Skip to main content

Celebrating Access to HE success: Nominations now open for the CAVA Awards 2025

We’re delighted to launch the CAVA Awards 2025, our annual celebration of the dedication, ambition, and achievements of Access to HE students and tutors.

Recognising Student Excellence
This year, tutors are invited to nominate students in the following two categories:

  • Outstanding Academic Achievement
  • Outstanding Commitment to Study

These awards recognise students who have gone above and beyond-whether through academic excellence, determination, or personal growth during their Access to HE Diploma journey. Students are eligible for nomination if they are enrolled on an Access to HE course at the time of submission.

Nominations must be submitted via the online nomination form by Monday 6 October 2025. To support tutors, we’ve also created a guidance document with helpful tips for completing the form. 

Please note: You’ll need to obtain the student’s permission before submitting any personal details to CAVA, and students must also complete a separate consent form confirming they’re happy to be contacted directly about the awards and any related publicity.

All winners and runners-up will be recognised at the CAVA Conference in December 2025, and our category winners will also be nominated by CAVA for the national Keith Fletcher Memorial Prize, held in partnership with Access Validating Agencies (AVAs) across England and Wales.

New for 2025: The CAVA Inspirational Tutor Award
We’re thrilled to introduce a brand-new award this year: the CAVA Inspirational Tutor Award.

This category invites Access to HE students to nominate a tutor who has made a lasting impact-whether through excellent teaching, unwavering support, or helping students build confidence and reach their potential.

Nominations for this award can be submitted by students using a short nomination form, with a guidance document available to help them write their submission. 

This award is open to any student currently enrolled on an Access to HE or Pre-Access course. While it is not part of the national Keith Fletcher scheme, the winning tutor will be recognised with equal celebration at the December conference.

Student nominations must also be submitted by Monday 6 October 2025. 

If you would like to make a nomination for any of the awards, get in touch to request the documents. 

If you have any questions or need further information, please let us know. We can’t wait to hear your stories and celebrate the brilliant achievements across our Access to HE community.



Labels:
Location: Cambridge, UK

Popular posts from this blog

CAVA: The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper: What it means for Adult Learners and Access to HE

  Introduction The Department for Education’s Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper sets out an ambitious programme to reshape England’s skills system. It places employers at the heart of planning, strengthens regional responsiveness, and expands opportunities for adults to study flexibly throughout their lives. For the many adults who begin their higher education journey through the Access to HE Diploma, this reform agenda is significant. It opens new pathways, particularly through modular learning, while placing greater expectations on providers to demonstrate how their provision contributes to local and national workforce needs. A Changing Skills Landscape The White Paper, alongside the updated Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) Guidance published in November 2025, sets a direction of travel that will shape the environment in which Access to HE operates. Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), developed by Employer Representative Bodies and Strategic Authorities, will incr...
Read more

When adults learn, everyone benefits: CAVA celebrates Get The Nation Learning Week

As Get The Nation Learning Week draws to a close, this week reminded us just how transformative education can be - for individuals, communities, and society.  CAVA is proud to be part of around 100 organisations supporting the Get The Nation Learning campaign, led by the Learning and Work Institute. This brilliant campaign is built on one simple idea: when adults learn, everyone benefits – individuals, communities, and the whole economy. This growing movement includes organisations including Channel 4, the National Housing Federation, and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority. Access to HE Diplomas help adults take their next step into higher education, opening doors to new opportunities and careers. But we also know that opening that door can be incredibly challenging. Many adult learners face real barriers, financial pressures, family commitments, self-doubt, and simply finding the time. That’s why our providers play such a vital role. They meet learners and offer enco...
Read more