Awards

We know that it’s not enough to just tell you that The Manchester College is the best. Our dedicated staff members work hard to ensure that the college attains the standards and awards required to demonstrate the quality of our provision.

Investors in People (IiP)

The college holds Investors in People (IiP) accreditation, which is a framework for delivery of business improvement through people.

British Dyslexia Association Quality Mark

The Manchester College is committed to helping learners who need extra support and assistance with their studies.

In recognition of the dyslexia friendly practices the staff of the college use in their teaching and the support they provide to students with learning difficulties, the college’s learning support services have been awarded the British Dyslexia Association Quality Mark for Further Education Colleges. This means that The Manchester College is committed to providing a comfortable environment to ensure dyslexic learners are at ease and have access to all the necessary support they require.

The Matrix Standard

Matrix is a quality framework for the effective delivery of information and/or advice and guidance. The college’s Guidance and Welfare Service has attained national standards for information, advice and guidance.

Ofsted inspections

The two colleges that merged to form The Manchester College were successful in Ofsted inspections, with the former MANCAT graded as ‘Outstanding’ and the former City College Manchester achieving an overall ‘Grade 2’.

PEARL (Personal, Employability, Achievement and Reflection for Learning)

The college led the development of the PEARL award, which is the first performance assessed approach for behavioural, learning and employability skills to be recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

Our students identify us as the best (QDP survey)

The Manchester College is one of the best providers of education in the country, according to the results of a confidential student survey benchmarked against 140 colleges nationally. Nearly 11,500 students completed The Learner Induction/ On-Programme Survey, provided by QDP – the largest supplier of questionnaire and data processing services to the UK education and skills sector. The students were asked to rate the college’s teaching and learning, assessment methods, enrichment programmes, course organisation, quality of support, accommodation, services and general facilities. In every category, responses from The Manchester College were significantly higher than the national standard.

National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Quality Assurance Award

The college’s nursery in Harpurhey has been awarded the National Day Nurseries Association’s Quality Assurance Award at level 3, which is the highest grade attainable.

Food Futures Certificate

The college’s Openshaw campus refectory holds a Food Futures Silver Certificate for its commitment to the values and vision of Food Futures and is contribution to many of its objectives.

The Pacific Institute’s Investment in Excellence programme

The Pacific Institute (TPI) is a world leader in the field of performance improvement. It has a proven track record helping education departments, schools and colleges to improve their performance. The former MANCAT began work with TPI in spring 2003 and the implementation of TPI’s Investment in Excellence programme followed. TPI helped to transform MANCAT from a ‘good’ college to an ‘outstanding’ college and involved hundreds of staff and thousands of students. We are implementing the programme throughout The Manchester College.

Good news about our work

The success of the college also shines through in all the good news about our work.

Staff accolades

Merron Mitchell, Vice Principal for Offender Learning, earned an OBE for her services to education and skills. In addition to this, Merron picked up a highly prestigious QIA (Quality Improvement Agency) STAR Award – designed to celebrate people who have made a difference to the lives of learners through their work.

Guidance advisor, Rose Kyle, was shortlisted for a QIA Star Award and made it through to the final ten in the Support Work category.

College Restaurant of the Year

Two of the college’s training restaurants have won the awards in Restaurant Magazine’s College Restaurant of the Year competition. In 2009 the Moston campus training restaurant, ‘The Restaurant at Ashley Lane’, won the regional final. In 2008, the college’s Openshaw Campus restaurant ‘Bistro East’ won the national final. The competition aims to assess and reward the valuable, practical skills that hospitality and catering students learn in the realistic working environment that college restaurants provide.

College student shines in UK’s biggest live talent contest

Withington singer/songwriter and college student, Michaela Turner-Millar made it through to the North West area final in the 2009 Live and Unsigned competition – one of the biggest talent searches for original music acts in the UK.

College student awarded Apprentice of the Year 2009

One of The Manchester College’s former Modern Apprentices was voted Apprentice of the Year 2009 for the North West region by the Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA). Lee Fisher studied at the college from 2004 to 2008 whilst working for Fletcher Engineering Services and is now a successful advanced installer, working on multimillion pound projects all over the north of England.

Art students impress O2 with 2D pieces

Creative students from The Manchester College won two out of three top spots in a national art competition organised by telecommunications company O2. Around 40 art and design created pieces of 2D artwork inspired by the statement ‘The world is a better place when our communities are connected’, in order to enter the regional heat of the competition.

Photography student captures spirit of Manchester

Jean Lee, an adult learner at The Manchester College, is one of nine photographers whose images were commended by judges in the Capture Manchester competition, which launched at the city’s CUBE Gallery in March 2009. Jean’s work was amongst 600 images of Manchester to be entered into the competition, which challenged aspiring artists and photographers to capture the true spirit of Manchester in postcard form.

Award winning architecture

The college’s North Manchester Sixth Form College and North City Library building at Harpurhey is designed to be an inspiring environment for students, while achieving environmental excellence in design and construction. The building has won several awards

• Design and Innovation award 2011, RICS North West Awards
• Northwest Business Environment Awards 2007 (awarded to Walker Simpson Architects, who designed the building)
• Silver award, Best Public Building, Roses Design Awards 2006
• RIBA Learning and Skills Council Further Education Award 2006

The building is also used as an exemplar for Manchester and Salford’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programmes, making it the potential blueprint for local educational developments in the future.

Prestigious partnerships

Following a rigorous tendering process, MOL has been selected to join forces with CIPD Enterprises, the specialist learning arm of the CIPD, to exclusively deliver CIPD Flexible Learning+.