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Beacon Award Cheers College ; EDUCATION: Staff and Student Achieve National Success With NOVAproject

Posted on: Friday, 23 December 2005, 09:00 CST

By Sian Powell

MARION Plant and the staff and students at a Nuneaton college are celebrating after picking up a top national award.

North Warwickshire and Hinckley College was singled out for a Beacon Award for the work it does with the under 16s with its college school partnership.

The Nuneaton-based college was selected ahead of national competition for its New Opportunities for Vocational Achievement project by the Association of Colleges.

Aimed at providing pre-16s vocational training, the nationally recognised project encourages teenagers into full-time education and training.

Around 1,500 students from across Warwickshire and Leicestershire are involved in the project.

Marion Plant, principal at the college, said: "We are delighted to receive national recognition for our innovative work in this very important area of work.

"The college has worked exceptionally hard over a number of years now to establish and develop the programme we offer.

"This is down to the commitment and support of a large number of people and organisations, especially our partner schools, local education authorities, the local Learning and Skills Councils and our own professional staff."

The college is unique in the way schools' teaching assistants play an everyday role in the project which allows them to take part in the students' progress.

Tim Over, head of George Eliot Community School, said: "Pupils at our school have been involved in the NOVA provision at North Warwick- shire and Hinckley College since its conception.

"NOVA has widened the curriculum provision for the school at Key Stage 4 and allowed students to work off the school site one day a week.

"We have often found those students to be better motivated at school and many continue in their chosen vocation area post-16.

"It has also built up collaboration between the local schools involved in the provision as teaching assistants support youngsters in vocational areas regardless of which school they come from."

Source: Coventry Evening Telegraph

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