London Education Partnership AwardsWinnErs 2010

I was delighted to be invited to chair this year’s Judging Panel for the London Education Partnership Awards. It is worth remembering why the awards were set up: despite the fact that more of London’s young people than ever are gaining GCSEs, A-levels and vocational qualifications, not enough of them fulfil their early promise by going on to higher education. The same is true of many of the capital’s adults. This loss of high achieving citizens has profound implications for the continuing success of this great city; our businesses, financial institutions and professions need to recruit from among the best. We cannot afford to lose the talents of those whom we know could succeed, given the right environment and encouragement.

One of the clearest messages coming from many of this year’s excellent finalists is how important it is to enthuse children and young people with the idea of higher education, making it possible for them to achieve their ambitions.

We were also struck by the energy and drive of so many of the people and projects we looked at; that comes from schools, universities, business and the voluntary sector, the teachers and others who make these programmes possible. They make education exciting and dynamic and they really are changing lives, by lifting the aspirations and achievements of so many young people and adults, especially in some of London’s most disadvantaged communities.

These partnership awards reflect the importance of working together to achieve our shared ambition of improving progression to higher education but also to make London the world’s leading city for learning and creativity.

We have been tremendously impressed by the work of this year’s finalists. We think you will be too.

Our congratulations go to all of them.

Professor David Woods

London Education Partnership Awards WinnErs 2010

intoUniversity is an education programme addressing low aspiration, social exclusion and underachievement among disadvantaged young people. The charity provides study support and mentoring for young people across London and is expanding rapidly. its work with primary and secondary school pupils focuses on ensuring young people are aware of different professions and how to enter them, making sure young people understand university application procedures, supporting the transition into university and providing pastoral and academic support in groups and one-to-one.

Building bridges: cross-organisational partnership and impactSPOnSOr: MAyOr Of LOnDOn

intoUniversity

It is a wonderful honour to have the impact of IntoUniversity’s work with disadvantaged young people recognised. Such a prestigious award is an impressive endorsement of our commitment to building partnerships across London.

rAChEL CArr

ChIEf ExECUTIvE

InTOUnIvErSITy

Supporting journeys: excellent professional practice in student supportSPOnSOr: SPECIALIST SChOOLS AnD ACADEMIES TrUST

The Dagenham school was recognised for its inspiring work in supporting students and staff to become one of the most improved schools in London in 2009. After the school came out of special measures in 2007, there were concerns that although much had improved, attainment remained low. A series of interventions supported by a range of partnerships empowered teachers and students to greater success and broadened their experiences of the wider world. support, challenge and trust helped staff and students to raise their game, resulting in dramatically improved results and aspirations. The school has now achieved specialist school status and international school status in addition to winning this award.

for a school coming out of special measures, every acknowledgement of improvement, achievement and good practice is a valuable recognition of all the hard work and commitment within the school community and the support of our partners.

vALErIE DEnnIS

hEADTEAChEr

EASTbrOOk SChOOL

Eastbrook school

Inspiring journeys: excellent professional practice in curriculum support for STEM SPOnSOr: WELLCOME TrUST

in 2005, the Higher Education Funding Council for England awarded the royal Academy of Engineering and its partners funds to launch the first phase of the London Engineering Project (LEP). LEP has created partnerships between national organisations and more than 40 London schools in an attempt to increase the uptake of sTEM subjects and widen participation. LEP activities include helping to recruit young people onto the Diploma in Engineering, giving school students access to major engineering resources at London south Bank University (LsBU) and providing mentors for school students with an interest in engineering.

Based at LsBU, the partnership included organisations such as Young Engineers, smallpeice Trust and sTEMnET. its most innovative practices centre on gender and cultural inclusion for science and engineering work. Because of its work, thousands of young Londoners, including girls and minority ethnic groups, have come to see engineering as a viable career choice.

We are passionate about engaging underrepresented groups in science, engineering, technology and maths and it was very encouraging to see the work that we have done recognised and celebrated. Our award was sponsored by the Wellcome Trust and we are very much looking forward to working with them over the next year.

LAUrA ChASTnEy

InDUSTry AnD OUTrEACh

LIAISOn OffICEr

LOnDOn EnGInEErInG PrOJECT

The London Engineering Project

Creative journeys: excellent professional practice in curriculum support for arts and design SPOnSOr – UnIvErSITy Of ThE ArTS

in collaboration with Channel 4 and Media Trust, the school created and embedded an eight-week challenge into its Aim Higher intervention programme. its cross-curricular nature influenced positive outcomes in teaching and learning across a number of subjects. Both students on the Gifted & Talented register and students from the Widening Participation cohort were chosen to take part in the challenge, titled “You’re Hired!”. Marrying the two groups into one challenge allowed for different roles and outcomes.

“You’re Hired!” is designed to focus on media related skills such as production and marketing. Beyond the development of integral cross-curricular skills, achievement took the form of the chance of conducting work experience in the Channel 4 offices.

Acland Burghley school, Camden

Acland burghley’s commitment to raising aspirations collaboratively has been strengthened through the external partnership with Channel 4 and Media Trust. This award will serve as a constant reminder of the importance of high aspirations and the commitment of those central to achieving them.

OLIvEr rOSEn

AIM-hIGhEr COOrDInATOr

ACLAnD bUrGhLEy SChOOL

Winning the award is a significant acknowledgement of the effective teaching and support that we provide at bSix. The award recognises our whole college approach to internal progression and celebrates the successful educational journeys of so many of our students through college and into higher education.

rEbEkAh hArrIS

hEAD Of ExTErnAL rELATIOnS

bSIx brOOkE hOUSE SIxTh fOrM

COLLEGE

Driving achievement forward: achieving successful outcomes post-16 SPOnSOr: LOnDOn ThAMES GATEWAy DEvELOPMEnT COrPOrATIOn

Bsix Brooke House sixth Form College was set up by the Learning and skills Council in 2002 in order to raise the achievements and aspirations of young people in the East End and in particular Hackney. Judges recognised the college’s work in improving progression, retention and achievement for students aged 16+ so that more had access to higher education. A “readiness to learn” campaign was praised by Ofsted. specific case studies over a wide range of subjects demonstrated the impact of well-mapped internal progression routes.

One case study in particular, Allum Bokhari, tells of a student who entered Bsix with no GCsEs; yet he left after just 2 years with 3 A* grades at A-level and has now started his degree course at Queens College, Oxford. This is one very clear example of how Bsix College has risen to be the top state sector institution in the country for Value Added!

Bsix Brooke House sixth Form College, Hackney

Teach First

Teach First’s Higher Education Access Programme for schools (HEAPs) is an initiative which builds on the strength of its alumni ambassadors to deliver personalised mentoring, university taster and careers events and parent advice sessions that help motivate students to achieve and raise their aspirations.

The HEAPs 6th form programme is based on 3 As; Aspiration, Attainment and Advice. seventeen months of mentoring are offered to support students through sixth form including a complementary calendar of events ranging from university day trips, taster lectures, an academic residential, workshops in debating, presentation skills, interview skills and exam success to a personal statement surgery. Teach First’s corporate supporters offer career events in areas such as banking, law and management.

Reaching out: third sector/voluntary sector organisation of the yearSPOnSOr: nIACE (ThE nATIOnAL InSTITUTE Of ADULT COnTInUInG EDUCATIOn)

It was so exciting to have our work over the past 3 years recognised at such a prestigious occasion. We accepted the award on behalf of all the students involved in hEAPS and all the ambassador mentors without whom we would not exist.

GrAIhAGh CrAWShAW,

SEnIOr OffICEr – hEAPS

TEACh fIrST

Investing in the future: business employer of the yearSPOnSOr: LOnDOn fIrST

The law firm was recognised for its Linking Work With Learning programme for Hackney schools, a partnership between Linklaters, The Learning Trust, inspire! (Hackney Education Business Partnership) and schools, that demonstrates the company’s commitment to corporate engagement in education.

As an employer wanting to reflect and support its local community, Linklaters saw an opportunity to raise social mobility by engaging young people from Hackney in working life and working skills. Linklaters Linking Work With Learning Hackney schools’ programme was developed as a strategic response to a borough-wide need for raising aspirations.

We are delighted that the programme has been recognised by other experts in the sector, reflecting our belief that we are having a long-lasting impact on the skills and aspirations of young people in hackney.

MATT SPArkES

GLObAL COMMUnITy InvESTMEnT

MAnAGEr

LInkLATErS LLP

Linklaters LLP

Starting the journey: raising aspirations in primary school pupilsSPOnSOr: MUSEUM Of LOnDOn

Five Lambeth Primary schools and three Children’s Centres worked together to build a collaborative partnership to raise aspirations. Their vision was of a community of schools that shared activities and services for families from disadvantaged and wealthier backgrounds, and pupils across the spectrum of needs. Particularly innovative and successful programmes include the Dramatherapy service (that supports pupils with autism across the borough), a sHinE saturday school programme, a gifted and talented programme, a reading recovery programme, 1-2-1 maths support and a disadvantaged child subsidy programme that enables children to attend West End theatre performances, pottery workshops, a tennis academy and other activities.

Clapham & Lark Hall Primary school Collaborative

The Top Team Experience provided by the Museum of London will give pupils fun experiential learning. Literacy and numeracy have been embedded in this fantastically fun programme built around the theme of Money & Commerce.

rObErT DyEr

PArTnErShIP AnD ExTEnDED

SErvICES MAnAGEr

CLAPhAM AnD LArk hALL PrIMAry

SChOOL COLLAbOrATIvE

City University London ran its first summer school in 2003 and due to demand the programme has increased from three summer schools in 2003 to nine in 2010. The young people who attend these summer schools have no family history of higher education, are from low socio-economic groups or groups currently under represented in HE. By spending an extended amount of time at university taking part in engaging, motivating and inspiring activities they are put on an equal playing field to those who have parents who have attended university.

They work with two Aimhigher partnerships, London East Thames Gateway and WECAn (West, Central and north London) to design and deliver summer schools in subjects including psychology, music, health, engineering, law, business and media.

Participant feedback has been positive with students enjoying what they have learnt and going on to apply and be accepted on degree courses.

Chair’s Award

City University London summer school Programme and Engineering

We were thrilled and very proud to win the chair’s award and to be recognised for the breadth and quality of our summer schools which have successfully engaged young people and expanded their horizons in relation to higher education.

DAnIELLE rUSSO

WIDEnInG PArTICIPATIOn OffICEr

CITy UnIvErSITy LOnDOn

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For more information and to enter the awards, visit www.lepawards.org.uk