Earlier this week New College Durham (NCD) hosted a lunch event for staff and partners involved in the recent accomplishment of being awarded ‘Highly Commended’ for The Association of Colleges (AoC) Bell Foundation Award for Excellence in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and also the AoC Award for Widening Participation.
The Bell Foundation Award for Excellence in ESOL recognises remarkable achievements in engaging with learners who are speakers of languages other than English.
In response to the current rising in demand for ESOL education, the college partnered with Durham County Council, Durham Cricket Club, Handcrafted Projects, Hetton Lyons Cricket Club, Newcastle Rugby Foundation and Newcastle United Foundation, to create an innovative approach of harnessing a shared passion for sport to boost engagement in the classroom. This in turn helped pave the way for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children to integrate into the college and the wider community.
Principal and Chief Executive of New College Durham, Andy Broadbent, said:
“The results we saw were truly amazing. Attendance levels skyrocketed, and we’re so proud that 100% of participants excelled in their end-of-year external speaking and listening assessments. We are delighted to be highly commended in this category and want to send a huge thank you to our incredible staff and project partners for their dedication towards making a positive impact in the lives of these young people.”
The AoC Award for Widening Participation shines a spotlight on exemplary initiatives that break down barriers to learning and aid progression for groups often under-represented in further education.
New College Durham forged powerful partnerships with Sunderland Bangladesh International Centre (SBIC) and Nur Fitness, an award-winning community organisation dedicated to helping women & children become healthier, both physically and mentally.
By embedding education directly within community settings, while helping to improve self-esteem, this ground-breaking initiative broke down barriers such as transportation and cultural differences, making learning opportunities not just accessible, but inviting.
SBIC's CEO Abu Shama expressed his excitement about the partnership, saying, "This recognition truly reflects the hard work that has gone into delivering this fantastic project. SBIC is absolutely delighted to continue working alongside New College Durham to support even more community members on their journey to employment. It’s a privilege to be involved in this initiative and to see the wonderful impact it has on our clients."
Deputy Principal of New College Durham, Alison Maynard, added:
“Working with our partners, we developed a curriculum to reflect and respect the social and cultural milieu of our learners. We continue to offer courses that reflect their aspirations, and this has significantly boosted participation among some underrepresented groups,
Alison concluded, “We take immense pride in being recognised for these prestigious awards, I too would like to express my thanks to everyone who has worked hard and shown belief in the benefits of both programmes. They should all take immense pride in being part of such innovative initiatives that are recognised at the highest level.”