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Southend Adult Community College wins Education Oscar
College celebrates receiving its prestigious Beacon status
Awarded by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) which recognises excellence and innovation within the further education and skills sector, Beacon status is only awarded to those learning providers who deliver outstanding teaching and learning.
Southend Adult Community College, in Ambleside Drive, Southend, is the first local authority run Adult and Community College in the country to achieve the accolade of Beacon status. As a Beacon, the College is required to work with LSIS to share its expertise and good practice with the rest of the learning and skills sector.
College representatives were amongst 12 individual organisations who attended a special awards ceremony at The Kensington Roof Gardens, London, on Monday 6 July 2009. Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs Kevin Brennan MP, presented the certificate of Beacon status. Including these 12, there will now be 152 Beacons across the whole country with a full range and diversity of organisations in the further education and skills sector.
Only those institutions achieving Grade 1 (outstanding) for Leadership and Management in their Ofsted Inspection and no less than Grade 2 (good) in all other inspection areas, coupled with strong financial health, are eligible for Beacon status.
Inspected by Ofsted in November 2008 Southend Adult Community College was awarded Grade 1 (outstanding) in the following categories; Leadership and Management, Quality Assurance, Capacity to Improve, Health, Public Service and Care, Employer Responsiveness, and progress since the last inspection. This places us amongst the top 4% of performing colleges in the country.
Southend Adult Community College provides education and training to more than 6,500 part-time students and has four activity centres throughout the Borough. It specialises in providing public sector training to Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the Primary Care Trust and Her Majesty’s Revenues and Customs, whilst supporting over 130 small to medium businesses with their training needs.
Ali Hadawi, Principal of Southend Adult Community College, said:
“We are delighted to receive our Beacon status. This is testament to the incredible effort and commitment by our staff in aligning the College as a cohesive and exemplary provider of education and training in the Southend area. It also reflects the incredible efforts undertaken by our students in achieving outstanding results.
“Within the last year we have received an Outstanding Ofsted Inspection and now our Beacon status, this has been a humbling experience. It is an honour to be recognised in this way and to be held up as an example to others. We take this honour seriously and hope to be working in partnership with the rest of our Sector to raise aspirations and make a difference”.
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