Saturday, 13 February 2010 19:59 Manchester's Loreto Sixth Form College has picked up one of the sector's most prestigious education awards.

The college has been awarded the Association of Colleges' (AoC) President's Award, the cream of the body's Beacon Awards.

There were 23 AoC Beacon Award winners to choose from for the top accolade, each one a recognised champion of Further Education.Loreto Sixth Form College won the Successful Delivery of Level 3 Qualifications Award, for 16-19 year olds, for its 'Adding Value in the Inner City' project.

AoC Charitable Trust President Giles Long, a paralympic gold medalist, said: "This project stood out for me because of its aim of providing a pathway to channel young people towards bettering themselves through education in an area of Manchester where the odds aren’t necessarily in their favour.

"I am a big believer that talent is gifted irrespective of class, but it is the harnessing of that talent that is not only crucial for the individual but for the nation as a whole. Loreto Sixth Form College seems to be filling an important gap where it is most needed."

Loreto Sixth Form College was praised for lowering barriers to achievement in an area of high social deprivation by recruiting students with minimum qualfiiations. More than four fifths of the college's learners progress to study in Higher Education.

Jason Rainbow

(Pictured L-R: Ann Clynch, principal of Loreto Sixth Form College, with AoC President Pat Bacon)