Honours Nomination

Honours recipients are announced twice a year, once in the New Year's Honours List, and once on the Monarch's official birthday. Anybody in the UK can make a recommendation for a British national to receive an honour. This ensures that many people who are not in the public eye are recognised for their valuable service and contribution. The Honours Select Committee has provided extensive guidance on the completion of citation forms and AoC is pleased to provide additional support and guidance for nominations from the FE sector.

Historically, individuals nominated for honours from the FE sector have tended to be at senior leadership level i.e. Principals and Governors for MBEs, OBEs, CBEs and BEMs, and whilst this should continue, we would also welcome nominations from under-represented groups including teachers and support staff who have provided outstanding service with clear and specific examples of how their results have delivered real change to people’s lives or had a positive impact on the country. Colleges are diverse places; the nominations process is a great way to showcase the host of people that make up our vibrant learning spaces. We would welcome nominations particularly from women, BAME and LGBT communities and disabled people.

Citations:

Remember that citation nominations are only 2,700 characters (not words and this includes spaces) long. You do not necessarily need to list a nominee’s various achievements (it is not a CV), but instead give fewer examples and demonstrate their impact and how they have made a genuine difference. For example, have they contributed to social mobility causes? How have they done that and what was the result? Your citation should not be:

• a list of educational achievements;
• a list of appointments, awards or posts;
• a job description showing what the person is meant to do.

Contact details for nominee:

The Cabinet Office will not write to an office or business address when offering an honour to a selected candidate. While it may be difficult to obtain home addresses and phone numbers, please try every means you can to do so. As a last resort, a business address can be inserted as a temporary measure. Do not leave the whole section blank.

Supporting statements:

Pages upon pages of statements are not necessary. Again, as with the citations, the supporting statements should be short and to the point with an aim of being one A4 page long. We advise that a maximum of three letters of support should be sent with a citation. Within the letters, demonstrate how the nominee has personally made an impact with the work they have done. Supporting letters from students demonstrating this would be a great example.

If you have any queries or would like any further information, please contact Michelle Killin.