Tresham College group wins prestigious award

The group which runs Tresham College in Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough has won a prestigious education award.

The Bedford College Group - which merged with Tresham College in August 2017 - won FE (Further Education) college of the year at the Times Educational Supplement (TES) Further Education awards on October 16.

It caps a remarkable turnaround in four years with Tresham rated inadequate by Ofsted in 2016 with big financial deficits. But last year year Ofsted rated The Bedford College Group, including Tresham's campuses, as good in all areas.

The college said the Skills Funding Agency has also formally confirmed their status as outstanding for financial health with a £1m surplus.

Ian Pryce CBE, principal and chief executive officer, said: “The awards night was a wonderful celebration of the work of our extraordinary sector. I’m still in shock.

“The shortlist for college of the year was very strong, so to be judged the winner is one of the best moments of my two decades at The Bedford College Group. It has been a very special year for us on so many fronts.

“The congratulations of so many friends and colleagues in the sector is overwhelming. I am so proud of our 1,200 staff and 16,000 students and so privileged to be allowed to be their principal. I never thought an online event could be so emotional.”

The college was awarded £7.5m from SEMLEP to redevelop the Wellingborough campus, enabling 1,000 additional students to study locally. The campus re-opened last month.

At the 2020 event, The Bedford College Group also won the professional services team award after completing three major construction projects on time and budget despite the Covid crisis.

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