Orbital South Colleges Celebrate Learners and Staff at the House of Lords

On 22 May, students and staff from Orbital South Colleges came together to attend the Committee of South London Principals (COSLP) annual Best Learner and Tutor Awards. 

The highly prestigious event was held by Lord Tope for its 21st year at the House of Lords in London. The day is the perfect occasion to showcase the best of FE learning, and both ESC and JRC nominated one member of staff and one student to receive the Best Learner and Best Student.  

East Surrey College’s student nominee was Level 3 Applied Science student Pooja Philendra. Pooja was chosen for her volunteering work in Bali, excellent grades, and impressive extracurricular achievements such as having her poetry published. 

Pooja nominated her tutor, Lauren Pearson, for Best Teacher. In her nomination, Pooja stated, “Lauren’s work shows that when educators invest not just in academic success, but in the person behind it, they can transform lives in ways that last far beyond College.”   

From John Ruskin College, Level 3 Art and Design student Che Warren was nominated for his creativity and artistic skill, as well as his excellent attendance and motivation in his coursework.  

Che nominated his tutor, Tracy Carrington, for the Best Teacher, commenting,

“Tracy has allowed me to explore my creative path to help me achieve my goals for the future. She has taught the class to have pride in what we do, and speaking for the other students, they adore Tracy with all their hearts.” 

The award celebrations were hosted by Peter Mayhew-Smith, Group Principal and CEO of South Thames Colleges Group. He introduced each award winner and allowed time for each citation to be read out, highlighting their achievements and personal stories. Pooja’s citation raises awareness to her experience moving from the UAE to the UK and the difficulties she faces studying in a new country, as well as Che’s mental health and his journey to finding confidence at JRC. 

The celebratory event also featured a moving keynote speech from the Chair of the Education Select Committee, Helen Hayes MP, detailing the importance of FE education and the opportunities it presents to people of all ages. 

She went on to say,

“The stories we are hearing today are inspirational, with teachers and students achieving amazing things. This is a sector full of talent, ambition, dedication and hard work. Congratulations to all the winners today, do enjoy your success and special day.” 

Congratulations to Pooja and Che for all their fantastic achievements which have led to them receiving their nominations, as well as Lauren and Tracy for all their hard work in helping uplift and support our learners during their time at OSC.