Following hard on the heels of a record 14th Association of Colleges National Beacon Award and a highly prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize, Bridgwater College was named as the 2016 FE College of the Year at last week’s Times Educational Supplement (TES) FE Awards in London.
Now in their fifth year, the TES FE Awards recognise and reward the achievements of the wide range of organisations working in the further education and training sector. Hundreds of organisations submitted entries for the 14 categories, which recognise innovation and achievement in teaching, leadership and community engagement.
A number of highly successful colleges were shortlisted for the overall FE College of the Year category, but the judges felt that Bridgwater College stood out from the rest for its sustained outstanding performance and the exceptional partnerships it has forged with employers and the local community.
They also commended its outstanding student success rates, excellent levels of student recruitment and retention, substantial increases in apprenticeship numbers and sustained excellence in governance and leadership, all of which have been achieved despite funding and demographic challenges and increasing competition.
Employer partnerships within the College are particularly strong, and have generated significant investment in College facilities as well as exceptional opportunities for employment, apprenticeships, work placements and work experience with some of the most famous blue-chip companies in the world.
In conferring the award, the judges stated,
“These successes, coupled with the College’s sustained excellence in governance and leadership, place Bridgwater among the UK’s most successful FE colleges.”
Speaking after the prestigious awards ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, College Principal Mike Robbins, who attended with a small team representing different parts of the College said,
“It is an honour to receive this prestigious award, which is testament to the energy, commitment and innovation of the entire College staff. We have a fantastic team of people that work tirelessly to offer young people and adults alike the very best opportunities to enter and progress academically and within the world of work, and external recognition like this highlights the positive contribution made by each and every one of them. This is turning out to be a truly exceptional year for Bridgwater College, which is edging ever closer towards its ambition to be world class.”
