We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2025 Natspec Innovation Awards.
These awards recognise and celebrate innovative practice in the specialist further education sector. They shine a light on initiatives that have clearly resulted in improved outcomes for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
Our seven winners were celebrated in a vibrant online ceremony, packed with students and staff from shortlisted colleges. Each will receive a handcrafted trophy, made and designed by students from St Piers College. They will now go forward to be considered for the prestigious Kathryn Rudd Award which will be presented at our national conference in June to the most innovative category winner.
Chair of the judging panel, Jim Aleander said:
“We once again received a high number of applications, demonstrating the real expertise and creativity that we know is happening throughout the specialist further education sector. You gave us some very difficult decisions to make as we did our best to identify which of the applications showed the most innovation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my fellow panel members for the time and care they put into the decisions they made.
This year the panel was very impressed at the range and diversity of projects, which covered all aspects of the provision. In particular the strong connections with communities, partners, other agencies and experts was very impressive. Without exception, all of the shortlisted projects will make a significant difference, not only to the lives of young people in your colleges but potentially to others across the country. The Further Education sector as a whole should learn from these shortlisted projects. By sharing your projects we will show your colleagues that new ways of working, innovating, will improve the life chances and opportunities of young people attending specialist colleges across the country.”
Winners
Curriculum innovation
Petty Pool Vocational College – Petty Pool launch new digital pathway partnerships
Phoenix College – Local Offer (Subject)
The Orpheus Centre – Who Am I?
Treloar College – Let Me In
Winner: Treloar College
Category judge Nigel Evans said:
“This is an excellent project that has positive implications for the students involved, their peers, other disabled people and other members of the community and beyond. The project has excellent links with local community and demonstrates the powerful contribution young disabled people can make in influencing society. Students develop a wide range of valuable skills that will be necessary as they progress into adult life.”
Innovative interdisciplinary working
Condover College – Integrated Therapy
St Piers College – Learning for Life: A Holistic Approach to a Life-Centred Curriculum for Students with PMLD
Winner: Condover College
Category judge Lorraine Mulroney said:
“Condover College staff and students past and present should be proud of the work they have done in ensuring that interdisciplinary working is at the heart of what they do. The fact that this been driven by listening to student’s experience is what matters. They have truly worked their magic to combine physiotherapy and speech and language therapy (which is not common practice between professions) to ensure a personalised and holistic approach delivers impact and progress for all students. Speech Language and Communication is the key to everything! This way of working has shown wider benefits to all staff and students.”
Innovation in student voice
The Deaf Academy – Innovative road safety campaign by Deaf students with additional needs results in success
St Piers College – St Piers College Values
The Orpheus Centre – Student Safeguarding Ambassadors
Winner: The Deaf Academy
Category judge Poppy Garton said:
“The student council worked with all school stakeholders democratically to find solutions that yielded a successful route to achieving their goal of improving road safety. The voices of students were heard across a wide range of organisations, media, online and in the local community.
Students worked with 3 local councillors to obtain a budget to make the required changes. This initiative had a positive and material impact on students, the academy, the community, and also nationally.”
Innovative specialist/mainstream partnership working
National Star College – National Star at The Heart of Worcestershire College
Ambitious College – Unaccredited Learning routes to mainstream courses
Winner: National Star College
Category judge David Holloway said:
“This is a genuinely innovative three-way partnership between a local authority, a specialist FE college, and a general FE college. It brings students both the benefits of highly specialised provision and the benefits of manageable commutes and learning skills for adulthood in the area round their homes. The involvement of a local authority to help facilitate partnership between a general and a specialist college is hugely innovative and goes beyond one year’s place planning to multi-year planning for future need. This partnership is beneficial to its own students and it also represents a proof of concept that should be learned from nationally.”
Innovative approach to equality, diversity and inclusion
Petty Pool Vocational College – Petty Pool Launch Neurodiversity in Work Conference
Winner: Petty Pool Vocational College
Category judge Jeff Greenidge said:
“The approach Petty Pool took demonstrates a genuine and sustained commitment to improving employment opportunities for individuals with learning disabilities and neurodiverse conditions. There is tangible impact on employment and inclusion. Petty Pool is driving systemic change through thought leadership and changing employers’ mindsets and practices.”
Innovative approach to mental health and wellbeing
Catcote Futures – Cultural Delights Wellness Programme
Chadsgrove Educational Trust Specialist College – Cultivate and promote an environment of positive mental and emotional well-being for students through the medium of sound therapy
Portland College – Tough Talks – a peer support group for male learners
Winner: Chadsgrove Educational Trust Specialist College
Category judge Liz Maudslay said:
“The bringing together of sound and hydrotherapy is truly innovative and has been particularly effective in improving the wellbeing of students with complex physical and sensory needs. The programme was initiated by the Student Council and informed by regular student input. Videos showed how much the programme allowed students to relax, and physical and occupational therapists found that after a Liquid Listening Session students were far more receptive to interventions.”
Innovative routes into employment
Digital Independent Specialist College (DISC) – Digital Advantage
Petty Pool Vocational College – Petty Pool College x BEPO – Breaking down barriers through All Inclusive Fashion
The Orpheus Centre – Unexpected Leaders
Winner: Digital Independent Specialist College (DISC)
Category judge Laura Davis said:
“Digital Advantage have developed a high ambition partnership approach to layering up young people’s skills to enter the creative industries. This approach has potential to be scaled up and applied to other sectors, matching the strengths of young people to industry experts. The partnership approach working with a neurodiverse led organisation demonstrates a set of values that will support the on-going innovation of the program. I am excited to see the future of this partnership.”