Annual report and accounts 2008

We maintained our position as Global Leader in our sector (Media) in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices 2008.

We held our Platinum status in the Business in the Community's (BITC) Corporate Responsibility Index, the leading UK benchmark for responsible business. Pearson's score increased from 95% last year to 96.5%, making us the media sector leader for the first time.

We received a Special Recognition Award from AHEAD, the largest US group addressing the needs of Higher Education students with disabilities. Last year, Pearson delivered well over 4,000 electronic textbooks to students in the United States –many within five days or less – to the Disability Student Service community via a new automated process.

We were shortlisted for the Widening the Talent Pool award at BITC's Race for Opportunity (RfO) Awards 2008. In the UK, we’ve attained Gold standard status and have been ranked in the top ten companies in the 2008 RfO benchmarking exercise – a case study of our UK internship programme is here.

We were awarded with the Corporation for National and Community Service's Corporate Spirit of Service award 2008. The US award recognised Pearson's exemplary support – through our people, businesses and the Pearson Foundation – of Jumpstart and the Read for the Record Campaign.