Basingstoke College of Technology celebrated for improving staff well-being through AI tools

Basingstoke College of Technology (@bcot) has been recognised for using AI to support staff wellbeing.

In a pilot project, staff used GeminiAI, from Google for Education, to plan their day-to-day activities. This saved them nearly six hours a week, enabling them to spend more time on meaningful tasks with students or themselves.

BCoT received the prestigious Impact Project Award at the Google Reference School and College Awards 2024, in recognition of the pilot’s success.

“We are incredibly proud to be acknowledged for our impactful use of GeminiAI,” said Anthony Bravo OBE, Principal of Basingstoke College of Technology. “This award is a testament to the forward-thinking approach of our digital team.”

Scott Hayden, Head of Digital at BCoT, said:

“The impact of BCoT’s Google for Education integration is evident. The tools have significantly reduced administrative burdens, freeing up an average of 5.17 hours per week for educators. This translates to more time spent on what matters most: engaging students and fostering educational innovation. This innovative approach has played a part in BCoT achieving its highest ever Ofsted rating.”

BCoT has been at the forefront of educational technology integration, proactively adopting tools like GeminiAI and Canva into its curriculum and using them to help staff be more efficient.

Over the past year, BCoT has introduced a number of initiatives across its services to provide quality mental health and wellbeing support, many of which include an aspect of education technology. For example, more than 1,000 students have used virtual reality programmes to refine their interview techniques and manage interview anxiety as well as enhancing their social skills such as listening and presenting, improving their self-awareness and confidence. 

The use of technology allows the curriculum to be flexible. For example, one of our student’s anxiety means that physically going into a classroom is currently unmanageable, so a separate workspace where the student can work has been set up. The use of Google Meets has allowed the student to meet her classmates and to see what is happening in the main classroom, while Google Chat has been implemented to encourage accessible communication.

BCoT is known as an EdTech leader and actively participates in national Google webinars, contributes to the Department for Education’s generative AI discussions, and helps establish new benchmarks for educational technology use across the UK.