Exeter College wins royal gong

Praised for Higher and Further Education

Exeter College is honoured to be awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education at St James’s Palace on 25 November 2021, by kind permission of HM The Queen, for the way that the college’s strategic approach to ‘digital’ has impacted on many areas of the college.

This combined approach to work towards being a Digital College, while driving a digital skills revolution has earned the highest honour that can be bestowed upon a further education college.

The award recognises the college’s excellence in embedding digital technology through curriculum innovation, national work to help shape the digital agenda within colleges, working with employers to help others, staff digital training and throughout many areas of the college.

John Laramy, Exeter College’s Principal and Chief Executive said: “Exeter College is both honoured and delighted to be awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize.

“This award is the result of a lot of hard work, which has involved key employer partners, stakeholders and a lot of staff and students within the college. To everyone that has contributed, I would simply like to say thank you, however, perhaps the most exciting element of this award, is not what the College has achieved thus far, but what, as a collective we can achieve in the future.

“I truly believe that with the talent, vision and passion of businesses, civic partners and stakeholders we have a massive opportunity to use the unique assets of this area to make Exeter a real hub for digital, innovation and skills.

“This prestigious accolade recognises not just the amazing teaching, learning and resources at the college, but recognises the critical role of external partners and employers that we have worked with for many years.

“This award is the highest honour that a college can receive, so I would like to thank the Queen’s Anniversary Prize Trustees, the Awards Council and the Sponsors, for creating this special moment for all of us who work for, or are connected to the college.

Exeter College has a proven track record of digital delivery and excellence, being graded Outstanding by Ofsted, achieving Gold (the top rating) for its Higher Education provision by the Teaching Excellence Framework and being selected by the Department for Education (DfE) to share digital skills with other colleges and schools by becoming an Education Technology (EdTech) Demonstrator College.

Investments continued this year by the opening of their £10.3m Digital and Data Centre as part of the South West Institute of Technology and supported by two local anchor employers, the Met Office and Oxygen House - strengthening links with employers and developing a specialist building that is intended to be the regional centre of digital excellence.

Working with the Local Enterprise Partnership allowed Exeter College to pilot the new Government ‘Digital Bootcamps’ initiative for adults. These short courses were hugely popular with 300 students applying for only 107 places. Due to popular demand, the college is continuing these Bootcamps for adult students who wish to improve their digital skills.

The digital industry is one of growth, opportunity and ambition. Exeter College is proud to be forward thinking and pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved within education – winning such a prestigious award not only cements the college’s position as one of the leading colleges in the UK, but also shows that the college is ready to play its part in shaping the future.