The passion and determination of Castle Community College’s careers adviser has won Kay Keyte a national award.

Mrs Keyte visited the Palace of Westminster to receive her gong after being shortlisted in the Outstanding Contribution to Widening Access category of the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) awards.

She said: “It’s nice to be recognised. The speech they gave about why they selected me was because of the work I do at the coal face with the students.”

Castle is one of 40 schools that is part of a county-wide project to get more youngsters into higher education . It is called Kent and Medway Partnership Federation, and was set up when the funding was cut for the last government’s Aim Higher scheme.

She has contributed to a 17% rise in securing university places in the last four years. And 436 young people have attended workshops with local universities at Canterbury to show pupils what university life is like. They are varied and age specific events. The most recent for Year 8 got them understanding career paths by creating a virtual character that had to go through GCSE’s, A-levels and university.

"Seeing the way students engage is the best bit," Kate Keyte careers adviser, Castle Community College

Specific workshops for older pupils are arranged like the law students who role-played a court case at Canterbury.

It is clear she loves her job.

As a practical person Mrs Keyte appreciates the value of apprenticeships. Her work encompasses all aspects of career progression – not just sending kids to uni. Industry specific outings are organised too like media trips or visits to theatres for performing arts students or talks from the law society.

“When you are out at these events and seeing the way students engage is the best bit. It’s like a light-bulb going off. They like it because it’s different.”

Mrs Keyte was nominated by someone from KMPF and she was told four weeks ago. Two weeks later she was informed she’d been shortlisted.

“When I was at the Palace of Westminster, I saw the list of names for the people who had been shortlisted in my category and my name was third. I thought I’d come third.”

When the others went up to collect their commendations it dawned on her and the school’s head of sixth form Chris Stanley that she had won.

It is a great accolade for her and the school, which is rising its way out of special measures.

Although she is delighted Mrs Keyte said: “It’s not about us, it’s about the young people and setting them up on a path that’s right for them”.