College recognised for support with ARC Award

Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) has won a national award for the work it does to support learners, awarded by the Attachment Research Community (ARC).

The Alex Timpson ARC Attachment Award recognises and celebrates best practice in attachment and trauma aware schools and education settings. The College has been particularly applauded for the support and encouragement it offers to care experienced young people who have spent time in foster or residential care or in other arrangements outside their immediate or extended family before the age of 18. 

In the Post 16 category, the ARC judging panel were looking for a provider that has made a profound and lasting contribution to attachment and trauma aware practices and goes above and beyond to support learners, including staff training, appropriate policies and procedures that recognise different approaches and having designated staff allocated for support.

The award was presented on Tuesday 22^nd November at ARC’s Annual Conference, with keynote speaker Kriss Akabusi. As a winner of the award, the College will be expected to host and present their work at a regional event in the following calendar year, where other schools can be inspired and learn from their work. They will also present this at the Annual Conference in the autumn term.

The Attachment Research Community (ARC) is a charitable organisation set up in 2017 by virtual school heads, school leaders, psychologists, training organisations and academics, with a mission for ‘every school to be attachment and trauma aware by 2025’. ARC’s purpose is to support all schools and education settings to be attachment and trauma aware in their practice for the benefit of all members of the learning community and particularly the most vulnerable, by bringing together, sharing and celebrating best practice.

John Beaty, Principal of BSDC said: “We’re delighted to have been presented this award by ARC for our commitment to supporting our learners. Here at BSDC, we’ve worked incredibly hard to develop strategies to support all learners and create an inclusive environment that builds on our students’ talents and allows them to maximize their potential.”

Emily Vinall, Wellbeing & Progress Coach Coordinator and Safeguarding/Looked After Children Officer at BSDC added: “We’re passionate about our support for looked after children and care leavers. All of our staff are able to access attachment aware training and we have vulnerable learner meetings with the wellbeing team, so the curriculum team that work with the student are aware of their needs, can support them as best they can and are aware of the challenges that they may have.

“Our main aim is to celebrate our looked after children and care leavers, and you can see this through the real celebration and buzz we have at the end of year when we know that through all the trials and tribulations, they’ve attended, they’ve engaged and they’ve achieved their qualification.”