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Student Experience Team Named Silver Winner at the Pearson National Teaching Awards 2026
- Posted 17 Jun 2026
The Student Experience Team at USP College has been named a Silver Winner in the FE Team of the Year!
At the Pearson National Teaching Awards 2026, one of the most prestigious recognitions in UK education.
The award celebrates the joined-up support network that sits behind every learner at the College, across both the Seevic Campus and the Palmer's Campus. Safeguarding staff, progress coaches, careers advisers, work experience officers, student services, enrichment and student voice leads, and the Learning Resource Centre team work side by side to remove barriers, raise aspirations and drive achievement. Their combined effort creates a seamless system of support that keeps students safe, engaged and ready to progress into employment or higher study.
Behind the recognition is a team that has reimagined what support looks like in Further Education. More than 97% of students took part in planned industry placements, gaining real workplace experience alongside lecture-theatre sessions on professionalism and safeguarding. The team's joined-up approach to careers advice and guidance earned the respected Matrix Accreditation, and the impact is felt by individual students every day. One Level 2 learner who had struggled with attendance saw it climb from 62% to 89% in a single term, then went on to progress to Level 3 and secure a placement in their chosen field.
This is a tremendous achievement and a testament to the dedication, professionalism and care shown by the entire team every single day. I would particularly like to extend special thanks and congratulations to Assistant Principal Hannah Johnson, whose leadership, passion and unwavering commitment have played a pivotal role in this success.
That same care runs through everything the team does. Students can reach round-the-clock confidential counselling through the Wisdom App and Health Assured, trained YouOK Peer Mentors are on hand to support their classmates, and learners build a record of their growing skills through Grofar Passports. A trauma-informed, restorative culture has strengthened relationships across the College, and students have a genuine say in how things are run: ideas raised at a cross-college Student Union Conference, shared directly with senior leaders, have been put into action.
The Silver Win means the department is now in with a chance of being named a Gold Winner, with the final announcement taking place later this year at a special ceremony in Pall Mall, London. Gold Award winners are revealed at the UK Ceremony, the national celebration of the people who make a real difference in education.
The recognition reflects the College's commitment to putting students at the centre of everything it does, ensuring every learner across the Seevic and Palmer's campuses has the guidance, resources and pastoral care they need to succeed at college and beyond.
Everyone at USP College extends their congratulations to the Student Experience Team and wishes them the very best ahead of the Gold announcement.
