Excellence Gateway

Hounslow Adult Education delivers high-quality, accessible learning in response to the needs of individuals, the community and employers. It offers interesting and high quality courses taught at local schools and neighbourhood venues, which are easy to get to.

Sandra, a tutor who teaches various art and design courses, is always searching for alternative ways for disabled students to take part in her lessons; if they are not able to manage, Sandra helps and doesn’t interfere with the final concept. Sandra leads by gentle suggestion and excels by never saying ‘you got it wrong’. She always has good comments about all her learners’ work.

Learner and nominator Jan Cantle said: “Sandra brings interesting topics, starting the last lesson of each session by asking what we want to do next. She introduces many new artists to the class as well as practical skills.”

Kiechelle works diligently to engage with young people, liaising and negotiating with them through numerous channels; face to face, group meetings, student council, external speakers, focus groups, via tutor groups, display and the college’s Moodle online site. She is passionate about teamwork, leadership, sports, healthy college, and spotting and nurturing talent.

Kiechelle has pioneered many new initiatives such as Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Jack Petchy Awards, Ambassadors Scheme, numerous sporting teams and countless groups, societies and clubs for learners. All of Kiechelle’s programmes are tailored to learner and community needs, and have cultural celebrations throughout the year.

Kiechelle motivates by leading through example and providing people with belief in themselves, and by giving them skills to go ahead and achieve. She encourages students to get involved at every stage of her role, from idea generation to implementation and evaluation.

Colleague and nominator, Kaneez Shaid, said: “The impact of Kiechelle’s work is incredible and felt at grass-roots level, changing the lives of thousands of young people in east London. Kiechelle is an incredible leader, inspiring and motivating hundreds of students who join activities across the college every year. She leads the college’s equality and diversity committee, promoting it amongst staff and students, leading the Respect campaign and championing students and staff to engage with all the superb programmes she has put in place for them.”

Some 6,000 qualifications a year are delivered by the Royal Artillery Centre for Personal Development (RA CPD) to soldiers, equipping them with civilian qualifications in areas like driving, telecommunications, teacher training. RA CPD also provides English for Speakers of Other Languages training for foreign and commonwealth soldiers, and supports soldiers’ families in literacy and numeracy.

The RA CPD is a registered charity providing qualifications to 7,000 Royal Artillery soldiers, allowing them to complement their military skills with civilian qualifications. Now in its twelfth year, the RA CPD team provides Apprenticeships and Basic Skills qualifications to new soldiers, and throughout their military service develops their effectiveness as soldiers and enhances their career prospects.

The RA CPD provides a state-of-the-art Learning Centre in every Artillery regiment in the UK and Germany, offering blended and tutor ICT training. A key benefit of RA CPD is its charitable status, which removes financial barriers to individuals wishing to learn, and guarantees equality of access where LSC funds are unavailable.

The RA CPD contributes to the employer’s training policy and, through this vital partnership, helps to identify training needs and maximise accreditation opportunities for military courses. Successes include an ILM Level 2 Team Leading award to develop leadership training, and a Driving Skills course to improve road safety. This team, within a Beacon provider, encourages soldiers to learn to be the best.

Working evenings and weekends in some of the toughest parts of Plymouth is all part of the job for Colin, skills for Life champion for the most vulnerable and disaffected learners at City College Plymouth.

Colin’s individualised teaching methods, using imaginative techniques, commitment, determination and drive, have attracted numerous word-of-mouth referrals and helped the college achieve outstanding retention and achievement rates.

Colin’s learners respond to his enthusiasm, activities and his interest in their welfare. He understands life’s influencing factors and supports learners in overcoming barriers, especially when life’s experiences have been hard.

By setting goals and using motivational teaching, Colin empowers them to take ownership of their learning, putting them on the path to success.

Colin’s nominator, colleague Julie Mclean, a former STAR Awards highly commended nominee herself, said: "Colin works tirelessly, including weekends and evenings to promote equality and diversity matters, giving support, advice and guidance in many of the areas of the city that have high levels of social exclusion and deprivation. He is passionate about ensuring that the learning provision targets different groups and that no one is disadvantaged."

Determined to make Southampton’s diverse ethnic community aware of the services offered for people with disabilities, Michael took to the airwaves, presenting a live show on Unity 101, the south’s only Asian and ethnic radio station.

Michael went on air to invite learners to talk to a tutor through the station under the e2e programme run by Enham, founded in 1918 as a rehabilitation centre for ex-servicemen returning from the First World War and which has helped disabled people find new lives, homes and employment ever since.

Michael secured links with a local translation company which pledges to translate Enham’s literature into any language for free. Transforming Enham’s approach with the ethnic community has lead to an increase in referrals; learners whose first language is not English are more confident coming to Enham.

Quality manager, Fareport Training Organisation Limited and nominator, Ruth Cole said: "Michael’s hard work and positivity through radio promotion has raised the bar internally and externally. Michael has inspired other members of his team to think of other ways to engage with our client group. His commitment to promoting equality and diversity is exemplary. Michael’s proactive work with the Asian and ethnic community has progressed further into other areas such as talks about homophobia and disability."

When doctors told Nigel he would never walk again after two serious motorbike accidents, being honoured for his excellence as a fitness instructor would have seemed an impossible dream.

But some twenty years on, having learned to walk again and trained in that profession despite a severe limp, Nigel has been short-listed for a STAR Award for his work since joining Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education on a work-based learning programme in 2003.

Nigel has always kept himself in shape and his passion for health and fitness, coupled with his triumph over adversity, gives him immense satisfaction working in the gym environment.

One of the beneficiaries of his work is Grimsby-based javelin-thrower Hollie Arnold who, at 14, made her Paralympics debut for Great Britain in Beijing last year.

Nigel understands the needs of disabled and non-disabled clients and is able to adapt his professional, friendly approach allowing him to share his experience. He was instrumental in securing the college’s position as the first further education college north of London to receive coveted Inclusion Fitness Initiative status.

Fitness centre manager and nominator, Joanne Wood said: "His position as a fitness instructor has developed Nigel into a role model who has proved inspirational and motivational to a range of disabled people in the community whom he trains, and prescribes exercise programmes to. It is his strength of mind and positivity that makes him tireless and successful in motivating people to become physically active."

Organising activities like football and weekend art trips to connect with learners who are often refugees and asylum seekers, Manjit’s methods and infectious enthusiasm have led one Ofsted inspector to describe him as ‘gold dust’.

Manjit’s understanding of his learners’ individual needs is exemplified by the arts and crafts English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course he started, which helps learners who have endured trauma express themselves whilst improving their language skills.

He is an excellent practitioner consistently assessed a Grade 1 teacher in internal observations. His teaching is innovative and exciting. When you walk into one of his lessons you can sense the ‘buzz’ and the excitement and his successes run deeper than exam success; he inspires and motivates learners to meet their aspirations. He uses his own resources to help learners and understands that, to engage learners, you have to tailor education in a way that maximises their potential.

Colleague Maria Christ said: "Manjit organises many extra-curricular activities such as football and weekend art trips, which take a great deal of time to organise. He makes sure to include materials in his syllabus that educate the learners about each other’s cultures and encourages lively debates in class. All his learners feel valued and respected, and this is backed up by high attendance and retention in his classes."

The positive attitude and can-do attitude of Chalky’s approach to mentoring deaf students was summed up neatly by her colleague and nominator Beth Elkins who said: “I have never seen Chalky use the sign for ‘can’t’ but she uses the signs for ‘how’, ‘can’ and ‘possible’ lots.”

Chalky has made positive use of her own experience as a deaf person to inspire deaf students at the college to reach their potential. She leads by example and challenges learners’ self perceptions to show they can achieve anything. She is a strong advocate of British Sign Language and mentors learners to be proud of their history, have confidence in themselves and become achievers.

Chalky’s priority is the learners. Not only are her lessons differentiated to correspond with individual learning styles, but the support she co-ordinates is tailored to the needs of each learner. Chalky mentors her deaf students to develop life skills and their understanding of the world so they can become an integral part of their communities and care for others.

Beth added: "Chalky’s entire job is centred on promoting equality and diversity by recognising the needs of those with communication barriers and working, not only to meet these needs in education, but to promote access and raise the profile of ‘deaf experience’ outside the college."

Beverley became Head of Service in 2004 and has refocused and re-energised the Service, changing it from an introspective organisation to one constantly seeking new ways to meet community needs. This ambition earned plaudits and was cited in the government White Paper The Learning Revolution.

Her work in turning the Service around has been accompanied by a strong determination to maintain provision for learners with learning difficulties, disabilities and English as a second language in the face of national policy shifts. Through her partnership activity, Beverley works closely with the voluntary sector to champion the needs of the most socially excluded groups.

She is vice-chair of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) Local Education Authority Forum on Educating Adults (LEAFEA) group.

Her colleague and nominator, Denise Saadvandi said: "Beverley is an inspirational leader, but she does it very modestly and is inspiring to observe. Committed to continuous self-improvement, she encourages staff to seek personal improvement opportunities. She makes time to support and involve staff, encouraging them to constantly ask questions of themselves. Beverley is always striving to improve and, within two weeks of achieving a ‘good’ from Ofsted, she launched a ‘good to outstanding’ programme of work."

Julia began an internal dissemination of good practice programme that was stimulating and exciting, and the process has driven innovative practice by outstanding teachers as well as lifting college success rates to 83 per cent in a year. Julia’s input led to many staff becoming more aspirational, with many attaining promotion as a result of their involvement in action research with a higher education partner.

John Leggott College was the first sixth-form college to get Investors in People status and Julia is leading on ensuring it maintains unbroken accreditation. Middle managers throughout the college have been through a programme of training and development in order to help them fulfil their roles as ‘leaders of learning’, and feedback from staff surveys is consistently positive about the support they receive.

Julia’s nominator and John Leggott College principal, Nicholas Dakin, said: "Julia masterminded the college’s programme of investment in staff, particularly growing middle managers; this is paying huge dividends in motivation, commitment and performance. Her revamp of the college’s appraisal scheme has underlined the need for staff to attain the highest professional standards. Julia is keen to encourage staff, whatever their role, ethnicity, gender or career stage, to achieve the best for themselves, colleagues and students."

The college was voted the country’s top training centre three times by the UK Picture Editors Guild and Paul has also received many industry awards himself.

In a recent British Press Photographers Association book, around 100 of the 133 images were from Norton trained photographers. Paul has helped pioneer the use of digital images in newspapers. He is a Photography and Photographic Processing Industry Training Organisation member and produces standards on digital photography. Paul has also formulated training strategies for the Newspaper Society and has been a media consultant on newspapers globally.

College executive director and nominator, Andrew Cropley said: “Paul’s experience ensures students are up to date on the latest developments. He is highly respected and has an amazing professional network. Students are highly motivated and enjoy a good success rate because of Paul’s enthusiasm, skills and industry connections. Assignments look at multicultural society and put students in contact with disabled, gay and lesbian groups, and the underprivileged. This is reflected in local, national and international publications where their images represent the real world we live in.”