Inspire Education Group Case Study

Inspire Education Group's A-Level learners are using the National Talent Academy to build the workplace skills, financial literacy and confidence that academic study alone doesn't deliver.
Jun 11
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"NTA has been a fantastic way to deal with a staff shortage. We saved the cost of a student mentor entirely, and it filled a huge gap."
Marilyn Phelps, Assistant Principal, Inspire Education Group

Programme Overview

Inspire Education Group's A-Level cohort at Stamford College became the first to take on the National Talent Academy's Level 3 Award in Essential Work Skills, alongside their main academic studies. The cohort works through the Award's four units — Portable Skills, Financial Literacy, Public Speaking and Winning Mentality — online and at their own pace.

Like many further education providers, IEG had recognised a growing challenge: learners arrive at college with strong academic ability, but limited exposure to the practical skills required for employment and adult life. The Level 3 Award is the response.

  • 106 A-Level learners enrolled at Stamford College in March 2026.
  • Four units covered: Portable Skills, Financial Literacy, Public Speaking, Winning Mentality.
  • Self-paced online delivery alongside A-Level study.
  • Group-wide rollout planned for September 2026, scaling to 2,000 learners across Peterborough and Stamford.

Fearne

Fearne B. is 17 and studies A-Level Biology, Environmental Science and Sociology, with plans to open her own equine physiotherapy clinic. What surprised her most about the Level 3 Award was how immediately relevant the soft skills turned out to be.
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Public speaking is such an important skill for the future, but it's something we rarely get to practise. The course helped me feel much more confident speaking and debating in class.
— Fearne B., A-Level Biology, Environmental Science and Sociology Learner
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Sharon & Marilyn 

Sharon Jenkins and Marilyn Phelps are Head of A-Levels and Assistant Principal at Stamford College. With most of their learners heading to university or competitive apprenticeships, they're using the NTA to build financial literacy, work-readiness and self-awareness, enhancing the skills work the college already does.
One of the reasons we were keen to do the National Talent Academy is to get learners to understand that they have a value outside of what we're telling them. They actually have a genuine value in the workplace and in the wider world.
— Marilyn Phelps, Assistant Principal, Inspire Education Group

Luke & Lizzie

Luke W. and Lizzie D. are 16 and 17, both studying A-Level Law and Psychology — with Business and English Language respectively. They both have their sights set on law degrees. The Portable Skills unit gave them a clearer view of how organisations work, and where their own strengths might fit.
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The Portable Skills unit really helped me understand how different departments link together to make a successful business.
— Luke Warden, A-Level Law, Psychology and Business Learner

Beyond the bubble

Sharon Jenkins, who leads the A-Level cohort at Stamford day-to-day, picks out Financial Literacy as the unit she sees the most concrete value. With most of her learners heading to university, the budgeting work has flushed out things they didn't know they didn't know. "Most of our students are going to university," she says, "and the loan they're getting doesn't even cover their fees now. So how are they going to live?"

For Marilyn, the financial-literacy work is symptomatic of a deeper pattern across the cohort. Ask her learners to look inward — to identify their own strongest portable skill, to talk about themselves, to film a Video CV — and they hesitate. The Award asks them to do it anyway.

For Tutors

  • 20-minute tutor onboarding module.
  • Self-paced, online delivery – compatible with PC, tablet, or mobile.
  • 75% pass threshold – rigour built in, without the marking burden.
  • Automatic evidence trail – completion reports for each group; learner certificates.

For Colleges and Schools

  • 35 TQT.
  • Inspection-ready evidence is generated through assessed activities (75% threshold).
  • Designed for young adults: stimulus analysis, learner voice, ambitious goal-setting.
  • Consistent delivery at scale.

Ready to see it for yourself?

Book a 30-minute walkthrough: hello@nationaltalent.org