United Colleges Group (UCG), which has campuses in Camden, Maida Vale, Paddington, and Willesden, has been named a finalist in the “Transformational Use of Digital Technology” category at the Pearson Teaching Awards.
The awards celebrate individuals and teams “pioneering the effective use of digital technology in education, inspiring colleagues and students, and proactively adopting new approaches to improve teaching and learning.”
Stephen Davis, CEO and group principal of UCG, said: “This recognition reflects our commitment to transforming life chances through education. By embedding universal access and immersive innovation across the college, we’ve created an environment where digital technology actively removes barriers rather than creates them.
“The result is greater independence, stronger engagement and improved opportunities for our learners, particularly those who have faced the greatest challenges.”
More than half of UCG students come from some of the most deprived areas in the UK, and nearly half begin their courses without a grade 4 in English or maths.
The college has focused on using technology to improve equality of opportunity through “universal access and immersive innovation.” All students now have access to the same digital tools via Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365, along with on-campus devices and support for those without internet at home.
The use of tools including immersive reader, dictation, captions, and translation features allows students to learn independently. UCG has also partnered with companies like Meta to introduce virtual reality training.
Health and social care students can practise scenarios in a virtual hospital ward, while engineering students can safely rehearse technical tasks. The approach has been praised by Ofsted, which recognised UCG’s strong digital infrastructure and its contribution to meeting skills needs.
The college has retained Microsoft Showcase College status for six consecutive years.
Being shortlisted for a Pearson Teaching Award recognises UCG’s sustained, whole-college approach to digital transformation. If successful, the college will advance to the national finals in November, after the announcement of Silver Winners on National Thank a Teacher Day, June 17, 2026.
The group has also invested in employer-linked facilities, including a hospital ward training environment, advanced media equipment, and specialist technical resources.
