Hugh Baird College Wins National Award for Outstanding Student Support

‘Education for All’ initiative named best in the UK at prestigious AoC Beacon Awards. 

Hugh Baird College has been named national winner of the RCU Award for Support for Students at the Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Awards 2025/26, one of the most prestigious honours in further education. 

The Beacon Awards, presented at the House of Commons, recognise the very best practice and innovation across colleges in the United Kingdom. Hugh Baird College’s winning submission showcased its pioneering ‘Education for All’ initiative: a comprehensive, inclusive approach designed to ensure young people across the Liverpool City Region can access personalised, high-quality education, regardless of the barriers they face. 

Based in one of the most socio-economically challenged communities in the country, the College supports more than 4,000 disadvantaged learners, with 76% of students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and nearly a third identified as having special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). 

Since 2021, Hugh Baird College has redesigned its Foundation Learning and High Needs provision to meet local needs, creating tailored pathways for young people who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), have high needs, or face social, emotional or mental health challenges. 

Programmes including Turn Around, Engage, Learning for Life and the Transitions Hub have been developed in partnership with local authorities, the NHS, Career Connect and specialist agencies. Together, they provide restorative approaches, strengthened transition planning and highly personalised support, enabling learners to build confidence, re-engage with education and progress into employment, further study or independent living. 

The impact has been significant. Last year, students at Thornton College, Hugh Baird College’s specialist high needs campus, achieved a 96% success rate, including 100% achievement in maths and English qualifications. Across the Education for All programmes, enrolments grew by 35%, reflecting growing demand for inclusive and specialist provision. 

The award provides further independent recognition of the College’s sector-leading approach. Ofsted inspectors, who graded the College Outstanding following a November 2024 inspection, noted that students with high needs “thrive and do exceptionally well through caring, diligent and exceptional planning,” and that learners “rapidly develop their confidence, resilience and independence because of highly effective teaching, extensive support and participation in life-enhancing experiences.” 

Rachael Hennigan OBE, Principal and Chief Executive at Hugh Baird College, said: 

“Winning this award is an incredible honour and a true reflection of the dedication, compassion and innovation shown by our staff every single day. Our teams work tirelessly to ensure every learner feels valued and has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of the challenges they face. To have that work recognised is something we are all immensely proud of.” 

Sarah Collins, Director of Foundation Studies at Hugh Baird College, added: 

“Every programme we’ve built is rooted in the needs of this community. We have young people who arrived disengaged who are now progressing into employment, further study and living more independently. That transformation is what this award is really about.” 

David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said: 

“Every year I am blown away by the standard of the Beacon Award entries. They are tribute to the scale of innovation and expertise in further education colleges across the UK, and the impact they have in their regions. This year, it was harder than ever to decide on just one winner per category. I want to say a huge congratulations to everyone who met the Beacon standard, and of course, to our winners. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to the communities you serve, and I hope you enjoy the celebrations, you should be proud of the work you do and the impact you make on people's lives.” 

Hugh Baird College holds an Outstanding rating from Ofsted and is one of only three further education colleges in the North West to do so. The College was also a finalist in a second Beacon Award category this year, the Edge Award for Excellence in Real World Learning, for its ‘WorkReady with eduScrum’ programme.