On top of the world

Bedford College was on top of the world at last night’s fantastic Achievements Ceremony – and joining the celebrations was Everest mountaineer André Zlattinger.

This year has seen Bedford College reach new highs of achievement by gaining an Outstanding Ofsted and national Beacon status. It is now one of the top ten FE colleges in the UK.

Joining us at the view from the top was André, who, after failing once, climbed to the top of Everest. He told students and staff: “You have conquered your own mountains to be where you are today.”

Among the hundreds of students whose hard work and special achievements were applauded by an audience of VIPs, business and community guests was one special man. Simon Whitworth (pictured receiving his award from Andre, top left) won the Outstanding Student of the Year award for his courage and fortitude in completing a course at Bedford College to become a gym instructor – despite being paralysed following a diving board accident. Runners-up were Rochelle Balach, an outstanding A Level student who is now studying journalism at university, Matthew Randall, an award-winning carpentry apprentice, and Samantha Ruff, who overcame deafness to work towards her dream of becoming a dance teacher.

College Chief Executive and Principal Ian Pryce told the audience of hundreds: “The last year has proven to be the most successful in the College’s 110 year history. We grew our student numbers to the highest ever at 17,000, student pass rates put us among the top ten colleges in the country and we secured millions of pounds of Government funding to help local employers and improve our college location.

“We do not aspire to be just an Ofsted-approved pile of bricks, we are accountable to our customers – to students, to employers and to our communities. We have staff who care about their students, who care about their colleagues and who care about their community.”

“I should also like to thank our governors as we are fortunate to have such an able group and to thank businesses who sponsored the awards for the evening.”

Mr Pryce said that colleges were now the government’s main tool for delivering economic recovery: “We are involved in every educational agenda, from Diplomas to NEETS (young people not in employment, education or training), to apprenticeships, to work with the long term unemployed, to higher education, to Basic Skills and to work with employers.”

He also congratulated the Mayor and Chief Executive of Bedford Borough Council for their leadership in the recent decision over school structures which means that the planned Bedford Academy, sponsored by Bedford College and the Harpur Trust, will now be an institution for those aged 11 upwards, and follow in the hugely successful footsteps of the College by becoming a leading educational provider in the area.