Inspire Education Group First in the Region to Achieve Coveted Google Reference College Status

Stamford and Peterborough Colleges, further education providers of Inspire Education Group (IEG), are celebrating the prestigious accolade of being the first in the Lincolnshire, Peterborough and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority regions to have been awarded Google Reference College status.

Google Reference status is awarded to institutions with a clear vision of technology’s role in education – those that can evidence how Google tools directly improve learning experiences, teacher workflows and overall college operations.

In receiving this significant recognition, IEG joins an exclusive network of education providers, creating opportunities for early access to new features and resources and thus positioning IEG at the forefront of educational technology.

Equipping Stamford and Peterborough College students with digital skills for the modern age, the benefits gained from attaining Google Reference College status work to enhance students’ employability prospects and serve to narrow industry skills gaps, supporting the institution’s commitment to making a positive contribution to the economic and social prosperity of the region.

Utilising Google for Education tools for the last seven years, and establishing an impressive inventory of 2255 Chromebooks, this recognition is testament to IEG’s innovative use of Google tools to enhance teaching and learning outcomes.

At IEG, the impact of Google infrastructure has been transformative. Amongst some of the benefits, both teaching and business support staff use Google Sheets, Google Meet and Google Forms as their default packages, which has streamlined processes, reduced staff workloads and enabled immediate reporting and data analysis. What’s more, all teachers use Google tools to deliver their lessons, resulting in students receiving a consistent teaching approach across all faculties. Students have also embraced being able to continue their studies wherever they are, beyond the confines of the college day, and the ability to collaborate on group projects through the document share function.

IEG demonstrated inspiring examples of students benefiting from cutting-edge Google technologies, notably within the English & maths department. Not only was the curriculum area very well placed to move to immediate online delivery at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the benefits provided by the multinational technology company have also enhanced the quality of teaching, learning and assessment towards outstanding achievement outcomes. The latest National Achievement Rates Tables (NARTs) rank Inspire Education Group in the top 3% of General Further Education (GFE) Colleges (5th out of 168 colleges) nationally for GCSE English and maths results, underscoring the successful synergy between IEG’s innovative teaching methods and the ground-breaking tools provided by Google.

Chief Executive Officer of Inspire Education Group, Rachel Nicholls, shared, “As an organisation we are driven by our determination to provide life changing education and training opportunities for the students, employers and communities we serve. We are relentless in our approach to ensure our students receive a fantastic experience whilst studying with us. Central to that goal is ensuring we continue to innovate and break ground, providing our students and staff with cutting edge and industry standard resources, equipment and facilities. Achieving Google Reference College status indicates the beginning of the next chapter for IEG. We will continue to harness the opportunities that the platform will give us as an organisation and we are eager to realise its potential”.

Inspire Education Group’s attainment of Google Reference College status signals its ongoing commitment to excellence in education and its dedication to preparing students for success in the digital age. IEG extends its gratitude to Google for this recognition, and is delighted to receive their support in transforming lives through inspirational education and training.