prospectus 2016/17 · 2016. 5. 20. · prospectus 2016/17 ... 2016 january – april local...
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Prospectus 2016/17
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ContentsSponsors ................................................................................................................................ 3A Message from Nick Boles MP, Minister of State for Skills ................................... 5The Programme ................................................................................................................... 6AoC Beacon Awards 2016-2017 ...................................................................................... 72016-2017 Calendar ............................................................................................................ 8Awards Categories
Awards for Teaching and Learning, Curriculum Design and Development .. 9Awards for Leadership and Quality Improvement ............................................... 13Awards for Responsiveness, Partnership and Impact ......................................... 15
Why Apply? ............................................................................................................................ 20Awards Assessment .................................................................................................21How to Apply ........................................................................................................................ 23Anonymising Submissions ......................................................................................27Frequently Asked Questions ..................................................................................29Acknowledgment ................................................................................................................ 30
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Edge Award for Practical Teaching and Practical Learning
Jisc Award for the Effective use of Technology in FE
Microlink and AoC Charitable Trust Award for Students with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities
RSM and Association of Colleges Award for English and Maths
Vtct Award for Sport in the Curriculum
Teaching and Learning, Curriculum Design and Development
Sponsors
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AQA Award for the Development of Transferable Skills
Association of Colleges Award for College Engagement with Employers
Careers and Enterprise Company Award for Careers Education and Guidance
Gateway Qualifications Award for Widening Participation in Learning
City & Guilds Award for Staff Development
Education and Training Foundation Award for Leadership and Governance
AoC Beacon Award for College/School Partnerships supported by emfec, ASDAN and ABC
Pearson Award for the Promotion and Delivery of Successful Apprenticeships
Leadership and Quality Improvement
Responsiveness, Partnership and Impact
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A Message from Nick Boles MPMinister of State for Skills
It was a pleasure to present the 2015 awards at the National Presentation Ceremony in February. AoC Beacon Awards highlight the many innovative ways that colleges help their students to reach their potential.
Whilst the landscape of the sector might change, what is constant is the dedication that colleges show in ensuring that their local communities, employers, staff and students benefit from the support they offer in terms of ensuring that skills needs are met and by offering life-changing opportunities.
Now more than ever, I feel it is important that we continue to celebrate the outstanding work of colleges. As we move into a new era for the sector, the winning colleges will help to showcase what the sector stands for as it works with the Government to shape the future of education and skills in this country.
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The AoC Beacon Awards, launched in 1994, recognise and promote the interdependence of further education colleges, business, professional and voluntary sector organisations to their mutual advantage.
The aim of the programme is to highlight the breadth and quality of education in colleges throughout the UK and increase understanding of colleges’ contribution to UK educational skills policy and economic and social development.
The awards:
� Recognise imaginative and exemplary teaching and learning practice.
� Highlight provision which encourages and supports students to approach challenges positively and creatively.
� Support learning and continuous improvement through the sharing of best practice.
� Promote and celebrate the further education sector’s commitment to pioneering approaches to equality and diversity.
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The programme represents partnership in action by providing significant benefits for the major players involved:
� An award acts as a development grant to help realise the full potential of a project based in a college of further education.
� An award serves to promote the business needs and/or interests of the sponsor.
The sharing of exemplary practice represented by the award-winning projects is a major purpose of the awards. Project profiles of each year’s winning colleges are provided to the sector in order to encourage developments.
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................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................AoC Beacon Awards 2016-2017The AoC Beacon Awards recognise and commend exemplary initiatives. These can be programmes, courses, projects or other forms of teaching, learning, advice, guidance or support.
Guidance notes:
� All entrants must be colleges incorporated under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.
� Awards are designed at the discretion of the sponsors.
� Awards will be monetary grants, between £2,000 and £5,000. This must be used to set against expenditures incurred taking forward the development of each winning initiative.
� Award winners must inform the sponsor how the award money was used.
� All award winners must promote its achievement and the support and interest provided by the sponsor with its local community.
� Within six months of the announcement, the winning college should organise a local presentation ceremony in consultation with the sponsor. The AoC Beacon Awards office should be advised of the arrangements.
� Award winners must be available to present a breakout session at AoC’s Annual Conference to highlight their initiative.
� Award winners are permitted to use the Beacon Awards logo on their college headed paper, websites and other promotional materials.
� No explanation will be given following the making or withholding of an award.
New projects or initiatives which have not completed a full cycle of implementation so that evidence of outcomes are unavailable will not be eligible for consideration.
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2016-2017 Calendar
6 July Closing date for receipt of AoC Beacon Award applications
August – September First stage of assessment (shortlisting)
September – October Second stage of assessment (site visits)
October Third stage of assessment and final selection by AoC Beacon Awards Steering Group
15-17 November 2016-2017 AoC Beacon Award Winners announced at AoC’s Annual Conference
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2016
January – April Local presentation ceremonies
8 February AoC Beacon Awards National Presentation Ceremony
November Winning colleges deliver breakout sessions at AoC’s Annual Conference
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Awards for Teaching and Learning, Curriculum Design and Development
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Edge Award for Practical Teaching and Practical Learning
The Edge Foundation wants to recognise, celebrate and promote examples of excellent practical teaching and learning. It believes that technical, practical and vocational learning is vital to young people and the UK economy and that this pathway should be valued equally with academic learning.
Entries are invited for this award from colleges which
have developed practical teaching and learning approaches that enable students to have experiences that are real, meaningful, challenging, stretching and life-changing.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/practicalteaching
Jisc Award for the Effective use of Technology in FE
The award aims to recognise where the effective use of technology has had a significant impact on learning and resulted in a more efficient implementation of the curriculum through innovative approaches to teaching.
The assessors will be looking for applications which demonstrate how new models of delivery can have
significant impact on both students and the college workforce, whether e-delivery has been used to access the institution or in specific curriculum areas.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/technology
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Microlink and AoC Charitable Trust Award for Students with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities
The inclusive learning award celebrates exemplary practice in further and continuing education for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD). Assessors would be particularly interested to receive applications from further education institutions which have developed exemplary practice in inclusive learning for students with LDD leading to successful progression to employment or further study in FE or HE.
Applications may relate to provision for those with non-visible learning difficulties, to those with high needs or both.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/SLDD
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RSM and Association of Colleges Award for English and Maths
The RSM and Association of Colleges Award is open to colleges which have established successful approaches to improving students skills in English and maths. The assessors will look for successful strategies that ensure that students make discernible improvements, with the vast majority making good progress, as well
Vtct Award for Sport in the Curriculum
Vtct Award for Sport in the Curriculum is open to all colleges in the further education sector offering coaching, sports and leisure qualifications. The award seeks to recognise high-quality teaching and learning that results in positive outcomes and involve a range of community and employer partnerships.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/sport
as examples of students valuing the opportunity to improve their English and maths skills.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/EnglishMaths
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Awards for Leadership and Quality Improvement
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City & Guilds Award for Staff Development
This award recognises contributions from across the whole range of staff working in further education. The assessors will be looking to reward innovative best practice that delivers identifiable results and benefits.
Criteria include effective ways for encouraging and motivating staff, effective imaginative work to support
This award recognises the critical role undertaken by leaders, including governors, and managers in developing capacity for sustained improvement in the quality of provision for students. Applications should provide evidence of significant improvement in the quality of teaching and learning to a consistently high level confirmed by students achievements.
Education and Training Foundation Award for Leadership and Governance
staff development and schemes that can demonstrate positive outcomes for teachers, other staff and students.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/staffdevelopment
Assessors will look for evidence that leadership by governors and managers has been visionary and ambitious for the college and has demonstrated a relentless and uncompromising focus on improving teaching and learning.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/leadershipandgovernance
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Awards for Responsiveness, Partnership and Impact
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AQA Award for the Development of Transferable Skills
The award is given in recognition of innovative and sustained approaches to teaching and support for the development of transferable skills enabling successful progression to employment or higher education.
Assessors will look for evidence of high levels of attainment in the following transferable skills:
communication; problem solving; maths/numeracy; teamwork; planning and organisation; leadership.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/transferableskills
Association of Colleges Award for College Engagement with Employers
This category recognises exemplary practice in the delivery of provision that is responsive to the needs of employers. The award will be granted to the college best providing a direct service to employers to meet the skills needs and/or engaging employers to support the development of employability skills within the curriculum.
Applications should demonstrate a clear, long-term vision and partnership with employers, reflected in provision which enables development of a skilled workforce and contributes to economic development in response to identified skills priorities and levels of unemployment.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/employerengagement
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AoC Beacon Award for College/School Partnerships supported by emfec, ABC and ASDAN
The award is open to colleges which have established successful and sustainable initiatives with schools to ensure ease of transfer. The assessors will be particularly interested to see evidence of colleges working with schools and possibly employers where the focus is on highly effective initial advice and guidance, close sharing of information and resources to aid transfer.
The resulting learning programmes will be carefully designed to ensure students gain meaningful qualifications, strongly focus on the development of personal, social and employability skills, including English and/or maths; to ensure that the needs and aspirations of young people making the transition between school and college are met.
Submissions can be made where the school has approached the college in the first instance and applications should provide evidence demonstrating complementary curriculum delivery; curriculum
continuity supporting effective transition; collaborative engagement; consistent student support; efficient and effective sharing of resources and; increased impact on student achievement and progression.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/schoolpartnerships
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Careers and Enterprise Company Award for Careers Education and Guidance
This award will focus on how well colleges engage with schools and employers to inspire and prepare young people for the world of work through providing excellent impartial careers education, advice and guidance. Young people are defined as being aged under 21.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/CEG
Gateway Qualifications Award for Widening Participation in Learning
The award is for colleges which have made specific provision to attract those from under-represented groups to engage in learning. It will be given in recognition of effective and imaginative approaches to attract and motivate students which result in successful acquisition of skills, knowledge or qualifications with the intention of further learning or employment.
Of particular interest are innovative strategies to open up opportunities for vocational progression by enabling individuals to overcome social or personal barriers and enable progression to sustained further learning or employment.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/WP
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Pearson Award for the Promotion and Delivery of Successful Apprenticeships
This category recognises exemplary practice in the promotion and delivery of apprenticeships. The award will be granted to the college providing an outstanding service to apprentices and employers, which meets their skills needs and engages employers in supporting the development of apprenticeships including traineeships where appropriate.
Applications should demonstrate effective partnerships reflected in provision which enables development of a skilled workforce and responds to skills priorities.
For the full list of criteria please visit: aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/apprenticeships
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Why Apply?The AoC Beacon Awards offer colleges the opportunity to showcase the many inspiring and innovative ways they are supporting their students, staff and communities.
Applying for the Beacon Awards can result in numerous benefits. It gives colleges the chance to pause and reflect on the successful approaches they have developed to teaching and learning as well as review the positive impact that they are having on their students.
All colleges applying for the awards can request feedback on their application. This offers comments against each of the Beacon and the sponsor’s criteria and is intended to help colleges improve their applications by including relevant data to support the work they have described.
Colleges which are shortlisted have a greater opportunity to showcase the ways in which they are inspiring and supporting their students.
Now in their 23rd year, the awards have grown to represent the very best approaches that further education colleges from across the UK are adopting to meet the skills needs of their local employers and the career aspirations of their students.
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Awards AssessmentThe Assessment of the AoC Beacon Awards applications will be the responsibility of specialist assessors.
STAGE ONE - Shortlisting
Assessment leading to shortlisting will have regard to the general requirements detailed on pages 23 of this prospectus together with the criteria of each award. The outcomes of this stage are lists of applicants who best match these criteria, verified by the Chief Assessor.
The process has three stages – shortlisting, visiting and final decisions.
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This stage involves matching the ‘evidence on the ground’ at the shortlisted colleges with their applications. In particular, the assessors will be interested in the impact of the project on the experience of students, particularly any outcomes for learning including achievements in terms of skills and/or qualifications gained. Assessors will also wish to explore how the project is managed including its impact on equality and diversity, methods of evaluation, quality assurance, the future development of the initiative and its dissemination to other colleges. The assessors would expect to have discussions with staff, students and other relevant parties in the course of the site visit. Assessors, prior to a visit, may contact the college to request additional information. The outcomes of this stage are the judgements and recommendations for awards.
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....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................STAGE THREE - Final decision
The Chief Assessor will present the assessors’ reports and recommendations to the AoC Beacon Awards Steering Group which will select the award winners.
All AoC Beacon Awards are awarded or withheld at the sole and absolute discretion of the AoC Beacon Awards Steering Group and those acting on its behalf and no explanation will be provided on these decisions.
The Handbook for the Assessment of AoC Beacon Awards is available online www.aoc.co.uk/beaconawards/assessment. This also provides information on assessors.
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How to Apply.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................General Beacon Award Criteria
The Beacon Awards recognise exemplary initiatives. To be eligible for an award, these should show evidence of imaginative yet sustainable teaching and learning practice or other relevant provision. The initiative can be a programme, course, project or other form of teaching, learning, advice, guidance or support.
The application must fulfil the following criteria:
1. meet the specific requirements set out by the sponsors of the award to which the submission relates
2. have regard to promoting equality and diversity in the delivery of the programme
3. be subject to evaluation/quality assurance to influence the continuing development of the initiative
4. have been running for at least one academic year by 31 July 2016
5. have features which actively promote exemplary teaching and learning
6. be of benefit to one or more groups of students or trainees who are identified and described in the application
7. have wider relevance and applicability which would make of value to other colleges as an example of good practice or innovation
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........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Application Structure
Applications must contain three parts:Part 1 – one copy Part 2 – five copiesPart 3 – five copies
The closing date for applications is Wednesday 6 July 2016. Please send all applications to Alice ThiagarajAoC Charitable Trust Director, AoC Charitable Trust2-5 Stedham Place, London WC1A 1HU.
All enquiries about making an application should be addressed to the Beacon Awards office at the above address and NOT to sponsors or assessors.
Part 1You should submit one copy of part one of the application form (at the back of the online prospectus). This should be signed by the principal and have contact details of the person to contact to arrange a site visit.This should be the only part of the application to include the contact details. This information will be retained by the Beacon Awards office. Contact details will only be provided to assessors once the shortlist has been agreed.
Part 2You should submit five copies of part two of the application form (at the back of the online prospectus). Here you should state how your initiative fulfils the Beacon criteria. This section must be:
� Anonymous � Be between 50-150 words � Attached to part three of the application
Part 3You should submit five copies of part three, which is the main body of the application. This should be no more than 3,000 words. A word count is requested on the application form. It should be structured as the following:
� Project summary – a brief overview of the initiative including a clear description of target group and the date the initiative started.
� Aims and objectives –how they were established, and how they have resulted in the promotion of exemplary teaching and learning.
� How the project meets the sponsor’s criteria – a section which clearly addresses each of the sponsor’s criteria as set out on the relevant page in the awards section.
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� Project management – describe how the project is managed including how quality assurance is used to improve the initiative and how the project meets equality and diversity standards.
� Outcomes and benefits to students – show how the initiative has benefited the students and others involved with the project – this should be supported by written evidence from beneficiaries who maybe students, trainees, employers or, in some cases, parents. This section should also include data on enrolment, retention, achievement and progression.
� Dissemination and the future – key features of the project should be highlighted demonstrating how it can benefit other colleges and how it will develop in the future.
This information should not include any information which would directly identify the college.
Written evidence from beneficiaries and appendices should be included in the word limit. You may make reference to other materials (i.e. multimedia material, college documents, etc) which the assessors can request or access, should they wish to do so.
Examples of evidence from beneficiaries can include comments in student evaluation forms, feedback from partner organisations or solicited or unsolicited letters. Similarly, colleges are likely to have a wealth of supplementary information contained in various college documents.
There are two ways in which colleges can incorporate the evidence into their submission:
1. To ‘lift’ quotes from the forms, letters etc. and put them in the submission to illustrate points or as part of the ‘Outcomes and Benefits’ section. A footnote can be added to indicate that the original documents can be made available to the assessors, should they wish to see them.
2. To include copies of a sample of feedback forms, letters, documents etc, highlighting which words on the page you are including within the word count and again indicating in a footnote that similar examples can be made available to the assessors, should they wish to see them.
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Including evidence from beneficiaries is vital to any submission and its omission is one of the main reasons why an application does not make it on to the shortlist. Whatever form it takes, it adds an extra dimension and colour to the submission, helping the assessors see the direct beneficial impact of the college’s work.
Additional points:
� The application should be made by a senior staff member who has had close contact with the initiative.
� No Beacon Award winning college will be eligible for consideration for the same award within three years of their successful application.
� A college may apply for as many awards as it wishes. However, it may submit only one application per award.
� A college which has a project which fits into two or more categories may submit that project for only one award.
� All applications will be treated as strictly confidential to the Steering Group, assessors and Beacon Awards Director. Material from any application will only be made public with the express approval of the college concerned.
� Each application will be sent an acknowledgement addressed to the Principal/Chief Executive via email. Your college will be subsequently contacted only if the project is shortlisted.
� Previously shortlisted colleges are eligible to re-apply for the same award.
� Do not send in original samples of evidence from beneficiaries, students’ course work, letters of support etc. The AoC Beacon Awards office cannot accept any liability if these items are lost or damaged.
� Appendices not included in the word count will not be considered by assessors.
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....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Anonymising Submissions
Many submissions will need to refer to college partnerships with local authorities, schools, employers etc. Where these organisations are not area/region specific you need not anonymise the partner. For example, if you are working in partnership with your local Tesco or have a partnership with a St Michael’s Primary school then you can refer to them by name. If, however, you have a partnership with, for example, Levenshulme High School or Liverpool Football Club – an organisation which could mean the college is easily identifiable – then you should refer to them as a local secondary school or a local premiership football club.
Where you wish to include letters from your partners as part of your evidence from beneficiaries, you are requested to conceal the address on the letterhead if it could identify the college and any direct reference to the college by name within the body of the letter. Please ensure that you remove these from a copy of the letter so that the assessors can still see the original if they request to do so on a site visit.
Submissions will be checked by the AoC Beacon Awards office before sending on to the assessors and if there is anything found that could identify your college, they may be returned for that reference to be removed.
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� Regular monitoring to ensure success of the project � Collaboration with schools, sector skills councils, HE
providers and employers � Promotion of exemplary teaching and learning
Submissions were found to have the following general shortcomings:
� Lack of examples to illustrate innovative/exemplary teaching and learning
� Insufficient evidence of how projects promote equality and diversity
� Data on student success and progression unclearly (or not) presented
� Insufficient evidence on how quality assurance has supported the development of the project
� Inadequate evidence to substantiate achievement of the criteria
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Feedback from applications in previous years
Each year, the assessors are asked to complete selection analysis forms. These help to identify trends within each award and means that the Chief Assessor can have an overview of all of the awards to ensure that they are each assessed to the same standard.
Some of the recurring themes include:
� Effective and wide ranging partnership work � College and senior management support for
activities and programmes � Good attention to equality and diversity � Determination to improve and widen current
provision � Good use of ICT as a marketing and information tool � Sharing best practice with other providers � Technological solutions enabling and encouraging
professional development � Use of commercial, real working environments in the
college
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Q: Our principal will be away when the application form needs to be signed. Will our submission still be accepted?
A: It is important that the form is signed by a member of the SMT, preferably the principal. Your application will be accepted if it is signed by another senior member of the SMT and submitted with a covering letter stating that the principal is aware and supportive of the application. Q: Are tables accepted?
A: Yes. Applicants are also advised to consider presenting information in table format for example, figures on recruitment, retention, achievement, progression or numbers of partners engaged with etc. This uses a minimal amount in terms of the word count and demonstrates to assessors at a glance how your provision.
Q: Our course is 12 weeks long and therefore does not run for an academic year. Are we still eligible to apply?
A: Providing the course itself has been running since September 2015 (for example), it doesn’t matter if several cohorts of students have undertaken the course since that time and the time you apply. What is important is for you to be able to demonstrate that monitoring the course over time has resulted in improvements.
Q: Our word count is 3,120. Can we still submit our application?
A: The assessors are not going to be too concerned if you are slightly over the word count; however they are asked to take into account all of the criteria when drawing up a shortlist so if there are two submissions of seemingly equal merit and one is within the word limit and the other is over, then they will select the one that is within the word limit to be shortlisted.
........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Frequently Asked Questions
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Acknowledgment The following bodies have given invaluable support to the programme for 2016/2017 which is greatly appreciated.
Administered by the Association of Colleges.
The AoC Beacon Awards were set up by The Partnership Trust in 1994.
Since August 1996 they have been administered by the Association of Colleges.
The AoC Beacon Awards are run through the AoC Charitable Trust which is a Registered Charity in England and Wales (charity number 1040631) and in Scotland (charity number SC039064).
Selection analysis forms on all applications dating back over the last five years are kept at the AoC Beacon
Awards office and any college wishing to receive feedback can contact the office to be given it over the telephone. Colleges that have been shortlisted are also invited to contact the Awards office to receive more detailed feedback on their submission and visit. The AoC Beacon Awards Steering Group and its team of assessors are extremely keen to contribute towards the continuing development of all initiatives that are put forward for the Awards which is one of the reasons why this feedback is available.
More information on the awards, assessors and steering Group can be found at www.aoc.co.uk/beaconawards
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© AoC Charitable Trust 20162-5 Stedham Place, London WC1A 1HU T: 020 7034 9900 E: [email protected]
@AoCTrust | #AoCBeacon
www.aoc.co.uk
Photographs courtesy of:Cover - Shipley College, Longley Park Sixth Form College and Portsmouth CollegeP9 - Fircroft CollegeP11 - Queen Alexandra CollegeP12 - Hartpury CollegeP13 - City College NorwichP15 - Alton CollegeP17 - Portsmouth CollegeP19 - Northampton CollegeP20 - Cronton Sixth Form CollegeP21 - Barnsley CollegeP27 - Hackney Community College