Following the ceremony, Ian Pryce commented:
“We are delighted and proud to take our place among so many exceptional organisations. We want to work with others to raise the profile of the further education sector, promote its professionalism and raise standards further to give everyone in our community a better future and help individuals and employers achieve their ambition. The Royal Charter and the creation of the Institution is the most visible signal of the national importance of further education since incorporation in 1993. We look forward to helping increase the awareness of the force for good that is further education.”
Bedford College can trace its history back to 1892 with the creation of Bedford Training College for Teachers. Since then there have been several additions and changes to the provision, including the acquisition of Shuttleworth College and Bedford Training Group, and a 2017 merger with Tresham College. All of these changes have served to strengthen and widen the educational provision of what is now The Bedford College Group, which serves almost twenty thousand students and apprentices each year.
In 2008 Bedford College became the first general FE college to be awarded the 5 Star European Quality Mark (EFQM), as well as winning the National Award for Leadership. In 2011 the College won the TES Leadership Award, and in 2017 the Bedfordshire business community voted Bedford College the best large organisation in the county of Bedfordshire.
