Recognising excellence at our 2026 Annual Awards Ceremony
01/07/2026Our 2026 Annual Awards ceremony, compèred by Deputy Principal, Joe Baldwin, was held at our STEAM Academy on 25 June and celebrated outstanding success amongst our student body. Principal and CEO, Viv Buckley, delivered a Principal’s address recognising the commitment, resilience and accomplishments demonstrated by learners throughout the academic year.
During the course of the evening, 27 awards were presented to students who had demonstrated skill, passion and motivation for their studies, as well as those who have contributed to wider college life.
The event, sponsored by Willmott Dixon, was attended by more than 100 guests, including family members, College tutors, College Governors, Sarah Rees MS, Sarah Cooper-Lesadd MS, Councillor John Spanswick, Councillor Martin Rock and Bridgend College Fellow, Paul Croke.
Following the main awards presentation, two final awards were given to recognise students’ impact at a College-wide level.
The ‘Commitment to Study Award’ was presented to Sydney Jones, a student who has shown significant improvement over the academic year. The ‘College Learner of the Year’, otherwise known as The Principal’s Award, was presented to Gwen Haines in recognition of her outstanding achievements this year.
In addition to the student awards, Cardo Group was presented with the Employer Partnership Award. Cardo Group have worked in collaboration with the College to support the development of future talent through high-quality apprenticeship training, providing learners with invaluable industry experience and helping them develop the skills needed to succeed in the sector.
Congratulations to the following winners on their well-deserved awards:
Tegan Thomas – Learner of the Year in Health and Social Care (Idris Jones Memorial Award)
Ruby Crowe – Learner of the Year in Childhood Studies (Elizabeth John Award)
Lily Wilcox – Learner of the Year in Art and Design
Clementine Norton – Learner of the Year in Performing Arts
Phoebe Battersby – Learner of the Year in Hair, Beauty and Complementary Therapies
Olivia Moyle – Learner of the Year in Tourism and Hospitality
Sophie Davies-Jones – Learner of the Year in Skills
Mackenzie Perham – Step Up Learner of the Year – Bridgend Campus
Sydney Jones – Step Up Learner of the Year – Pencoed Campus
Jacob Lloyd- Richards – Learner of the Year for Independent Living Skills
Bethan Thomas – Learner of the Year in IT and Digital Technologies
Gwen Haines – Learner of the Year in Land Based
Jainaba Jagne – Learner of the Year in Sport
Sophie Howe – Learner of the Year in Public Services
David Amanzuruku – Learner of the Year in Science and Engineering
Sophie Hales – Learner of the Year in Construction
Paula Cosby – Learner of the Year for Adult Community Learning
Freya Bennett – Learner of the Year for A-Levels and Collaborative Studies
Brooklyn Wilkinson – Junior Apprentice Learner of the Year
Shelby Weaver-Slaughter – Learner of the Year in Work-based Learning (The Dominic Award)
Liam James – Enterprise Learner of the Year
Sam Iles – Welsh Champion Learner of the Year
Eve Arnell – Learner of the Year in Higher Education (The Sandra Francis Memorial Award)
Valentyna Pishun – Skills to Success Learner of the Year – Bridgend Campus
Joseph Bain – Skills to Success Learner of the Year – Pencoed Campus
