London South East Colleges scoops three awards in the Further Education ‘Oscars’

London South East Colleges (@LSEColleges) has received national recognition at the prestigious TES FE Awards, winning three accolades including Overall FE Provider of the Year, Contribution to the Local Community and FE College of the Year.

The TES’ annual FE awards celebrate the fantastic work being done in the Further Education sector. The College was shortlisted in three categories- including one for its SEND provision – alongside many other outstanding providers from around the country. The Contribution to the Local Community award recognises a college who has gone above and beyond to support its local communities, having significant social, economic or cultural impact.

London South East Colleges was congratulated for setting up and leading the FE Foodbank Friday initiative during the pandemic last year. Over 30 colleges joined the campaign and collectively raised over £46,000 over 19,000 items for foodbanks across the country.

The FE College of the Year award recognises a college with imagination and passion – which has resulted in excellent student outcomes, success rates and recruitment. London South East Colleges was praised for going above and beyond this year- from setting up a specialist SEND hub during the pandemic, to its excellent work with employers and support of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust to support the Covid-19 vaccine rollout with its workforce development programme.

This diverse work ensured that the College stood out among a competitive field – and resulted in the organisation also being presented with the Overall FE Provider of the Year award.

The TES judging panel commented:

“London South East Colleges is doing superb work across a whole range of areas: community, employers, and equality, diversity and inclusion.

“The College has been a sector leader on a number of issues and, particularly in the past 18 months, it has done some amazing things. LSEC thoroughly deserves this award.”

Group Principal and CEO of London South East Colleges, Dr Sam Parrett OBE, says:

“We are all absolutely delighted to win these three awards – especially Overall FE Provider of the Year, which is a huge honour. It’s been an incredibly tough year for staff and students alike, but everyone has gone the extra mile and it’s wonderful to get recognition for such hard work.

“I am extremely proud of our entire college community, particularly the way in which staff throughout the organisation have come together to support one another and ensure that students have been able to achieve, progress and reach their full potential.

“Every single member of our staff has shined brightly this year, as the stars we know they all are – reflecting and leading with the values and behaviours we uphold in both our college and in the sector as a whole.

“Our college operates as a social enterprise, adding genuine social value to our communities. From our Foodbank Friday campaign to our relationships with employers, local authorities and other education providers – we are working hard in our role as an anchor institution and look forward to developing this further in the coming years.

“Huge congratulations to every winning and shortlisted college tonight – there is such talent in FE and it is fantastic to celebrate our collective achievements in this way. I am hugely proud to be part of our sector and know that moving forward we will all continue to make a positive difference to our communities.”