Star Awards Categories 2018
SQA Star Awards 2018 is a celebration of outstanding achievements in education and training across Scotland, the UK and around the world.
How can I make a nomination?
-
complete the online form
Closing date is Friday 29 June 2018. Good luck!
Appointee of the Year
Every year SQA relies on the professional service provided by Appointees, undertaking a wide range of tasks. This category is open to all Appointee roles. The award acknowledges individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to SQA. Nominations for this award can be submitted by centres, or SQA staff.
Guidelines for completing your submission
The judges will be looking for individuals who:
- have clearly demonstrated outstanding commitment to SQA in carrying out their role
- have broadened their knowledge and contributed to their professional development
- have used innovative ways to share their knowledge with colleagues, to the benefit of their colleagues, centres or candidates
- have contributed to the understanding of the national standard in their subject
This list is not exhaustive – if you know of an Appointee who deserves credit, tell us about them!
Winners will receive a trophy.
Centre of the Year in the Wider UK
This award recognises those centres successfully working with SQA in the Wider UK (England; Wales; Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland).
Nominations could demonstrate business growth through the use of SQA qualifications, the value of SQA qualifications to a learner or highlight creative approaches in delivery and assessment.
Guidelines for completing your submission
The judges will be looking for examples of some of the following:
- quantifiable benefits to learners
- ongoing commitment and potential for future development
- details of practical activities undertaken
- the impact on learners, staff, the centre and wider community
Winners will receive a trophy.
College Candidate of the Year
This award acknowledges college candidates who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to their fellow candidates or community, or achievement through international exchange in their pursuit of SQA qualifications.
The successful candidate will have shown outstanding commitment in the way they have made use of SQA qualifications and have made an outstanding contribution to their college, community or fellow candidates.
Guidelines for completing your submission
The judges will be looking for nominated candidates who:
- are using SQA qualifications to broaden their knowledge and contribute to their personal development in innovative and unexpected ways
- benefit their local community
- have unusual or innovative plans for future progression
This list is not exhaustive – if you have a candidate who deserves SQA recognition, tell us about them!
Winners will receive a trophy.
Innovation
This category is open to all SQA centres. This award will be presented to a centre that can demonstrate not only good practice, but also the incorporation of innovative initiatives into their delivery of SQA qualifications.
Examples include: approaches to assessment or quality assurance, including use of e-assessment; use of new technology; links and partnership approaches to delivery across education, training and industry sectors; approaches for involving community and voluntary groups in the use of qualifications; approaches of cross-curricular delivery of SQA qualifications; using or creating European or international links to enhance delivery or business growth through innovative use of qualifications.
Or anything else you would like to tell us about!
Guidelines for completing your submission
The judges will be looking for innovative initiatives that:
- have been sustained over a period of time and which will continue into the foreseeable future
- have been evaluated
- can show quantifiable benefits
- are integrated into the curriculum
- are not common practice
Winners will receive a trophy.
International
This category is open to all SQA centres. We operate globally and this award recognises the work of our centres delivering SQA qualifications internationally.
Nominations could demonstrate business growth through the delivery of SQA qualifications. They could demonstrate the creation of international links or partnerships to enhance the student experience. Centres can also nominate creative approaches in delivery and assessment of SQA qualifications.
Guidelines for completing your submission
The judges will be looking for examples of some of the following:
- quantifiable benefits to candidates
- how activities have been evaluated
- ongoing commitment and potential for future development
Winners will receive a trophy.
Lifelong Learning (Candidates)
This award acknowledges candidates who have demonstrated commitment to lifelong learning in achieving SQA qualifications. Centres submitting nominations could indicate how the candidate made use of SQA qualifications to embrace lifelong learning or how they have overcome an obstacle in order to participate in learning. How a candidate has benefited or progressed as a result of their learning experience can also be included.
Guidelines for completing your submission
The judges will be looking for candidates of all ages who have engaged with Lifelong Learning to:
- broaden their knowledge and contribute to their personal development
- provide opportunities for further progression in learning or for career development
- provide inspiration to other lifelong learners
This list is not exhaustive – if you have a candidate who you feel deserves credit for Lifelong Learning, tell us about them!
Winners will receive a trophy.
Lifelong Learning (Centres)
Lifelong learning is important. This award recognises the work of our centres to deliver real and sustained learning opportunities to learners of all ages. Nominations could demonstrate the creative use of vocational qualifications or interaction with or support for local communities. The nomination could also describe the partnerships the centre has with local schools, colleges, training providers or business or explain how the use of SQA qualifications drives forward lifelong learning initiatives.
Guidelines for completing your submission
The judges will be looking for examples of some of the following:
- significant personal development for students
- substantial future plans for students/employers
- benefits of qualifications and training to local community
- creative models of recruitment and/or delivery
This list is not exhaustive - if you have a good example of providing lifelong learning, tell us about it!
Winners will receive a trophy.
Partnership of the Year
In this category, the award will recognise partnerships whose work has set new standards in education and training, to the benefit of candidates. The award recognises partnership in its widest sense and welcomes submissions recognising organisations or teams which are able to demonstrate strong examples of best practice in this field. Types of partnership could include those between schools and colleges, schools and universities and business and training providers.
Guidelines for completing your submission
When making their decision, the judges will be looking for initiatives that:
- demonstrate improved candidates’ experience in education or training
- show how working in partnership has produced more effective results
- have created acknowledged best practice in delivering SQA qualifications
Winners will receive a trophy.
Promoting Inclusion
Equality of access to education and training is crucial in unlocking many significant opportunities in life.
This category is open to all SQA centres. This award will be presented to a centre that can demonstrate innovative and collaborative ways of improving access to SQA qualifications and raising attainment through reducing or removing barriers, to the benefit of all.
Examples include: policies and procedures; recruitment, retention and progress of learners; approaches to assessment or quality assurance; links and partnership approaches to delivery; approaches for involving community, advocacy and voluntary groups in the use of SQA qualifications.
Or anything else you would like to tell us about!
Guidelines for completing your submission
The judges will be looking for initiatives that:
- have been sustained over a period of time and which will continue into the foreseeable future
- have been evaluated
- can show quantifiable benefits
- are mainstreamed into the organisation
Winners will receive a trophy.
School Candidate of the Year
This award acknowledges school candidates who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to their fellow students or community, or achievement through international exchange in their pursuit of SQA qualifications.
The successful candidate will have shown outstanding commitment in the way they have made use of SQA qualifications and have made an outstanding contribution to their school, the community or fellow students.
Guidelines for completing your submission
The judges will be looking for nominated candidates who:
- are using SQA qualifications to broaden their knowledge and contribute to their personal development in innovative and unexpected ways
- benefit their local community
- have unusual or innovative plans for future progression
This list is not exhaustive - if you have a candidate who you feel deserves SQA recognition, tell us about them!
Winners will receive a trophy.
SQA Champion
This award recognises staff in centres who champion SQA qualifications. It can be teachers, lecturers, trainers and support staff - anyone who supports candidates to achieve their full potential.
Guidelines for completing your submission
We are looking for:
- people who have developed or promoted new SQA qualifications in centres to meet candidate needs
- someone who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to SQA over a number of years
- someone who has consistently encouraged and inspired candidates to use SQA qualifications to develop their potential to meet career aspirations or further study
But these are only examples. Please let us know of any individuals who have made an outstanding commitment to SQA.
Winners will receive a trophy.
Training Organisation Candidate of the Year
This award acknowledges candidates in employment, or with training organisations, who have demonstrated outstanding commitment or achievement in one or more areas, for example, through a sector or industry initiative in their pursuit of SQA qualifications, or in the way they have made use of SQA qualifications. The candidate could also have made an outstanding contribution to their organisation, the community or fellow candidates.
Guidelines for completing your submission
The judges will be looking for nominated candidates who:
- are using SQA qualifications to broaden their knowledge and contribute to their personal development in innovative and unexpected ways
- benefit their local community
- have unusual or innovative plans for future progression
This list is not exhaustive – if you have a candidate who deserves SQA recognition, tell us about them!
Winners will receive a trophy.
Young Person of the Year
A new award in honour of the Year of Young People 2018, judges will be looking for young people up to age 26 who have embraced the themes of the Year of Young People in their pursuit of SQA qualifications.
Nominations could show how the young person has:
- embraced the themes of Year of Young People in their own pursuit of SQA qualifications
- undertaken an innovative approach around one of the themes, or have embraced a few themes in an integrated project
- made an impact on their school, college or community through integrating SQA qualifications and the Year of Young People themes
- Culture
- Education
- Enterprise and Regeneration
- Equality and Discrimination
- Health and Wellbeing
- Participation
This list is not exhaustive - who deserves credit, tell us about them!
Winners will receive a trophy.