During 2000/01 the College gained recognition for the quality of its services through the achievement of a number of nationally recognised awards.

The College's Student Services Centre gained the prestigious Guidance Accreditation Board's 'Approved' award. To prove they were worthy of the Award, the course information and careers teams had to gather evidence over a one-year period against the extremely comprehensive standards and demonstrate the skills and professionalism of the team.

The providers of the College's excellent catering services, Scolarest, won the highly acclaimed Heartbeat award for their commitment to customer care through the provision of a healthier environment and healthier food choices. The criteria for the Award have been made more stringent in recent years and we were, therefore, extremely pleased to receive one of the first awards to be presented in our area for over 18 months.

We were particularly proud to learn that the design of our Next Step 2001/02 publication had won a HEIST award, especially as the designer, Kyle Carpenter is not only an employee but also an ex-student. Kyle originally came to our in-house design team three years ago as a New Deal student and, when a vacancy arose, we were quick to recognise his very accomplished design skills. Competition for the Award is fierce, with more than 200 entries from 130 universities and colleges being submitted annually.

In March 2001 we were re-assessed for the Investor in People award and were delighted that we maintained our IIP status which we have held since 1995. This was due in no small part to the excellent in-house training opportunities which we provide for all our staff to promote both their professional and personal well-being. In 2000/01 staff attended over 500 different staff development sessions. To support their professional updating, almost 400 staff undertook ICT-related staff development, and over 200 accessed training related to key skills. Other subjects on the programme included almost anything you could imagine - from Indian Head Massage to fire fighting!

Our students also did us proud and their achievements were celebrated in the two key ceremonies of our academic year. Back in November 2000 many of the students who had achieved a higher education qualification with us took part in our annual Graduation Ceremony. This was our sixth ceremony, and yet again the achievements of these students did not fail to impress. This year we had 150 graduands receiving over 40 different qualifications. The vast majority of them had undertaken their studies alongside their 'normal' life of work and family responsibilities. Yvette Cooper, MP for Pontefract and Castleford, presented students with their certificates and talked of the Government's commitment to widening participation, recognising the crucial role of further education in this.

Another MP, this time Wakefield MP, David Hinchliffe, officiated at our second Awards Ceremony in December 2000, which celebrated the special achievements of 90 of our students. The youngest award winner this year was 17 year old Lee Roberts and the oldest, at 80, was Reg Eyles. Reg was Wakefield's Chief Education Officer until his retirement in 1980, and had much to do with the amalgamation of the three district colleges which came together to form the one Wakefield College that we know today. The College presented its own Spirit of the Community Award this year to the St George's Project and Lupset Community Association Ltd in recognition of their education and training work with the communities of Wakefield. The project is a successful model of church and College partnership which is now being used in other communities in the District. Before presenting the Awards, the guest speaker, David Hinchliffe, himself an ex-student of the College, spoke of the great benefits of adult learning and the opportunities afforded by further education.

David returned to our Thornes Park Campus in February to visit our West Yorkshire Super Highway (WISH) Centre and to see how this innovative project enabled unemployed people to acquire jobs through training. He ended up being put on-line himself - so now his constituents can contact him at any time of the day or night!

Individual students also clocked up their own achievements. Lisa Simpson was the delighted recipient of a Regional Adult Learner Award in April. Lisa, who has cerebral palsy, uses a laptop computer connected to a switch on her wheelchair to help her create the outstanding fabric and wallpaper designs for her Foundation Art and Design course. Her tutor, Mandi Grant, said: "Lisa has pushed forward the boundaries of what we thought was possible, and I am sure that she will continue to push them even further having now been accepted onto a degree course at the University of Huddersfield."

The award that all students really want is, of course, examination success. This year saw students celebrating impressive results on our vocational programmes, many above the national average, and a record set of A level results for the second year running, with an 88.4% pass rate. There was a 100% pass rate in 10 A level subjects, including English Literature, Biology and Business Studies. One student gained four straight As and three gained three As in their chosen subjects. We wish them all every success in their future careers - we are very proud of them!