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2019-20 PROSPECTUS

Contents

About the awardsWhy you should apply Benefits of applyingOverview of application processGeneral criteria and eligibility to applyAssessmentAward winnersIndividual awards and sponsors

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About the awards

The Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Awards celebrate the best and most innovative practice among UK further education (FE) colleges. It is managed by AoC and run through AoC Charitable Trust - a registered charity.

The aim of the awards programme is to demonstrate and promote the far-reaching impact of colleges on their students and the communities they serve. The commended and winning case studies will be used to increase understanding of colleges’ contribution to educational skills policy and economic and social development.

Recognise innovative and exemplary teaching and learning practice in colleges

Draw attention to provision which encourages and supports students to approach challenges positively and creatively

Support learning and continuous improvement through sharing best practice

Promote and celebrate the college sector’s commitment to pioneering approaches to equality and diversity

Project profiles of past ‘Commended’ and ‘Winning’ colleges are available via the website AoC Beacon Awards

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Working in partnership

Sponsors

We are delighted to be working with TES to celebrate and promote our respective awards.

AoC and TES have worked together to develop a complementary set of awards. They are assessed and judged separately but we look forward to announcing our respective finalists at AoC Annual Conference in November and the winners at the TES FE Awards and AoC Beacon Awards celebration in March 2020.

We are as always extremely grateful to our award sponsors who have once again demonstrated their commitment to the college sector by sponsoring our awards.

The support of sponsors is crucial to the success of the Awards and we are delighted that the sponsors have demonstrated their commitment and support to the 2019/20 awards programme.

Our sponsors also provide valuable advice on award categories, the application and assessment process and assist with promoting the college sector and sharing best practice.

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Why you should apply

Benefits of applying:

The awards offer colleges the opportunity to showcase the inspiring and innovative ways they support students, staff and communities. It represents the very best approaches that colleges have developed and are implementing to meet the skills needs of local employers and the career aspirations of their students.

Colleges can reflect on the successful approaches they have developed to teaching and learning, as well as review the positive impact that they have on their students.

Commended colleges that have reached the Beacon Standard will have their individual case studies profiled on the AoC website and will also feature in the AoC Annual Conference Beacon Awards supplement in association with TES.

Winning colleges will be invited to showcase and share their outstanding practice in Spring 2020.

Award sponsors will promote and share winning and commended college best practice case studies to their partners and affiliates.

Award winners can use the Beacon awards logo on their college headed paper, websites and other promotional materials.

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The application and assessment process is designed so that applicants can identify areas they wish to put forward and, where appropriate, achieve Beacon status at stage 1 and be invited to progress to stage 2 full application. Applications can only be submitted via the online application.

Please see Guidance for Applicants which provides information on how to apply and the key dates and deadlines for each stage. Please note no awards are confined by age, gender, other groupings, size, or category of provision.

There are three different stages:

z Stage 1 and Stage 2 are integral to the application process

z Stage 3 is a visit programme for colleges announced as finalists.

Building on last year’s successful model and applicants’ feedback, we have further refined the Stage 1 application process that will enable more colleges and their teams to apply for these prestigious awards.

By submitting your online application, you agree to the terms and conditions in the AoC privacy notice which can be found on the AoC Beacon Awards page.

Assessment and moderation,

applications that meet Beacon

Standard will be invited to apply

for stage 2

Winning colleges to host a one-day workshop on best practice May and

July 2020

Full application deadline 12

noon 7 October 2019

Assessor visits to Finalists

commence 1 December 2019

Finalists will be announced at

the AoC Annual conference on

the 19 November 2019

STAGE 1Online application via AoC website.

Opens: 10 June 2019 Closes: 12 noon, 8

July 2019

STAGE 2First week in

September invited to stage 2

STAGE 3Assessor visits to

finalists commence 1 December 2019

Overview of application process

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General criteria and eligibility to apply

The Beacon awards recognise exemplary initiatives that are truly innovative, can demonstrate impact and are sustainable. The awards seek to highlight and promote outstanding practice of further education colleges by highlighting the positive impact on students and the communities they serve.

All entrants must be FE colleges incorporated under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. And be eligible for membership of the Association of Colleges. Please check your colleges eligibility in the Guide to Applicants.

All initiatives should show evidence of imaginative yet sustainable teaching and learning practice or other relevant practice. An application can relate to a programme, course, project or other form of teaching, learning, advice, guidance or support. The application process will be in three stages.

The initial application although not formulaic (see following guidance), needs to be written carefully and mindful of the following:

1. Take account of the specific requirements set out by the sponsors for their award that include the embedded requirement to:

� have regard to the promotion of equality and diversity in the delivery of the programme

� be subject to bespoke evaluation/quality assurance to influence the continuing development of the initiative

� have features which actively promote exemplary teaching and learning

� be for the benefit to one or more groups of students, recipients or trainees who are identified and described in the application

� have wider relevance and applicability which would make it of significant value to other colleges as an example of outstanding practice or innovation.

2. That the initiative has run for at least one academic year by 31 July 2019 and there is clear evidence of impact and sustainability

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There are certain requirements that a college will need to follow, and these are explained in the Guidance for Applicants. It applies to each college and AoC Beacon Award. Those applying should confirm with their college Principal/CEO that the college will honour these requirements before applicants apply and proceed on this basis.

Winning colleges will be invited to host a one-day workshop between May and July 2020 to showcase and share their outstanding practice

These workshops will be free to AoC member colleges and staff to attend although places can be limited dependent on venue and host college

A contribution towards the costs of hosting the event will be available through the AoC Charitable Trust.

The AoC Charitable Trust will require the college to provide a date within two weeks of winner’s announcement on 20 March 2020 (please see Guide for Applicants for more information)

Award winners are permitted to use the AoC Beacon Awards logo on their college-headed paper, websites and other promotional materials.

Assessment

Assessment of applications is carried out by a team of independent assessors, led by the Chief Assessor, Deputy Chief Assessor and overseen by the AoC Charitable Trust.

All Beacon award winners and commended colleges are awarded or withheld at the sole and absolute discretion of the AoC Charitable Trust and those acting on its behalf. No explanation will be provided on these decisions.

Please see the AoC Beacon Awards Guide to Applicants for more information.

Award winners

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Individual awards and sponsors

The 25th Anniversary AoC Beacon Awards Programme 2019/20

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This award will celebrate the important work colleges are doing to support the mental health and wellbeing of their students and staff. The rise in ill health amongst learners and the greater public is of great concern and is attracting heightened attention nationally.

Proposals will be expected to take into account the 11 points of the AoC mental Health Charter (2019)

Applications that show how colleges have successfully supported people in their local communities, existing students or teaching and support staff will be welcome. Of importance will be the sustainability of such innovation, and some recognition by those outside the college that this work has longer term benefit and is sustained over time.

“Colleges care deeply about their students and staff. Their primary purpose is to educate, to help students gain qualifications, to progress in work and further study but we know that we also need to support them to gain skills to lead happy, successful lives. To achieve all these outcomes, we need to help all students to be healthy, to develop skills in resilience, to manage what life throws at them and we need to target specialist support to students with particular challenges and we are delighted to once again sponsor this Beacon Award”

AoC Award for Mental Health and Wellbeing

About the Association of Colleges

The Association of Colleges is the national voice for further education, sixth form, tertiary and specialist colleges in England. We are a not-for-profit membership organisation established in 1996 by colleges, for colleges. Our members make up almost 95% of the sector - transforming 2.2 million lives each year.

Acting as the collective voice, we represent and promote the interests of colleges, and provide our members with high-quality professional support services, including training, events, and recruitment.

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This award will celebrate an outstanding example of a college’s international work. The winner will have exceptional strategies to embed international activity within the broader college aims and have identified how this contributes to improved organisational, staff and curriculum development and learner outcomes.

In particular assessors will look for effective and imaginative approaches undertaken to use international work to raise aspirations, share best practice and act as a catalyst for improvements in teaching and learning. Outcomes will be measured by evidenced improvements to key college objectives through international work. International work is varied and so long as applications meet the criteria there is no absolute requirement for international travel to have taken place.

“Our Beacon Award celebrates and promotes the value of international exchange for systems, organisations, staff, learners and the wider community.”

British Council International Award About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

Our work in Skills encourages closer links between education, employers and policy makers in the UK and the countries we work in to help enhance the skills and employability of young people globally. Our work creates opportunities for individuals to broaden their horizons and be equipped with the skills needed to face today's global and multicultural world of work.

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This award will celebrate an outstanding example of innovative careers leadership and practice. In a world where enterprise, education and work opportunities are constantly changing, students of any age need easy access to high quality support and information. Learning how to make informed decisions is increasingly critical to a successful working life.

The award is aimed at Careers Leaders in colleges and will celebrate careers programmes that demonstrate examples of innovative practice when engaging with schools, employers and other agencies, to provide learners with excellent impartial careers education, advice and guidance.

Assessors will be particularly interested to see applications where colleges are able to provide evidence of either meeting or making rapid progress towards achieving the eight Gatsby Benchmarks (GB).

“We are delighted to be once again supporting the AoC Beacon Awards and look forward to hearing about the great examples innovative approaches in colleges.”

The Careers and Enterprise Company Award for Innovation in Careers and Enterprise

About The Careers & Enterprise Company

The Careers & Enterprise Company exists to prepare and inspire young people for the fast-changing world of work by creating career opportunities and connections to potential employers. We have built a national network to connect schools and colleges, employers and career programme providers. We are working on the ground with these schools and colleges to help create high-impact careers opportunities for young people.

Created as a social enterprise in 2015, our team blends expertise from education, business, the private sector, third sector, academia and government to help young people to build a rewarding career. We are committed to collaborating with others and our network is growing rapidly. We are already working with half the schools and colleges in England and, through our investment funds, are on course to provide 500,000 young people with opportunities to interact with employers.

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This award will recognise exemplary practice in the delivery of provision: responsive to the needs of employers. The winner will need to demonstrate an outstanding ability to work with and provide a direct service to employers, be highly effective in meeting employers’ skills needs and/or apprenticeship requirements.

In addition, it is likely that there will be excellent examples of the college engaging with employers - to support the development of employability skills within the curriculum. The award is not targeted at a specific group, but applications should demonstrate a clear, long-term vision of partnership and working with employers. The provision offered should enable the development of a skilled workforce and contribute to local and regional economic development. The successful programme is also likely to be very responsive to identified skills priorities and levels of unemployment.

“City & Guilds is delighted to sponsor this award. We have worked with the further education sector for many years and this award recognises the enormous contribution that colleges make in working closely with their local employers to ensure learners receive the most relevant training and best chance of recruitment following completion of programmes.”

City & Guilds Award for College Engagement with Employers

About City & Guilds

City & Guilds is a global leader in skills development with a rich history over the last 140 years within the UK and more recently world-wide. We work closely with employers and providers with all aspects of skills development and training to enable learners to reach their potential. We have been an affiliate subscriber of AoC for many years and value the work that AoC undertakes with its college members, specifically the Beacon Awards.

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This award will celebrate colleges that have developed high quality practical teaching and learning approaches that give students experiences that are real, meaningful, challenging, stretching and life changing.

In particular, assessors will look for:

z a broad, balanced and relevant 14-19 curriculum z school work relevant to the workplace with employers involved

z teachers to have more support and freedom; and to encourage collaboration between institutions to share best practice and resource

z more high-quality apprenticeships for young people to help them earn and learn

z a flexible, dynamic and value for money higher education system that helps prepare young people for the real world.

“As a longstanding sponsor of the Beacon Awards we are impressed every year at the standard of entries for our award”

Edge Award for Excellence in Real World Learning

About Edge Foundation

Edge believes that high quality technical and professional learning should be a key part of a coherent, unified and holistic education system to support social mobility and enable all young people to fulfil their potential. We want to recognise, celebrate and promote examples of excellent practical teaching and learning

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This award will celebrate an outstanding example of the ‘use of digital technology’ carefully designed to improve the student experience - in a digital age. Underpinning the best applications with evidence demonstrating enhancements to teaching, learning and assessment and/or the creation of business efficiencies. In every case, changes made will be valued by learners and easily evidenced. The innovative use of technology might be applied across specific provision or support a college wide approach.

Applications should show how the college goes above and beyond what is the ‘norm’ and applications are not restricted to a specific type of courses, for example, ‘Information Technology’. Outstanding use of technology might be targeted at specific age groups or more generally those who study for all their time at a main campus or remotely.

“Jisc is delighted and proud to sponsor this AoC Beacon award as we see on a daily basis the amazing work being done across our members within further education. So, this award provides the opportunity for a spotlight to be placed on colleges to share their innovations and effective practice and show the community what can and is possible.”

Jisc Award for effective use of Digital Technology in further education

About Jisc

Jisc is the further education and skills sectors’ not-for-profit organisation for digital services and solutions, embedded in the education community. As a member of Jisc, you are part of this community and all the benefits that brings, from the power of shared effective practice to access to the latest digital products and thinking.

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This award will celebrate an outstanding example of a college’s ability to engage in social action and engagement in their communities. The winner will have exceptional strategies to provide transformational educational opportunities through social action and learner participation for students.

Assessors will look for effective and imaginative approaches to enhancing communities through student-led initiatives, especially those which benefit ‘non-traditional’ students. Outcomes will be measured in the successful acquisition of skills, knowledge or qualifications and clear progression routes to further learning or employment for students, and impact on students and communities beyond the college.

“The Pears #iwill Fund is delighted to be partnering with the Association of Colleges to recognise and celebrate the incredible contribution students and colleges are making to communities across the UK. ” Sir Trevor Pears CMG, Executive Chair, Pears Foundation

Pears #iwill Award for Social Action and Community Engagement

About Pears FoundationPears #iwill Fund, is a match fund created by Pears Foundation, the National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in support of the goals of the #iwill campaign – to make involvement in social action a part of life for young people, by recognising the benefit for both young people and their communities.

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This award will celebrate outstanding examples of student support provided by a college for a significant group of students, across a whole provision or college wide approach. This award might cover both learner and learning support.

The provision will be above and beyond what is the ‘norm’ and applications are not restricted to a specific type of course or programme. For example, applications would be welcome from colleges describing their bespoke provision for students with autistic spectrum disorders, or an outstanding example of information, advice and guidance, or excellent learner or learning support for adults returning to learn.

“We are extremely proud to be sponsoring this award. We feel the Support for Students Award provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase the exceptional work colleges are doing to support students of all abilities and from all backgrounds, within a quickly changing and often difficult environment to ensure that they have a fair chance to progress and fulfill their potential.”

RCU Support for Students Award About RCU

RCU provide market intelligence and research for the further education sector. Our mission is to develop and deliver practical and relevant research solutions for clients through innovation, professionalism and market expertise. Our products and services help our clients to improve what they do through increasing efficiency, effectiveness or reputation. We constantly refresh our approaches and scan the outside world for better ways to deliver value to our clients and we strive to be seen by the sector as the market leader in innovative data analysis and pragmatic and effective research.

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Welsh Government

We are proud to continue to sponsor the AoC Beacon Awards as an opportunity to highlight success in the further education sector. The awards are beneficial to showcase best practice and promote the high standard of work delivered. The Welsh Government is the devolved government for Wales and consists of the First Minister, Welsh Ministers and is supported by Civil Servants. The work of the organisation varies across areas such as health, education and the natural environment. “ It’s important to take time to celebrate the achievements of colleges and the impact their contribution has on the students and communities they serve across Wales.”

AoC Beacon Awards were set up by The Partnership Trust in 1994.

Since August 1996 they have been administered by the Association of Colleges.

AoC Beacon Awards are run through AoC Charitable Trust which is a Registered Charity in England and Wales (charity number 1040631) and in Scotland (charity number SC039064).

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