This award recognises the adult and community learning provider that offers “a high-quality curriculum with excellent student outcomes, reflected in strong recruitment and success rates”.

Redbridge Institute has more than 4,000 students across 47 community settings in one of the most diverse boroughs in East London. Two-thirds of learners are from a black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) background; libraries across the borough have increased membership from BAME groups, owing in no small part to the work of the institute.

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The proportion of learners gaining qualifications has remained consistently very high (above 91 per cent) for the past three years. The student body is inclusive, too: a quarter of learners have a learning difficulty or disability, and three out of five are studying at pre-entry level.

Owing to a strong system of learning support, the achievement rate for students with a learning difficulty or disability is 91.5 per cent. The provider has embedded self-reflection into teachers’ continuing professional development using, as a starting point, the professional standards set by the Education & Training Foundation.

The institute’s submission notes that staff are now “fully involved in their own professional development”, which has created a culture in which tutors are “encouraged and motivated to innovate, and try out new ways of teaching which are right for their learner”.

The judges described Redbridge Institute as a great place for adults to learn. “Learners value their open and welcoming atmosphere, which encourages a mix of different groups of people to work together,” they added.