As part of ongoing work to continually strive for excellence across every area of The Society, CEO John Phillipson and the Senior Management Team signed up to the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) programme. Assessed by Quality Scotland, the only organisation offering a public sector improvement framework. NEAS has successfully completed the first phase in what could potentially be a ten-year process of reaching for and maintaining excellence.

To mark its success this far, Head Teachers Christine Cave and Nicola Brown attended Quality Scotland’s 25th Anniversary Awards ceremony held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, to collect the coveted ‘Committed to Excellence’ award on behalf of The Society.

Christine Cave, Head Teacher at Thornhill Park School said:

It was an honour to represent NEAS at the Excellence Awards and to receive the award for the Society. The day itself was a special experience.

The award, given to organisations which can demonstrate a continuing focus on business improvement as well as a drive to build on its own operational strengths, comes alongside NEAS receiving the Investors in People Gold standard award, and being recognised by BILD for Innovative Positive Proactive Support techniques.

Claire Ford, Chief Executive Officer, Quality Scotland said:

The achievement of Committed to Excellence is a clear demonstration of an organisations drive and desire to achieve sustainable business excellence and truly embed the concepts of excellence. Congratulations on this European level of recognition and all the hard work and effort that has gone in to achieving it.

Nicola Brown, Head Teacher at Aycliffe School added:

I was really grateful for the opportunity to attend the Scottish Awards for Business Excellence 2016 to collect the Committed to Excellence Project Validation award on behalf of NEAS. It was such a lovely day, the event was very prestigious with an amazing atmosphere. It was great to be representing our Society and to be recognised, along with many other providers in attendance, for their commitment to excellence.