Congratulations to the Knowsley schools who were all among the winners at the 2018 Educate Awards, held at Liverpool Cathedral on Friday, 16 November.
It was another good year for the borough’s schools at these important regional awards, which are the largest of their kind in the North West.
And the winners are…
Halewood Academy – Innovative and Creative Literacy Award
Halewood Academy, winners of at the Educate Awards
Halewood Academy received the Innovative and Creative Literacy Award for its project, ‘Pride and Promises Poetry Anthology’.
This project was the brainchild of teacher Miss Archer, who tasked students and staff to write poems around the theme of ‘Pride and Promises’. Poems came flooding in and the school were so impressed with the contributions that they decided to publish the poems in an anthology, which they made available to purchase via Amazon.
The initiative has had a long-standing impact on the entire school and as they put it: “If you can be published and sell a book, what can’t you do?”
Northwood Community Primary School, winners of the Community Partnership Award at the Educate Awards 2018.
Northwood Community Primary School in Kirkby won the Community Partnership Award for its work with charity FareShare and Magic Breakfast.
The school recognised that some pupils were arriving to school in the morning not having a healthy breakfast, or any breakfast at all. With the support of organisation Magic Breakfast, the school now makes sure all pupils enjoy a proper start to the day with cereal, juices and bagels on offer.
Additional support from charity FareShare, who redistribute surplus food to different organisations, provided governors with funding to enable all pupils to receive a free lunch. These community partnerships have resulted in better behaved, more settled and ready to learn children at Northwood.
Plantation Primary School – winners of Outstanding Commitment to Sport in Primary School
Plantation Primary School, winners of Outstanding Commitment to Sport in Primary School at the Educate Awards 2018.
Plantation Primary School fought off stiff competition within the category from the likes of Saughall All Saints Primary School in Chester and St Aloysius Catholic Primary School in Roby to win this award for the second year in a row!
Judges were impressed that the school had built upon its past success by using sport to achieve wider school aims. For example, when Plantation Primary wanted to increase the involvement of parents in school life, they held parent/child workshops using sport to get families involved. It has also increased opportunities for children with special educational needs to take part in sport, and helped children create team-based competitions.
Also recognised were:
St Aloysius Catholic Primary School – Runners up in the Outstanding Commitment to Sport in a Primary School
Halewood CofE Primary School, Knowsley – Runners up in the Wow Recognition Award
Cllr Margaret Harvey, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said:
“Congratulations to the Knowsley schools recognised at this year’s Educate Awards. Once again the borough has been well represented in these prestigious regional awards which celebrate best practice and innovation in education.
“The winning schools have all thought creatively to enhance learning and give children and their families opportunities that will shape their futures for the better, which is fantastic to see.”
About the Educate Awards
The Educate Awards, in partnership with Copyrite Systems and Ricoh, is now in its seventh year and is the largest education awards in the North West.
More than 600 guests gathered for the Educate Awards ceremony held at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, hosted by broadcaster Simon ‘Rossie’ Ross.
On the night, 21 awards were handed out to schools in the Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester.
The evening also saw the premiere of the Educate Awards Super Choir Children in Need music video, ‘We are all Stars’. The recording features the voices of over 300 students from local schools, with all proceeds from the sales going to the charity.
Kim O’Brien, founder of the Educate Awards, says:
“Many congratulations to Halewood Academy, Northwood Community Primary School and Plantation Primary School on their fantastic award wins.
“We are so proud to host an event which champions the creativity, diversity and dedication of teachers, school support stars, schools and colleges in the Liverpool City Region, Cheshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
“It’s been an exceptional year of entries, so many congratulations to all the winners, runners-up and finalists for 2018.”
Associate sponsors include Winstanley College, All About STEM, Liverpool John Moores University, CER, Progress Schools, Liverpool Learning Partnership, School Improvement Liverpool, The Foundry Agency, LSSP, The Bishop of Liverpool, The Rt. Revd. Paul Bayes and David M Robinson Jewellery & Watches.
Educate Awards 2018: The winners in full
The Communication Award
Winner: Alsop High School
Runner up: St Peter’s CE Primary School
Eco School Project of the Year
Winner: Queen’s Park CE/URC Primary School
Runner up: Booker Avenue Junior School
Spirit of Enterprise Award
Winner: Morecambe Bay Community Primary School
Runner up: Neston High School
SEND Provision Award
Winner: The Academy of St Francis of Assisi
Runner up: Alsop High School
Innovative and Creative Literacy Award
Winner: Halewood Academy
Runner up: Queen’s Park CE / URC Primary School, St Helens
STEM Project of the Year
Winner: Beamont Collegiate Academy
Runner up: Sandbach High School
Outstanding Arts in a Primary School
Winner: Riverside Primary School
Runner up: Lister Junior School
Outstanding Arts in a Secondary School
Winner: The Academy of St Francis of Assisi
Runner up: Archbishop Blanch CofE High School, Liverpool
Career Aspiration Award
Winner: All Saints Sixth Form College
Runner up: St Damian’s RC Science College, Greater Manchester
Community Partnership Award
Winner: Northwood Community Primary School, Knowsley
Runner up: The Hollins, Accrington
Outstanding Teaching of Life Skills
Winner: Abbot’s Lea School
Runner up: Middlefield Community Primary School
Innovation in Education Award
Winner: The Hollins
Runner up: Mayfield School
Outstanding Commitment to Sport in a Primary School
Winner: Plantation Primary School
Runner up: St Aloysius Catholic Primary School
Outstanding Commitment to Sport in a Secondary School
Winner: Rainford High
Runner up: Ridgeway High School
Leadership Team of the Year
Winner: Gateacre School
Runner up: Archbishop Blanch CofE High School
Teacher of the Year
Winner: Suzanne Gardner, Academy @ Worden
Runner up: Margaret Banks, St Damian’s RC Science College
School Support Star of the Year
Winner: Elizabeth Jones, St Damian’s RC Science College
Runner up: Judith Bowden, St John Bosco Arts College
Most Inspirational 16-18 Education Provider
Winner: Formby High School
Runner up: Cardinal Langley RC Sixth Form
Most Inspirational Secondary School
Winner: Ormiston Chadwick Academy
Joint runner up: Gateacre School and Archbishop Blanch CofE High School
Most Inspirational Primary School
Winner: Billinge St Aidan’s CofE Primary School
Runner up: Kentmere Academy Primary School
Wow Recognition Award
Winner: The Hollins, Accrington
Runner up: Halewood CofE Primary School, Knowsley