Celebrating Success at the House of Lords

Congratulations to the learners and teachers whose achievements were recognised at the annual South London Learner and Teacher Awards.

This is the 22nd year the event has been running and is kindly hosted by Lord Tope in the spectacular setting of the House of Lords.

The awards are presented on behalf of the Committee of South London Principals (COSLP) and the College was delighted that two exceptional learners, Victoria and Chyna-Mai, were honoured for their outstanding progress and achievements this year.

Victoria’s positive attitude and a strong drive to make the most of every opportunity were cited in her award. She was also recognised for her work raising awareness of epilepsy with staff and her peers.

Chyna-Mai was recognised for continually pushing herself beyond her comfort zone. As a result, she has turned her aspiration to work with young children in a nursery setting into reality by securing a paid apprenticeship.

In addition to the learners, two members of staff were also recognised. Andy Burgess was recognised for his work with the Kingston Supported Interns who said he had supported them with ‘dedication, professionalism and genuine care’.

Taiwo Abina was also recognised for her outstanding practice in supporting PMLD students across the Southwark region. She leads by example, training and empowering her staff to implement the high-quality practice she models so effectively.

The delegation from the College joined 40 student and teacher winners from colleges and adult education providers across south London who were all presented with awards.

Helen Hayes MP, who is also Chair of the Education Select Committee, was the guest speaker. She congratulated the winners and spoke about the value of FE saying:

“The students are inspirational and the teachers are making a transformative difference to people lives. Colleges truly are the lynchpin of the education system and are mission-critical to everything the government wants to achieve.”

Kelly Philips, Executive Principal of the College, said, “This is a really special event recognising exceptional achievements and I am delighted that once again our learners and staff are showing that there are no limits to what they can achieve.”