Further Education Awards
25th September 2025 – Tags: A Levels, Computing, T Levels
We were proud to celebrate the achievements of twelve exceptional students at our annual Further Education Awards, which were held in the Debut Restaurant at City College Norwich.
The award winners’ outstanding achievements stood out from the 10,000 16- to 19-year-olds and adult learners on Further Education courses at City College Norwich, Easton College and Paston College in 2024-25.
Congratulations to all of our Further Education Award winners:
A Level Student of the Year - Quinn Rushen
Vocational Student of the Year - Jake Gould
Vocational Student of the Year - Betsy Looker
English and Maths Student of the Year - Cjay Fulcher
ESOL Student of the Year - Gak Gatluak
Excellence in Placement Student of the Year - Sam Nutt
Inclusive Learning and MINT Student of the Year - Owen Spinks
T Level and T Level Foundation Student of the Year - Toby Ives-Coleman
Aspiring Student of the Year - Lilly Chusonis
James Barr Memorial Award for Access to Higher Education - Madii Sharpe
Adult Student of the Year - Tyler Cole
Worshipful Company of Farmers Award - Reuben Crowter
Among the award winners were Paston College students Jake Gould and Sam Nutt.
Computing student Jake was presented with the Vocational Student of the Year Award. The award recognised the way in which he has taken up every opportunity that has presented itself to him during his time at Paston College.
This included a trip to Portugal, through the Turing Scheme, where he worked to design and install new internet infrastructure at a sports facility.
He also took part in Aviva’s Digital Citizen Bootcamp, represented the college at the 2025 HackED event, and has been a regular helper at Open Days as a member of our Student Crew.
Jake, who has now begun a computer science degree at UEA, said:
My two years at Paston College were very adventurous. I was able to explore a lot of different areas and different skills. I not only grew academically, I grew personally. And I was able to get a lot of softer skills, as well as more technical skills, which really helped me to take my next step into Higher Education.”
T Level Team Leadership and Management student Sam was presented with the Excellence in Placement Student of the Year award.
Sam has been an ‘excellent student’ across the 2 years of his T level course, approaching all aspects with curiosity and engagement.
His proactive attitude enabled Sam to be open to exploring opportunities for work placements in industries he wasn’t familiar with.
Having taken part in an event to learn more about the construction industry with Morgan Sindall, Sam secured himself a work placement with the company, working one day a week on local construction projects.
While construction wasn’t an industry Sam had experience of, he has a skill set which is strong and transferrable and an attitude which helps him get the most out of the opportunities he has and the environments he is in.
Sam’s performance on his work placement created the opportunity to apply for, and successfully secure, a Site Management Degree Apprenticeship with Morgan Sindall which he has now begun.
Reflecting on his work placement and the opportunities it has opened up, Sam said:
I liked the different environment. I liked being out on site. I always said I didn't want to be stuck in an office. So, being outside and having that bit of both, being in the office as well as going out and seeing buildings being built, it's quite eye-opening. And it makes you feel proud once a building is finally finished. I started two months ago with Morgan Sindall and it's amazing. I wouldn't change it for the world.”
Jerry White, Principal of City College Norwich, Easton College and Paston College, said:
At our college we seek to recognise and celebrate success in all its forms, and this is reflected in the diversity of our award winners and their individual learning journeys.
We're incredibly proud of the qualification outcomes all our students achieve, and we're incredibly ambitious that they do as well as they can - but we know that grades alone are not the only measure of success.
It's the journeys they've come on, the second chances they've taken, the progression on to destinations they never felt were possible. It's the ambitions we've raised, the dreams we've fulfilled.
All these things are part of our mission, not simply and only to provide great career or qualification outcomes.”
