IHE Awards 2023 winners

ACM clinched the 2023 Inspiring Course award for its interdisciplinary Creative Industries Futures programme.

Launched in September 2022, the course offers a versatile framework that caters to various learning styles and career aspirations in the creative sector. The programme's interdisciplinary nature allows students to combine a wide array of subjects - including music, business, live production, games, and visual arts - within numerous study modes. These include accelerated study, traditional three-year study, an embedded foundation year, an integrated Master’s option, and a standalone Master’s.

The programme operates on three main learning models. Firstly, students engage in hyper-specialized ‘skills units’, where they can choose from over 150 short courses. These courses are designed to upskill students in specific areas across the creative industries spectrum. Secondly, students participate in collaborative project groups, where interdisciplinary groups team up to work together to tackle industry briefs and apply the skills they have acquired in their skills units. This hands-on approach fosters teamwork and peer learning and, as the course progresses to degree level, provides students with the necessary skills to lead collaborative interdisciplinary teams. Thirdly, the programme emphasizes the context of different pathways within the creative industries, ensuring that students gain a deep understanding of their chosen field's history, its psychology and biology, its cultural impact, and its future trends.

Facilitated by technologies such as the MyACM app, live streaming, video calling and Whatsapp messaging, Creative Industries Futures adapts to the rapidly changing needs of the industry. The curriculum is designed to facilitate dynamic content updates, ensuring that students are equipped with the latest skills and knowledge. The programme has also been designed with the Lifelong Learner Entitlement (LLE) in mind.

The judges commended ACM for the interdisciplinary nature of the course design, which offers a collaborative student learning experience. Praising the dynamic content updates, and ACM’s strong links with industry, the judges noted both the fact that the programme is LLE-ready, and the opportunities given to support students in recognising learning and skills they had gained.

Point Blank Music School was crowned winner of the 2023 Technology Enhanced Learning award.

Point Blank has developed a bespoke Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Student Dashboard, providing easy access to timetables, assessment deadlines, one-to-one bookings, and academic progress tracking. Accessible from one user-friendly location, the VLE has encouraged engagement and minimised searching frustration. Catering to different learning preferences, its fully integrated learning ecosystem includes online forums, course notes with supporting multimedia, and recorded lectures. The innovative online forums, modelling sites such as Discord and Reddit to encourage high interaction, have proved to be an effective form of giving and receiving feedback.

Their Music Industry Management course incorporates live demonstrations and discussions on AI-generated art, social media analytics for marketing, and the responsible use of ChatGPT as inspiration for marketing content and presentations. This has encouraged students to adopt AI as a necessary tool for employment in today’s music industry and raised awareness of academic misconduct. The school is developing a new technology-focused course, a BSc (Hons) Music Systems Engineering degree (MuSE), which merges music production and computer science, responding to the employability needs of the music software industry.

Point Blank provides a supportive environment for staff and students to develop digital skills, providing access to a Library and Learning Resource Manager, industry-experienced lecturers, and its laptop loan scheme. All necessary equipment and software are available on-campus, with technicians on-hand to support with the use of technology. The HR department provides digital packages for staff development, with further training incorporating digital literacy being developed for academic staff development.

Learner analytics generated by the VLE and the Data Team are used to enhance the student learning experience, with adjustments made to deadlines, class schedules, course content, and extra-curricular workshops class schedules. 

The judges were impressed by Point Blank's good integration of AI, merging practical and ethical considerations, their interesting use of learning analytics for quality assurance, and their recent Gold TEF award.

Bloomsbury Institute triumphed as the winner of the 2023 Supporting Student Success award.

Bloomsbury sets the tone with its induction programme: with existing students participating as peer leaders, it is carefully crafted to engage students, drawing upon theories of motivation, growth mindset, and self-efficacy. As of 2023-24, Bloomsbury also offers group-coached transition workshops for returning students, providing a reflective space to assess the habits, behaviours and skills needed to succeed.

Key to the Institute’s support system is the Student Engagement, Wellbeing and Success Team (SEWS). Using the Qlik Sense data analytics system, the team tracks various metrics including attendance, virtual learning engagement, and assessment submissions to identify students who may benefit from early interventions and delivers targeted resubmission interventions for students who fail at the first attempt. This proactive approach allows Bloomsbury to tailor support services to meet the individual needs of each student.

The Institute aligns employability workshops with curricula and facilitates a CPD programme for student leaders. Their KPMG Mentoring Scheme pairs students with executive mentors to enhance communication, confidence, and resilience, aiming to clarify goals and prepare students for professional employment or postgraduate study.

Bloomsbury co-creates support services with students, offering initiatives like Peer Assisted Learning (PAL). Led by experienced students, PAL provides academic support and guidance, helping to strengthen interpersonal and professional skills while enhancing student learning outcomes. PAL offers students the opportunity to become student leaders and gain competencies which will aid their personal and professional development.

The Institute also demonstrates a commitment to supporting students with diverse needs. Collaborative efforts between departments and the Student Guild help to create a holistic support system, with 30 staff members trained as First Aid Mental Health Advisers to offer immediate assistance to students dealing with mental health issues. 

The judges praised Bloomsbury for prioritising peer support, adapting to student’s evolving needs and utilising data analytics effectively within interventions. They commended the Institute for its collaborative efforts across departments to create a responsive and supportive community.

Tiro was victorious in the 2023 Outstanding Collaboration category for their partnership with Balfour Beatty.

With several major UK infrastructure projects on the horizon, and many of their expert workforce nearing retirement, Balfour Beatty recognised the importance of introducing an apprenticeship programme to teach vital on-the-job training to a new generation.

The Tiro/Balfour Beatty Materials Science Apprenticeship Programme exemplifies Tiro’s effective integration of industry practitioners into the curriculum. Their deep links within the materials science industry has ensured that the learning content of the programme always keeps pace with the requirements of the sector, including the development of a module on the science of concrete in partnership with the Concrete Society.

Tiro's commitment to knowledge exchange across the sector has ensured that key external stakeholders, including National Highways and HS2, have bought into the value of the Tiro/Balfour Beatty programme, recognising that the learning and skills provided by apprentices on the programme are vital to the success of their projects.

Tiro has established best practices to improve industry standards through continuous evaluation and refinement of their apprenticeship programme in collaboration with industry. By actively involving stakeholders in every aspect of the programme, Tiro ensures that learners receive a gold standard industry-tailored education that responds to the changing needs of the sector. The impact of the programme has been so widely recognised within the industry that it is now common for suppliers to specifically request that teams include employees who are undergoing or have completed the Tiro/Balfour Beatty programme.

The evolution from a Level 2 Apprenticeship to a Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship in Applied Materials Science demonstrates Tiro's crucial role in growing industry-aligned learning opportunities. 

The judges commended Tiro’s innovative response to industry demands, their development of a new apprenticeship programme to tackle an urgent societal need, and their contribution to major public infrastructure developments, which we all benefit from.

The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) emerged top in the 2023 Advancing International Education category.

Launched with a global perspective, RAD’s Certificate in Dance Teaching (CDT) offers an excellent international student experience from application to graduation. With course materials available in nine languages and the provision of comprehensive online student support, students from diverse backgrounds report feeling supported throughout their studies. RAD emphasises job readiness, with its job search platform enabling students to apply for dance teaching positions worldwide, ahead of graduation, which fosters a seamless transition from education to employment.

RAD's commitment to cultural exchange is exemplified through initiatives like their student representative programme, which facilitates collaboration between international and domestic students. As part of the CDT, students from different areas of the UK and from overseas come together for a week of intensive, in-person study, offering a rich environment for knowledge exchange and cultural sharing. RAD's strong engagement with local communities is demonstrated through teaching placements, where students apply their skills in private, public, and community dance contexts, fostering connections beyond the classroom.

RAD’s track record in delivering dance teacher training in overseas markets has been boosted by the Professional Dancers’ Graduate Teaching Diploma. As of February 2024, the programme is offered synchronously in London and Sydney, with cohorts coming together at selected times to study as a whole group. The CDT course, designed to cater to diverse global markets, attracts Spanish-speaking students from across Central and South America. Students studying in English come from a broad geographic spread that reaches from North America, across Europe and Scandinavia, Africa and Asia to Australasia. CDT’s flexible and culturally sensitive teaching approaches ensure its relevance and effectiveness in diverse educational contexts worldwide.

The judges praised RAD for the truly international scope and content of its programmes, noting its superlative external engagement efforts to support students' educational and professional development. Judges were particularly impressed by RAD's commitment to localising the student experience, with evidence of very impressive collaborations and partnerships.

TEDI-London was victorious in the 2023 Supporting Staff Wellbeing category.

TEDI places a strong emphasis on transparent communication and active engagement, ensuring that every team member's voice is heard, and with feedback mechanisms that lead directly to the Board. This promotes a sense of belonging and encourages collaborative problem-solving. 

Their investment in delivering tailored professional development opportunities empowers employees to contribute effectively and feel motivated within their roles. Agile work arrangements have been implemented, which recognise and accommodate personal responsibilities and focus on output. This approach encourages a balance between work and personal life, leading to reduced stress and increased job satisfaction. Furthermore, TEDI hosts social events that bring staff together outside of work tasks, cultivating a strong sense of camaraderie and friendship, helping to bolster the overall sense of community. By ensuring that staff members feel valued, empowered, and equipped to navigate their professional and personal lives, TEDI creates an environment where collaboration flourishes, morale is high, and every member contributes.

TEDI's commitment to supporting the good health and wellbeing of employees is evident through initiatives like MyMynd, a workplace wellbeing platform aimed at early identification of issues and provision of appropriate support. Like TEDI students, staff have access to mental health first aiders and free counselling sessions. Additionally, staff can access an Employee Assistance Programme, which offers a confidential helpline, counselling, legal, and medical support.

The judges were impressed by TEDI's clear institutional strategy for wellbeing, which is embedded in practice through a series of initiatives. Judges highlighted the structured, comprehensive support package available to staff, and the good mix of proactive measures and just-in-time support.

Dr. Fayyaz Hussain Qureshi was honoured with the 2023 Rising Star award.

Fayyaz actively seeks opportunities to collaborate with colleagues, team members and the international community and willingly shares his insights to achieve common goals. 

Fayyaz's commitment to his area of work is demonstrated by the range of projects he is engaged in, including the development of handbooks to support learning and teaching in independent higher education settings, and creating a platform to showcase the work of independent providers.

The judges were impressed by the breadth of Fayyaz's initiatives, his collaborative spirit, and his focus on fostering a research culture at his institution for the benefit of colleagues.

Futureworks' commitment to the IHE community is evident through their involvement in the Many Hands project. Their engagement in this project as one of the lead providers has enabled the piloting of an important shared service for the wider IHE membership.

Members of the team regularly step up to help to others in the sector. Led by the Vice Principal, who has embedded an organisational culture of proactively offering support and guidance, the team has shared knowledge and expertise with other IHE members on matters spanning widening participation, student services, student records, quality, and data governance.

Futureworks’ attendance at and participation in IHE events is consistently high. They regularly volunteer speakers to support IHE’s member-facing activities and team members have delivered multiple presentations to IHE networks. 

Members of the Futureworks team have also taken up formal roles, with staff members contributing expertise and leading discussions as the Co-Chairs of networks and working groups. This year, the team actively promoted vacancies on the reconstituted IHE Student Advisory Board (SAB), resulting in the institution being represented on the SAB.

Futureworks’ willingness to engage with broader sector activity is also notable, often volunteering to be part of pilot activity and contributing cases studies to ensure the independent provider perspective, and the context within which they operate, is included in policy development. 

Team members are knowledgeable, relatable and approachable. It is clear that senior leadership encourage the wider team to get involved with IHE activities and to pursue opportunities for external stakeholder engagement, for mutual benefit. 

Futureworks is generous in the time they offer to the IHE community. They care about the independent sector and are driven by a desire to help it succeed. As an IHE member, they are truly invested in the benefits of building and supporting a community. 

Sue Edwards has played an integral role in the development of IHE, bringing her experience, expertise and knowledge of the regulatory landscape and serving a full six years on the IHE Board.

She worked at a sector-wide level with government departments, regulators, and national associations, and represented IHE members during many of the major regulatory changes that have impacted independent higher education since 2010. 

Sue worked very closely with IHE during the OfS transition and continues to look for ways to improve the integration of unique providers, such as pathway providers, into the overall regulatory landscape.

She continues to support and share IHE’s mission, offering help and advice to the many groups she participates in, which includes Destination for Education, a coalition of pathway providers who maintain regular dialogue with IHE. Sue also represents the pathway sector on the Home Office Education Advisory Group.

Sue was involved in many of the key sector discussions to support recovery and growth in international education following Covid-19. This included ensuring positive and consistent messages were communicated to global agents and prospective international students as they began to return to face-to-face study. 

Her engagement with others in the sector reaches well beyond the interests of their institution. She works diligently to provide support and advice to colleagues, peers and competitors alike, always willing to support other IHE members with informal chats and encouraging their staff to do the same.

Over the years, Sue has become a trusted source of information and advice to many policy makers and politicians on both sides of the debate. She was an early supporter of the APPG for International Students, working alongside others to offer insight to the advisory group and support for IHE, ensuring the early success of the model.

She continues to promote the work of independent providers and the role of the IHE community in the international higher education sector. One of IHE’s objects is the promotion of the UK to international students. Few have done more to support this object than Sue Edwards. 

Sue is a true ambassador for IHE, serving the community for many years and a constant champion of our work.