Chichester College has won this year’s Edexcel ‘Lifelong Learning Award’, one of the Association of Colleges’ Beacon Awards. 

They have been recognised thanks to a winning combination of dedicated staff and what they see as a unique course setup. It is a Level 1 BTEC course in Art, Design and Media made to meet the needs of students requiring support to become independent learners.

The programme of learning includes the opportunity for all students to take a basic skills qualification. The combination of art with an integrated skills provision is one of the things that caught the assessors'  attention. The aims of the project were to offer a course of study tailored to the needs of vulnerable students, to help them fulfill their potential and improve their communication and social skills.

Edexcel, UK and International Director Trevor Luker explained:

“There is no doubt that the project is helping students to make significant progress and improving their confidence to progress to further learning.  Parents were clear that students’ development was down to the learning and structure of the course.”

This echoed the principal’s and tutors’ views that they were determined to match “The right student to the right level and the right course, with the right support.”

Trevor added: “The commitment and dedication of staff, the individual student support, the embedding of basic skills across the College and the creativity and flexibility of the tutors, are all outstanding features of this initiative. This is clearly making a significant difference.”

The staff has worked with a specialist to integrate the teaching of basic skills into the art curriculum. In 2005-6, there were 61 students. This had grown to 248 students during 2006-2007 and the trend has continued. 

Most students have few, if any, qualifications and come to the project from sheltered environments.  
 
The College provides a base room which is staffed throughout the day to give support if and when it is needed.  Much of the course is delivered in this base room, which is seen as a “safe haven” by some of the students.

The project has also been very successful in supporting those with leaning difficulties, confidence issues, and poor basic skills, to achieve a national qualification and progress to further learning or employment.   
 
Through the initiative, students have made significant improvements to their quality of life and employment prospects. Both they and parents enthusiastically support it.

It is hoped that the award, which will be presented on February 12 2008 will give the project the recognition and publicity it deserves and be something that perhaps other colleges could build on.

For media enquiries, please contact: Abi Rogansky, Media Affairs Manager, on 020 7190 5191 or abi.rogansky@edexcel.org.uk