HUGH Baird College has won 3 high-profile national commendations at the prestigious Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Awards, recognising the College's outstanding practice, innovation and impact across learner support, employability and embedded provision. 

The AoC's Beacon Awards celebrate the best and most innovative practice among UK further education (FE) colleges and aim to demonstrate and promote the far-reaching impact of colleges on their students and the communities they serve. 

The College has been commended in the Bell Foundation Award for Excellence in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) for its vocationally embedded ESOL initiative, which combines language development with practical training in areas such as hairdressing, catering, construction, and health. This approach has enabled hundreds of migrants, refugees, and multilingual learners to build confidence, develop their English skills, and progress to further study or employment. 

Hugh Baird College has also been commended in The Edge Award for Excellence in Real World Learning for its 'WorkReady with eduScrum' programme. The initiative brings employers into the classroom, allowing students to work on real-world industry challenges and embedding employability experiences across the curriculum, preparing learners for the workplace. 

In addition, the College has been commended in The RCU Award for Support for Students in recognition of its inclusive and accessible support offer for young people across the Liverpool City Region. Through targeted partnerships and high-impact pastoral programmes, the College ensures that every student is supported to achieve their goals and overcome barriers to learning. 

Hugh Baird College Principal and Chief Executive, Rachael Hennigan, said:- "We are enormously proud that the College has been recognised at a national level. These commendations reflect our unwavering commitment to preparing every learner for success, and to delivering education that is deeply rooted in employer collaboration, real-world relevance and inclusive support. Being recognised by the AoC's Beacon Awards highlights the innovation, dedication and ambition of our staff, students and employer partners." 

Colleges that achieve commended status now progress to the next stage of the awards process, where finalists will be announced at the Association of Colleges' Annual Conference in November. 

Hugh Baird College, rated Outstanding by Ofsted, is 1 of only 3 colleges in the North West to hold this distinction, placing it among the top 10% of colleges nationally. The College has also been ranked the No. 1 further education college in the country for Tech Level 3 Progress and achieved a 100% pass rate across many of its vocational programmes.