Four further education colleges have been named among 19 winners of the 2025 Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education, the UK’s highest national honour in education.
The awards, previously known as the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes, are part of the UK honours system and are approved biennially by His Majesty The King on the advice of the prime minister.
The winning four further and 15 higher education institutions were announced at a reception at St James’s Palace this evening.
Colleges winning awards in this round, the sixteenth since the awards were established by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994, are: Gateshead College, Hull College, North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College and North West Regional College.
In his letter to winners, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “The UK has always been a place of learning, invention and ambition. Our institutions of higher and further education are among the very best in the world. They educate the next generation, train our workforce, and lead the cutting-edge research that drives progress, not just here at home but across the world.
“This year’s prize-winners show the strength and breadth of that contribution.”
Each winner has successfully navigated an independent specialist judging process run by the Royal Anniversary Trust.
There were fewer colleges and more university winners in this round compared to 2023.
Sir Damon Buffini, chair of the trust, said: “The Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Higher and Further Education celebrate the power of education to change the world for the better. This much-loved national honour recognises, at the highest levels of state, outstanding work in universities and colleges, and the remarkable benefits they bring to our economy, society and the wider world.
“This year, we are delighted to honour 19 institutions whose work offers an inspiring snapshot of the excellence and innovative work going on in universities and colleges across the UK. Congratulations all.”
Here is a summary of the winning college entries:
Gateshead College won for ‘PlanBEE’, it’s employer-led built environment apprenticeship programme created with Ryder Architecture and more than 70 industry partners.
Designed as a “complete rethink” of traditional apprenticeships, the programme involves apprentices taking six four-month placements across a range of roles and employers. Exposure to different roles in different businesses has also helped open doors to women and other minorities in the construction industry.
Since its launch, the model has become a Gateshead-grown export. PlanBee now runs in Manchester, London and Canada. It’s also been adapted to serve the rail and digital technology industries.
David Alexander, principal of Gateshead College, said: “This is a tremendous honour for our college. It recognises the innovative partnership approach we’ve taken with industry to tackle skills shortages, and it’s a powerful endorsement of the impact the PlanBEE programme has made.
“This honour wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of our team, our incredible sponsors, and the talented apprentices who’ve helped make it the success it is today. It’s especially fitting to receive this recognition as we mark the college’s 80th birthday, giving us even more reason to celebrate.”
Hull College has been honoured for its ‘Silent Voices, Vivid Stories’ ESOL initiative.
The programme combines AI-powered storytelling, real-time translation and trauma-informed pedagogy to provide immediate access to learning for newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers.
It means the college can better meet the often complex needs of learners, many of whom have experienced trauma and a disrupted education, in their first language with a curriculum that supports them through to employment or further study.
The programme links directly to priority vocational pathways in sectors such as health, construction and hospitality, and its successful blend of trauma-informed pedagogy and technology has influenced curriculum design across the college.
Debra Gray, CEO and principal of Hull College, said: “We are absolutely delighted and deeply proud to receive the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education for our pioneering work in ESOL. There is no higher honour in our sector, and this recognition reflects the passion and commitment of our staff, our technology partners and – most importantly – our incredible students.
“This award is a tribute to the courage of our students, the expertise of our staff, and the belief that further education can – and must – meet people where they are. We remain committed to leading the way in inclusion, innovation and social mobility, showing how education can drive meaningful and lasting change.”
North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) has been recognised for its leadership of the MIRA Technology Institute (MTI), a pioneering partnership between further and higher education institutions and industry to meet skills demands in electric, connected and autonomous vehicle technology.
Launched in 2018, MTI delivers courses from level 1 to level 8 through its “skills escalator”, including bespoke CPD, short courses, online learning and six degree apprenticeships.
Nearly 61,500 students and delegates have studied at MTI, including over 18,000 industry professionals from big names such as Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley Motors and Aston Martin. It has also provided STEM experiences for more than 5,000 school pupils.
Marion Plant, principal and chief executive of NWSLC and chair of the MTI board, said: “The positive impact the MTI has had to date on developing individuals with these specialist skills has been remarkable.
“We’re so proud to have received this prestigious national award that recognises UK colleges and universities whose outstanding work demonstrates excellence and innovation and delivers real benefit to the wider world.”
North West Regional College won its prize for its Business Support Centre and its network of five industry-focused Technology Innovation Centres, supporting more than 400 businesses each year.
The centres specialise in key sectors including food and drink innovation, assisted living and healthcare technologies and advanced manufacturing and engineering. They allow small businesses to access advanced skills, research capacity and specialist equipment that would otherwise be out of reach.
In the past year, the college has delivered over 140 applied research and development projects and trained more than 1,000 people, helping SMEs grow by developing new products, processes and services.
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