English Speaking Board (International) www.esbuk.org has been named Awarding Organisation of the Year at the 2023 Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) Awards!

The most prestigious and final award of the night was presented to ESB during a ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in Leicester as part of the Federation of Awarding Bodies’ annual conference. ESB was chosen over three other Awarding Organisations in the ‘Inspire’ category in recognition of being able to describe its year as exceptional: its ability to innovate, be different in its field and impact its learners.

ESB’s Chief Executive, Tina Renshaw says:

What an incredible achievement! It is without doubt the highlight of my career! We are absolutely thrilled to be named Awarding Organisation of the Year – during an exceptional year for us – ESB’s 70th anniversary.I’ve led ESB International for a tenth of our story, and I am part of a professional, purpose-led Awarding Organisation that never fails to make me know why I get out of bed!

In our 70th year we are of a view that what we’ve achieved has earned this award, including the launch of our Outreach Campaign which provides over £30,000 of financial support to organisations whose learners face disadvantage; our National Impact report outlining the impact of our qualifications on learners’ oracy, employability skills and personal development, and five multi-media 70th birthday events hosted to celebrate our many learners, teachers, assessors, trustees, and staff.

Winning this award is a testament to the dedication of the entire ESB team and all those who have been involved in preparing learners for success and who have tirelessly worked to provide learners from all backgrounds with opportunities to reach their full potential.

This recognition motivates us to continue our mission of providing outstanding quality qualifications to all learners, stretching the most able, supporting the least confident and realising the potential of all.

Commenting on the awards, John McNamara, the Federation’s Interim Chief Executive, said:

The FAB awards continue to thrive, with another record-breaking number of participants this year. We were pleased to introduce new award categories celebrating the success of apprentices, AO and employer relationships, AO and provider relationships, and commitment to social responsibility.
Congratulations to this year’s winners, who have demonstrated significant commitment to high quality qualifications and an unwavering commitment to learners and the wider sector.

The FAB Awards, now in its 8th year, recognise the contributions made by awarding organisations and their employees to education and skills in the UK over the past year.

For 70 years, ESB has been providing children, young people and adults with the opportunity to find their voice and advocate for their lives and communities. The organisation also offers those coming and choosing to live in our country a pathway to be heard in their new communities, as well as giving those learners living internationally and in the UK an opportunity to boost their employability and portability of their skills across the world.

ESB does this through its specialist Oracy and English language qualifications, certificating nearly 40,000 learners this year. From our specialist portfolio of Oracy qualifications for learners with significant learning needs to our Oracy qualifications from Early Years to Post 16 offering high levels of UCAS points for those considering a university pathway, to our ESOL Skills for Life and ESOL International qualifications.

If you are interested in discussing our Oracy and/or English language qualifications and wish to find out if your centre qualifies for financial support through our Outreach programme, we would love to hear from you. Please email business@esbuk.org or call 01695 573439 extension 201.

ESB is honoured to receive this award!

The Federation of Awarding Bodies is the collective voice of the awarding and assessment industry. Its membership includes over 120 recognised awarding organisations. A list of its regulated members can be found here.