Natspec member Foxes Academy has been crowned FE Provider of the Year at the prestigious TES FE Awards. At a glamourous awards ceremony on Park Lane in London last week, hosted by comedian Alan Davies, Foxes won not only the new prize of Specialist Provider of the Year, but also went on to beat winners of 16 other categories to pick up the overall award.

This year the awards, now in their seventh year and sponsored by the Education and Training Foundation, attracted a record number of entries. More than 100 individuals and organisations were shortlisted for the 17 award categories.

Foxes Academy is a training hotel that aims to give young adults with learning disabilities skills, knowledge and confidence, through nationally recognised qualifications in hospitality and catering, and English, maths and ICT skills in functional skills courses. Independent living skills are taught in structured sessions as well as being embedded throughout the learners’ personal development, health and welfare time.

Working with over 50 regional employers, Foxes also sources and develops work-experience placements for its learners so they can transfer their learned skills successfully into the workplace. As a result, 77 per cent of its 2015 leavers have been employed since graduating. The judges paid tribute to the “tremendous employment outcomes and employer engagement”. Watch the video of the awards ceremony.