- Billinge St Aidan’s CofE Primary School named Most Inspirational Primary School.
- Queen’s Park CE/URC Primary School scooped the Eco School Project of the Year Award.
- Rainford High retained its Outstanding Commitment to Sport trophy.
Three schools in St Helens have been honoured at the prestigious Educate Awards ceremony last night (Friday 16 November).
The awards, in partnership with Copyrite Systems and Ricoh, is now in its seventh year and is the largest education awards in the North West.
Over 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.
One of the evening’s top awards went to Billinge St Aidan’s CofE Primary School. It won the Most Inspirational Primary School Award for its dedicated support towards its pupils’ mental and physical wellbeing. This year has been a difficult year for the school, having lost a pupil who was fighting a brain tumour.
Staff and pupils went above and beyond to help the family, and raised money when needed. The school also regularly welcomes therapy dogs which help pupils from all walks of life, as well as an aroma therapist who teaches ways in which the children can relax.
Queen’s Park CE/URC Primary School scooped the Eco School Project of the Year Award for its work to improve its school grounds.
Children planted their own saplings on the perimeter of the school field, thanks to 120 tree saplings provided by the Woodland Trust. With an established Eco Team, the school has planted an extraordinary 2,637 trees in their school grounds and has fostered an ‘Eco Ethos’ throughout the school.
Finally, Rainford High held on to its Outstanding Commitment to Sport in Secondary School Award, which it also won in 2017.
The school has achieved outstanding team and individual success within a wide range of local, regional and national competitions. It has also focused on breaking down traditional gender participation barriers through increasing the number of girls in school football and rugby teams and doubling the number of boys participating in cheerleading and dance clubs.
Kim O’Brien, founder of the Educate Awards, says: “Many congratulations to Billinge St Aidan’s, Rainford High and Queen’s Park. It’s been an exceptional year of entries, so many congratulations to all the winners, runners-up and finalists for 2018.
“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.”
The evening also saw the premiere of the Educate Awards Super Choir Children in Need music video, ‘We are all Stars’, which Queen’s Park took part in. The recording features the voices of over 300 students from local schools, with all proceeds from the sales going to the charity.
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.
Full list of winners
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
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
Career Aspiration Award
Winner: All Saints Sixth Form College
Runner up: St Damian’s RC Science College
Community Partnership Award
Winner: Northwood Community Primary School
Runner up: The Hollins
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