Shaping the future of people-first digital education: our Beacon Award finalists

The Beacon Awards celebrate excellence in further education.

This year, three forward‑thinking colleges have reached the final: Activate Learning, Cardiff and Vale College and Grŵp Colegau NPTC Group of Colleges. Each show how people‑first digital design can widen access, deepen inclusion and support every learner to succeed.

Activate Learning: building an inclusive, on demand approach to AI supported learning

Activate Learning’s submission focuses on its AI Tutor to help students grow their curiosity, resilience and understanding.

The AI Tutor is available 24/7 through the college’s learning platform. It turns proven classroom strategies into flexible digital guidance. Learners set their own pace and build confidence through structured practice rather than receiving instant answers.

This approach works especially well for adult learners online, students with additional needs and anyone who can’t always access in‑person teaching. It helps learners build academic, digital and soft skills - all essential for a workplace.

Early findings are positive and show a correlation between frequent AI Tutor use and improved GCSE outcomes. They highlight how advanced AI and human coaching can work together to personalise learning in a fair and inclusive way.

“What truly matters in our work is that technology never stands alone; it is always in service of learners’ motivation, confidence and sense of belonging. Our model shows that when online learning is intentionally designed around timely feedback, emotional support and structured progression, digital tools become powerful enablers of inclusion rather than barriers.”

- Kim Blanchard, interim group director of digital education and artificial intelligence, Activate Learning

Cardiff and Vale College: transforming curriculum with anti‑racist immersive design

Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC) has been named a finalist for its work on the Anti Racism Curriculum. This includes blended tutorials and subject modules across areas from history and sociology to hair and beauty and STEM.

A major part of the project is what the college calls the first anti‑racist virtual world in further education. It was co‑created with people who bring lived experience of racism and deep expertise in anti‑racist practice. The aim is simple: make complex themes accessible, safe to explore and meaningful to every learner.

Resources are available in both English and Welsh, embedding inclusion across the whole learner journey.

CAVC is no stranger to recognition in this space. In 2024, its immersive anti‑racist curriculum was highly commended in the same Jisc award category.

“The real significance of this work lies in how immersive, antiracist curriculum design can shift culture as well as learning. By cocreating a safe, bilingual digital space where lived experience is central, we’re enabling students to engage deeply and responsibly with complex themes. Technology here isn’t an addon, it’s a way of making inclusion tangible, meaningful and embedded across the curriculum.”

- Yusuf Ibrahim, vice principal – higher education, academic studies, foundation and adult learning, Cardiff and Vale College

Grŵp Colegau NPTC Group of Colleges: widening access with AI enhanced academic skills

The Advancing Academic Skills Programme, led by the library team, helps Sixth Form Academy learners build the academic and digital literacy skills they need for the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales and A-level studies.

Through focused workshops, students learn about academic conduct, ethical AI use, research, referencing and content creation. They use everyday tools such as Canva, Copilot and mobile devices to create podcasts, infographics and presentations.

The programme offers clear, scaffolded support for a wide range of learners. It provides practical guidance on evaluating sources, formatting work and presenting ideas with confidence. More than 750 students and 30 staff take part each year. It’s now a core part of institutional planning and supports long‑term goals for digital transformation, inclusion and learner success.

“What matters most about our approach is that it normalises advanced digital skills for every learner. By placing AI tools, podcasting and immersive technologies at the heart of academic skills development, we’re showing that digital confidence grows best when it’s woven into everyday study, not bolted on at the edges. This is how we make innovation accessible, inclusive and genuinely transformative for all students.”

- Jo Mather, head of library services, Grŵp Colegau NPTC Group of Colleges

Leading the future of education

These three finalists show how purposeful, inclusive design powered by digital innovation can transform education. Each project widens access and builds learner confidence from the start. Together, they reflect the Beacon Awards’ mission: to shine a light on practices that improve outcomes, champion inclusion and offer models that others can adopt and adapt.

Paul McKean, our director of FE and skills and part of the judging panel, said:

“These finalists show exactly what happens when digital innovation is guided by purpose, inclusion and great pedagogy. Each college has taken technology beyond the tool itself, using it to remove barriers, raise aspirations and create learning experiences that genuinely change lives. Their work sets a powerful example for the whole sector, and we’re proud to celebrate their ambition, creativity and impact as part of this year’s Beacon Awards.”

Good luck to all this year’s finalists.

The winner will be announced at the Beacon Awards 2025/26 celebration event on Tuesday 3 March 2026 at the House of Commons.

For more inspiring stories from colleges across the UK, take a look at our member stories.