theatre professionals, students apply their learning in authentic professional contexts, receive expert feedback and refine their practice against industry standards. As learners progress, they are expected to work with increasing independence and sophistication, responding to professional briefs and collaborating with industry specialists.

At The Manchester College, real-world learning is a curriculum design principle. The city becomes part of the classroom. MM Jazz co-creates Musical Theatre with professional-company expectations, McGoff Construction connects students to live city-centre projects, major galleries host exhibitions and work-related activity, Business students pitch to agencies and Manchester City Council, and Hospitality students train in professional venues and compete against industry standards. The positive impact of over 2,000 employer partnerships is evident throughout the college. Across 26 curriculum deep dives, alignment of knowledge, skills and behaviours to local, regional and national need was a strength in every case. Direct occupational outcomes include Hospitality students gaining employment and promotion with Manchester United and The Ivy, while 64 entered WorldSkills heats and 21 progressed to national heats. The model turns employers, cultural institutions and communities into sites of teaching and learning, feedback, challenge and professional development.

Belonging Through Creativity is an innovative, sanctuary-inspired ESOL initiative that reimagines language learning by placing belonging, wellbeing and creative expression at its heart. Developed through a partnership between Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination, and Phosphorus Theatre, the project was designed for young ESOL learners from refugee, asylum-seeking, migrant and care-experienced backgrounds. Delivered to two cohorts of 16, the programme combined nature walks, visual arts, graphic storytelling and drama to create meaningful opportunities for language development beyond the classroom. Engaging with local parks, artists and cultural organisations, learners built confidence, communication skills and formed strong relationships with peers, practitioners and wider community. The project's innovation lies in its integration of language learning, wellbeing and community participation. Creative activities enabled learners to express themselves regardless of language level, ensuring every voice could be heard and valued. The programme achieved strong outcomes in learner engagement, qualification success, including progression to vocational pathways, higher-level study and wider enrichment opportunities. Beyond educational outcomes, the initiative strengthened learners' sense of identity, belonging and participation in local community life. It also deepened collaboration between education, arts and Sanctuary organisations, providing a transferable model for inclusive, impactful ESOL provision across the sector.

Springboard supports young adult ESOL learners who had missed out on 16–19 funding or arrived in the UK at a critical point in their education, often with little English, few qualifications and limited stability. The programme was developed because the standard 5.5-hour Adult Skills Fund ESOL offer was not enough to meet their language, personal and progression needs. Springboard provides a 15-hour-per-week holistic programme combining ESOL with maths, digital skills, wider learning, employability, integration and individual progression support.  Now entering its sixth academic cycle, Springboard has continually adapted around learner need. It has grown from one mixed-level cohort of around 20 learners to lower and upper groups supporting up to 40 learners, with a two-year pathway for those starting at lower levels of English. From 2026–27, Springboard Preparation, Literacy Workshops and Springboard GCSE will further strengthen progression, combining ESOL and GCSE English expertise.  Impact is strong: in 2024–25 there were 105 starts and 96 completions, rising to 104 starts and 104 completions in 2025–26, giving 100% retention. Across three years, 93.5% of learners achieved positive destinations, progressing into further ESOL, vocational courses, GCSEs, apprenticeships, employment and higher education.

Our Volunteering initiative offers ESOL students life-changing opportunities to build real-world skills, integration, and confidence through tailored internal and external volunteering pathways. Students step into leadership roles within the college assisting in ESOL, IT, Maths, and Digital Skills classrooms. Opportunities with external partners provide immersive, practical experience. Examples include an 18-week programme with Real Hope Café, where students gain food hygiene qualifications, complete 8-week work placements, and develop professional barista skills. Meanwhile, volunteering at the Oxfam Batley warehouse equips students with transferable skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and time management through dynamic logistics work. The impact is truly transformational. Participants report significant boosts in self-belief, language mastery, and social connection. Crucially, these experiences create tangible employment pathways, directly enabling students to secure paid roles as baristas, cafe staff, and catering assistants. By bridging classroom learning with practical work, this project empowers ESOL learners to thrive in their local communities and achieve long-term career aspirations.

Our ESOL provision at Slough and Langley College has always been about adapting the curriculum to our learners’ needs and fast-tracking their progress. Having realised that our students were disadvantaged because they did not have an opportunity to achieve national GCSE qualifications, we designed a pioneering programme which enables them to study GCSE English and Maths in one academic year.    In 2026, our ESOL GCSE Pathway cohort achieved a remarkable 51% pass rate in GCSE English, substantially outperforming the national post- 16 benchmark of 19.8%.     Another innovatory initiative is our bespoke ‘Study Skills Meet AI’ programme, which teaches our students how to use artificial intelligence tools safely and ethically to improve their English, build vocabulary, and practise independent study.   ​By combining national GCSE qualifications, the knowledge of cultural capital, and how to use modern digital skills, our programme provides our young learners with the confidence and qualifications they need to progress academically, engage into employment and integrate into society. Our mission goes beyond language acquisition to foster resilience, adaptability and essential life skills.

This transformative initiative is a three-year partnership with a local organic farm, providing vital, supportive work placements for 16-18-year-old Pre-Entry and Entry One ESOL learners. Designed for young people who would otherwise face significant barriers to accessing external work experience, the project offers a unique opportunity to engage in three days of hands-on work over three weeks. Learners collaborate as a team to grow, harvest, and prepare organic food, developing practical skills alongside tailored English language support within a nurturing and inclusive environment.  Participants also work towards an AQA qualification, reinforcing their educational progress and confidence. Following this, between four and seven learners are selected to undertake six-week paid or voluntary placements during the summer holiday, culminating in a Literacy AQA qualification. The inclusion of a voluntary option ensures access for those with no legal right to work, underscoring the project’s commitment to equity and opportunity.

Beyond individual achievements, learners become ambassadors, sharing their journeys to inspire and motivate new cohorts, creating a powerful cycle of empowerment and transformation. This initiative is not just about work experience—it is a life-changing pathway to integration, self-belief, and future success.

Barnsley College’s transformation of Foundation Learning began by challenging a fundamental assumption: what if the learner is not failing education, but education is failing to work for the learner?  The result is an increasingly personalised continuum of provision based on the principle ‘individual, not additional’. Rather than adding support around an unchanged educational model, the team identifies the barriers preventing engagement and adapts curriculum, teaching, environments and support accordingly for students on entry-level and Level 1 courses.  Since 2020/21, Foundation Learning has grown from approximately 75 learners to 260 in 2025/26, with around 310 expected in 2026/27. In the same period, retention rates have increased from 84% to 95.8%, while positive destinations – further study, apprenticeships, supported internships or employment – now exceed 90%. English and Maths achievement have also risen year-on-year.   The model combines Universal Design for Learning, trauma-informed practice, the social model of disability, literacy intervention, alternative environments, and experiential learning.  Provision includes LaunchPad, offering a personalised route back into education; Outreach Outdoors through farm-based learning; Outreach On the Road, taking education directly into Barnsley communities; and Compass, supporting learners whose behaviour places their education at risk.

Launchpad is Blackburn College's flagship employability and progression hub, developed to tackle economic inactivity, youth unemployment and skills shortages across Blackburn with Darwen. Through a strategic investment by the College, alongside collaboration with Blackburn with Darwen Council, the Department for Work and Pensions, Newground Together, employers and community organisations, Launchpad provides a single, accessible gateway to education, skills, employment and wellbeing support. Rather than expecting individuals to navigate multiple services, Launchpad delivers personalised, person-centred support tailored to individual aspirations and barriers. This includes careers guidance, employability training, confidence building, sector-based skills programmes and direct employer engagement. Since opening, Launchpad has supported more than 250 young people aged 16–19 who were NEET onto study programmes with clear progression routes into further education and employment. In addition, the hub engages over 400 adults each month and has supported 164 adults into sustained employment, with many others progressing into apprenticeships, volunteering or further learning. As an anchor institution, Blackburn College has demonstrated how further education can lead place-based collaboration, transforming lives, strengthening local communities and creating a sustainable model of best practice that can be replicated by colleges across the UK.

We believe that every young person deserves a pathway to success, regardless of the barriers they have faced. Where the number of young people who are NEET continues to rise, our college has developed an innovative, inclusive and highly impactful model for re-engagement that combines personalised learning, specialist support, employer partnerships and progression-focused pathways.    Our approach has a simple but powerful mission: to unlock potential. We recognise that young people who disengage from education are not a homogeneous group. They include learners with SEND, anxiety and mental health challenges, may have been excluded from school, those who have been electively home educated, care-experienced young people and others facing significant social and economic disadvantage.   Through an interconnected framework our INSPIRE initiative provides eight flexible entry points and routes back into learning and work. consisting of Supported Internships, Accessible Apprenticeships, Bespoke SEND, Foundation SEND and RESTART (consisting of Re-Connect, Re-Set, Re-Boot and Re-Charge programmes)   The result is a model that places inclusion at its core. Learners progress into vocational education, apprenticeships and supported employment. families have renewed confidence, employers have access to talented young people and communities benefit from reduced isolation and increased economic participation.

Choices was developed in response to a simple challenge: conventional further education was not working for a growing group of young people who had already disengaged from learning. Rather than expecting young people to change to fit college, Harlow College changed the offer. Choices is a full-time FE programme combining flexible qualifications, English and maths, personal development, pastoral support, careers guidance, enrichment and vocational experiences. Learners follow Certificate, Diploma or Construction pathways shaped around their starting points, barriers and ambitions. Re-engagement begins before formal teaching. Every learner meets a Choices team member face-to-face on campus, begins building relationships and becomes familiar with the College environment. The first week prioritises individual contact and settling back into education before formal teaching begins. Stable groups, familiar staff, consistent environments and predictable routines reduce barriers. The programme has grown from 21 learners in 2023/24 to 45 in 2024/25 and 90 starting in September 2025, with a further 20-place October cohort planned. Choices changes the route, not the ambition. Its purpose is not simply to bring young people back through the door, but to enable them to stay, achieve and progress.

Nottingham is more deprived than 94% of local authority districts in England. Its young people fall further behind each year of secondary school and many arrive at college below where the standard qualification ladder begins.  In 2022, Ofsted found that too many learners with high needs required greater support. Our response was a principle, not a programme: the college adapts to the learner, not the reverse. Five design principles: re-engagement before progression, placement not selection, belonging as pedagogy, real work not simulation, progression designed in - produced six entry points, from a campus for 14-year-olds who had left school to supported internships in a working hospital, backed by £5.8 million of estate investment.  The change has been transformational. In 2025/26, 673 young people who were NEET or at risk of it enrolled on re-engagement provision; 89% completed. Foundation Learning achievement has risen from 71.6% to a predicted 87.9%, from twelve points below the national rate to above it. Students with High Needs achieve 4.1 points above students without. Nineteen of 24 supported interns entered paid work. We didn’t achieve this by becoming more selective. We admitted more of the young people least likely to succeed and outcomes rose.

This innovative Inclusive Project-Based Learning (PBL) initiative trailblazers the successful re-engagement and transition of young people into technical education and training, supported internships and apprentices. The experiential curriculum focusses on restorative and trauma-informed approaches to teaching and support for individuals who are at risk of/NEET, disadvantaged or socially excluded. The project supports students to regulate their emotions and access learning using a fully therapeutic approach helping them to succeed, build successful relationships, reach their full potential and transition into further learning and onward into fulfilling work.   Project-based is a nature-based curriculum with Four coherent key activities that include: • A Curriculum encouraging collaboration, embracing challenge and developing character, resilience and empathy in preparation for next steps. • Opportunities for young people to trial a broad range of vocational education and rub shoulders with influential employers and the local community.  • A  ground breaking transition sharing of information process between the local authority, schools and the college. • All disadvantaged students benefitting from an enhanced career conversation and a 3-year skills and progression plan.  The project acts as a bridge back into education, students learn through practical, hands-on experiences in supportive environments and transition into their chosen vocational area with confidence after one term.

The Step into Faculty provides a distinctive, joined-up approach to preventing and reducing NEET, supporting young people from early intervention through to re-engagement, progression and positive destinations. Four interconnected programmes ensure support is available at every stage of a young person’s journey. School Link provides early intervention for pre-16 pupils, working with 14 local secondary schools to re-engage young people experiencing poor attendance or school avoidance through practical, vocational learning. RISE supports post-16 learners with low or no GCSE grades who have often experienced limited success within traditional education. It combines vocational pathways with GCSE English and maths and a City & Guilds Level 1 Employability Award, rebuilding confidence, skills and aspirations. Connect Me uses data and intelligence to identify enrolled learners at risk of disengagement and provides flexible, personalised interventions. Since September 2025, it has successfully re-engaged more than 300 learners at risk of withdrawal, supporting them to return to learning and continue towards their qualifications. Build Your Future, delivered in partnership with Positive Steps, supports young people who are already NEET. Through an intensive 10-week programme combining English, maths and a social curriculum, young people develop the confidence, skills and behaviours required to progress towards meaningful, individualised destinations.

Many GCSE resit learners arrive at college associating English and maths with previous disappointment. Runshaw responded by replacing a narrow resit model with a whole-college progression framework integrating three components: an ambitious culture, evidence-informed curriculum and pedagogy and coordinated learner support. The framework includes interleaved curriculum design, retrieval and modelling, VESPA-linked assessment reflection, explicit exam literacy, Maths for Life, enrichment, relational practice and a team around the learner. It is underpinned by Runshaw’s Teaching and Learning Expectations, Progress Mentor model, inclusion arrangements and rigorous quality cycle.  Runshaw’s practice was selected for the Department for Education and Further Education Commissioner’s national guide, Effective Practice in Delivering 16 to 19 English and Maths. The guide features several named Runshaw examples for the wider sector.  In 2025/26, Grade 4+ achievement reached 56.1% in English and 25.4% in maths, compared with sixth form college benchmarks of 30.8% and 20.3% respectively. English achievement reached 90.9% and maths achievement 87.6%, while retention exceeded national comparators in both subjects.

West Thames College treats English and Maths progression as purposeful, not as qualifications for their own sake. Every learner is assessed at entry, placed on the right pathway, and taught through a curriculum that explicitly connects literacy, numeracy and digital capability to further study, employment and life. Diagnostic assessment, target grades, mock examinations, RAG (Red/Amber/Green) tracking and personalised interventions catch barriers early: individual Maths heatmaps turn assessment data into precise improvement plans, while English feedback pinpoints specific skills for development. Alongside classroom teaching, learners get progression guidance, employability-skills opportunities and routes into further study or work, both internal and external. Adult learners move through clear stages — from Entry Level and Stepping Stones to Level 1 and GCSE — alongside Essential Digital Skills. Vocational collaboration, employer advisory boards, enrichment activity and targeted attendance and engagement support strengthen the model throughout. The result is one coherent journey: assess need, build essential skills, achieve the qualification, make an informed choice, and progress with confidence.