Bringing together students who completed adult learning courses in Portsmouth, the annual event celebrated those who have shown great effort and commitment to study.

Nominations for Portsmouth Outstanding Learner Awards came in from colleges across the city. A majority of the awards went to students from Highbury College.

Steve Glennon, acting head of lifelong learning at Portsmouth City Council, said: 'The real stars of the day were the learners who attended to receive certificates in recognition of their achievements. Many of these were having the first learning success of their lives recognised.'

Around 50 adult learners collected certificates for their individual successes.

Sight-impaired Highbury student Adam Ghent won his Community Learning Pola award after showing remarkable progression, taking a seven-week Introduction to Digital Camera course at the college after completing a taster course.

Entertainment includ- ed circus performers, belly-dancers and football displays.

Ric Burch, IT outreach instructor at Highbury, said: 'It was a fun family day and one of the points was to entice people back to learning.

'People who have had a bad experience in mainstream education or have lost faith in their abilities need to be encouraged back step by step.

'Once we have got them in, we do get a good percentage coming back to the Flexi Centres and ending up with accredited qualifications.'