Introduction
Welcome to the fourth year of the Natspec Awards.
The Natspec Innovation Awards recognise and celebrate innovative practice in the specialist further education sector. They shine a light on initiatives that have clearly resulted in improved outcomes for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Sharing the work of the award winners is part of Natspec’s commitment to supporting continuous improvement and raising standards in our sector.
The Natspec Innovation Awards do not seek to identify which college is ‘the best’ in a certain area, unlike some other education awards. Our focus is on unearthing exciting new practice which is enabling young people with learning difficulties and / or disabilities to achieve their goals.
Whatever the size of your setting, and however long your organisation has been a Natspec member, this is your chance to showcase innovative, effective practice and share your work with the sector.
Who can apply?
The awards are open to any specialist FE provider that is currently a full member of Natspec. Applicants must be willing to support Natspec to disseminate the learning from their projects. The awards are not open to Natspec Transform members or to general FE colleges.
What does award-winning practice look like?
The practice can be small-scale and carefully targeted at a particular student group or a whole college initiative. It must
- be innovative and exciting
- be relatively recently implemented rather than something that has become business as usual
- have generated evidence that it has made a positive difference for students
- provide useful learning for others in the sector.
Use our innovation checklist to help you decide just how innovative your practice is.
Key dates
Applications open
23 January 2023
Closing date for applications
29 March 2023 – at 4pm
Shortlist announced
by 28 April 2023
Winners announced
25 May 2023 in an online awards ceremony
Trophies awarded
13 June 2023 at Natspec National Conference
The Natspec Awards categories 2023
The eight awards categories are:
- Innovative use of technology
- Innovative routes into employment
- Innovation in student voice
- Innovative approach to mental health and wellbeing
- Innovative interdisciplinary working
- Innovative partnership working
- Curriculum innovation
- Innovative approach to equality, diversity and inclusion
Please note that the criteria used to select award winners for each category have been refreshed for 2023.
The judges
An independent panel of judges will choose the winners of the Natspec Innovation Awards 2023. They are as follows:
- Nigel Evans
- Yolande Burgess
- Jane Hatton
- Rohan Slaughter
- Liz Maudslay
- Lorraine Mulroney
- Jeff Greenidge
- Alex Johnson
How to apply
Applications must be made via the online form on the Natspec Awards website. A limited amount of additional supporting evidence can also be uploaded electronically.
Natspec members can apply for any number of the awards categories. There is a maximum of one application per category. The same project cannot be entered for more than one category.
More details about how to apply will be available when the awards open for applications.
What the winners receive
Award winners will receive:
- £250 CPD bursary
- use of the Natspec Award winners’ logo on their college headed paper, websites and other promotional materials
Award winners will also be presented with a certificate and a trophy to keep.