USP College accredited for fifth year in a row as European Parliament praises "truly commendable" and "remarkable" work of EPAS at USP College!
- EPAS at USP College
- Sep 6
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 8
The European Parliament has produced its end-of-year report for the European Parliament Ambassador School Programme at USP College, granting the college official accreditation as a European Parliament Ambassador School for the fifth year in a row, praising the "truly commendable" and "remarkable" work of the college's European Parliament Ambassadors!
The European Parliament, through the European Parliament Liasson Office (embassy) in London, has produced an end-of-year report into all the schools, sixth forms and colleges that participated in the EPAS Programme over the 2024-2026 academic year.
The European Parliament reviewed all of USP College's activities over the academic year to determine if it should keep its official accredited status as an official European Parliament Ambassador School. Reporting back, the European Parliament not only confirmed our accreditation for the fifth year running, but also had this to say in their opening statement:
Congratulations to USP College on gaining accreditation as a European Parliament Ambassador School for the fifth year running! This remarkable achievement is a testament to the dedication and hard work of your whole team, but especially your Junior Ambassadors. Your commitment to fostering a deeper understanding of European values and democratic principles within your college community is truly commendable. As in previous years, your social media presence has been great.
For the 2024-2025 academic year, the EPAS team at USP College launched a brand-new official website for the programme, which was designed, developed and created by Lead Junior Ambassador Jayden O'Brien, building on the work of the team in previous academic years, also launching a comprehensive social media strategy covering platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, BlueSky, Facebook, Flickr and more!
The European Parliament also took notice of our physical activities and projects, including our extensive celebrations for Europe Day in May 2025 and our visit to the Imperial War Museum in April 2025, which it described as "enriching [students'] educational experience" and proving our "ability to bring the entire college together in a meaningful way". Particular praise was placed on our Q&A with former European Parliament Junior Ambassador and Green Party election candidate Ri Goodyear, which the European Parliament described as having "provided students with valuable insights into political careers and democratic engagement".
We are particularly impressed by the range of activities you have undertaken. The Europe Day celebrations, which involved cultural exchange, democratic learning, and teamwork, reached an impressive 400 people and showcased your ability to bring the entire college together in a meaningful way. The Q&A session with former Junior Ambassador and political candidate Ri Goodyear provided students with valuable insights into political careers and democratic engagement, we are so glad to see how she is engaging with politics and with your college. Additionally, the trip to the Imperial War Museum in London allowed students to deepen their understanding of war and conflict, further enriching their educational experience.
The European Parliament also praised our international trips to the European Parliament in November 2024 and June 2025 for providing "a unique opportunity for students to engage in European cultural exchange and democratic learning", as well as our climate survey led by Deputy Lead Junior Ambassador Sebastian Rapley-Mende, which was used to improve the sustainability and climate policies of the college and was described in the report as having "demonstrated your commitment to addressing important issues such as climate change and sustainability":
The climate survey conducted for Earth Day and Europe Day demonstrated your commitment to addressing important issues such as climate change and sustainability. We can see that the survey collected valuable data on the views of students and staff, which will undoubtedly help guide future initiatives. Furthermore, the trip to Brussels and Ypres provided a unique opportunity for students to engage in European cultural exchange and democratic learning; we are very glad you could participate in that and so many other EPLO-run activities.
The European Parliament congratulated the EPAS team at the college for our "outstanding achievement". It further said our efforts had not only "enriched the educational experience of your students but have also demonstrated the power of student-led initiatives. We look forward to seeing your continued success and the positive impact you will undoubtedly make in the years to come."
The report also includes detailed analysis of the programme's activities, outreach, impact and work at USP College and in the wider community of South Essex over the 2024-2025 academic year. The European Parliament calculated our year in numbers and provided a summary at the beginning of the report, noting that our team had reached a whopping 1,044 people on average for each activity and event that we held, with the highest reach of a single activity of event being 3,500 people!
Jayden O'Brien, Lead European Parliament Junior Ambassador for the 2024-2025 academic year, welcomed the report and reflected on his experiences in the programme. Jayden, who has served as a European Parliament Junior Ambassador since 2022 and is now leaving after he completed his studies at USP College, praised the work of our junior and senior ambassadors.
This report proves the invaluable merit of the European Parliament Ambassador School Programme and its importance for the students of Britain. As a working class boy from Thurrock, this programme truly gave me so many opportunities that someone like me would typically never get to have. I've had so many amazing, unforgettable experiences and learnt so much. I've gone overseas, met legislators, forged lifelong friendships and built a lasting network of connections that will no doubt help me going into the future as I finish my studies at USP College. I want to thank first and foremost our lead senior ambassador Darren Cogavin and all the other junior and senior ambassadors, past and present, who worked on this programme, without whom none of this could've been possible. Five years in a row is no easy feat. You've definitely got a lot to be proud of!
Jayden was also joined by Darren Cogavin, Lead European Parliament Senior Ambassador since 2022, who commenting on the report said:
The report notes that the European Parliament were "impressed by the range of activities you have undertaken", which have "demonstrated the power of student-led initiatives". This is what makes our EPAS programme unique and you should all be very proud of your efforts. Congratulations!
We would like to thank the European Parliament for taking the time to write up this report and for accrediting us for a fifth year in a row! You can view the full report, including all 45 pages, in PDF format below:
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