Two secondary schools from St Helens were crowned winners at the Educate Awards on Friday, 17 November.
Hope Academy won the Careers & Enterprise Award and Cowley International College took home the award for Outstanding Commitment to Sport in a Secondary School.
The Careers & Enterprise Award, sponsored by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Careers Hub, recognises schools, academies and colleges that are preparing young people the best they can for their future careers. Judges look for excellent examples of career-related learning about the range of pathways and opportunities available students, as well as the focus on developing a spirit for enterprise amongst students, whether this be through partnerships, work experience opportunities or other methods.
At Hope Academy, there are a range of careers and enterprise programmes embedded in day-to-day life, which amazed the judges. Career-related learning is emphasised throughout the school, and Hope’s compelling award entry highlighted strong links to the Gatsby benchmarks, demonstrating student engagement as well as great content from the academy. Visits from guest speakers, workshops during the school year, collaborative work with local and national employers also allow students at Hope to embrace and think deeply about their future careers.
Cowley International College was awarded Outstanding Commitment to Sport in Secondary School, a category where judges examine how committed schools are to developing sporting skills and opportunities for students to be active and compete on a regular basis through the provisions of teaching, coaching, extracurricular activities, partnerships and more.
The judging panel was particularly impressed by Cowley’s entry, which presented the partnerships the school has with local sporting institutes/clubs and the facilities outside of school that students are able to benefit from because of this. Cowley was also praised by the panel for its extensive curriculum, the variety of extra-curricular activities available, and sporting scholarship programme that is in place to enable students with the ability to pursue careers at an elite level.
Also recognised at the awards was Rainford High, which was named as runner-up for both the Outstanding Arts in a Secondary School category and Most Inspirational Secondary School award, with judges noting the school’s array of trips, charity involvement, and performing arts opportunities.
At this year’s Educate Awards, students from Rainford High were specially selected to open the big event and showcase their talents, taking to the stage to deliver a stellar performance of Beauty and the Beast’s ‘Be Our Guest’, wowing the audience of over 700 people.
Alongside the awards ceremony was a delicious three-course gala dinner and glittering entertainment from the region’s schools. Providing a soundtrack to the reception was Gateacre School student, Aiden Ellis. A dance and poetry performance from The Hollins in Accrington wowed guests, and a set from up-and-coming indie band, The Height, from Manchester, concluded the night’s performances.
Now in its twelfth year, the Educate Awards showcases the hard work and creativity in the education sector, from STEM and performing arts to sports and literacy.
The awards also recognise the individuals who bring schools and colleges to life, from inspiring teachers and dedicated support staff to strategic leadership teams.
In partnership with ASL and Ricoh, the Educate Awards took place at the Liverpool Cathedral and was hosted by broadcaster Simon ‘Rossie’ Ross.
Kim O’Brien, founder of the Educate Awards, said: “Congratulations to Hope Academy and Cowley International College for winning at the Educate Awards! A huge thank you to Rainford High for opening the ceremony this year.
“A big well done to the runners-up and finalists too. Results this year were incredibly close, and judges had a difficult time deciding not only the shortlist but also overall the winners.”
Kim added: “The Educate Awards team is proud to champion the innovation, diversity and dedication that is taking place in educational establishments around the region. Entries will open again in February 2024, and we encourage all types of schools and colleges to submit as many entries as they like, for free.”
Associate sponsors of the Educate Awards 2023 include: All About STEM, Angel Solutions, CER, CPMM Media Group, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Careers Hub, Liverpool John Moores University, LSSP, SENDSCOPE, and SupplyWell.
The Educate Awards 2023 winners and runners-up:
1. The Communication Award
Winner: Manchester Academy, Manchester
Runner up: Maricourt Catholic High School, Sefton
2. Outstanding Commitment to the Environment
Winner: Heswall Primary School, Wirral
Runner up: Wright Robinson College, Manchester
3. Careers & Enterprise Award
Winner: Hope Academy, St Helens
Runner up: Ridgeway High School, Wirral
4. SEND Provision Award
Winner: Abbot’s Lea School, Liverpool
Joint runner up: Green Fold School, Bolton and Maple Grove School, Cheshire
5. Innovative & Creative Literacy Award
Winner: Hillside High School, Sefton
Runner up: Gateacre School, Liverpool
6. Outstanding Commitment to STEM
Winner: Neston High School, Cheshire
Runner up: Great Crosby Catholic Primary School, Sefton
7. Outstanding Arts in a Primary School
Winner: Kew Woods Primary School, Sefton
Runner up: Netherton Moss Primary School, Sefton
8. Outstanding Arts in a Secondary School
Winner: The Hollins, Lancashire
Runner up: Rainford High, St Helens
9. Community Partnership Award
Winner: St Margaret Mary’s Catholic Junior School, Knowsley
Runner up: Maricourt Catholic High School, Sefton
10. Mental Health & Wellbeing Award
Winner: Abbot’s Lea School, Liverpool
Runner up: St Elizabeth’s Catholic Primary School, Sefton
11. Outstanding Commitment to Sport in Primary School
Winner: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Wallasey, Wirral
Runner up: St Elizabeth’s Catholic Primary School, Sefton
12. Outstanding Commitment to Sport in Secondary School
Winner: Cowley International College, St Helens
Runner up: St Peter’s Catholic High School, Wigan
13. Leadership Team of the Year
Winner: Green Fold School, Bolton
Runner up: Cardinal Langley RC High School, Rochdale
14. Teacher of the Year
Winner: Stephen Hill, St Joseph’s Primary School, Oldha
Runner up: Catherine Chapman, Gateacre School, Liverpool
15. School Support Star of the Year
Winner: Philip McGowan, Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School, Sefton
Runner up: Jeanette Horrocks, Green Fold School, Bolton
16. Most Inspirational Alternative Provision
Winner: Employability Solutions Ltd, Liverpool
Runner up: Sandbach School, Cheshire
17. Most Inspirational Sixth Form & College
Winner: Birkenhead Sixth Form College, Wirral
Runner up: St John Bosco Arts College, Liverpool
18. Most Inspirational Secondary School
Winner: Gateacre School, Liverpool
Runner up: Rainford High, St Helens
19. Most Inspirational Primary School
Winner: Whitefield Primary School, Liverpool
Runner up: St Peter’s CE Primary School, Bolton
20. WOW Recognition Award
Winner: Beech Hall School, Cheshire
Runner up: Wade Deacon High School, Cheshire
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