The inspirational winners of our Guardian Education Awards 2024

TEN outstanding winners have been honoured as part of this year’s Guardian Education Awards and they all appear in a special edition of this week's Northwich and Winsford Guardian and Knutsford Guardian.

The annual awards aim to celebrate schools, nurseries and colleges across the area, championing pupils and students, teachers and assistants, and classes and teams.

We wanted to highlight everything that’s good about Mid Cheshire’s educators, shining a spotlight on innovation and best practice across the town.

Ten awards have been given out to pupils and students, teachers and teaching assistants as well as classes and schools and we also handed out an outstanding achievement award, an unsung hero honour and an innovation award.

We were inundated with nominations from parents and pupils and colleagues and governors in every category and the judges had some difficult decisions to make.

We have produced a special supplement inside this week's paper honouring all the winners.

Richard Duggan, group editor of Newsquest Cheshire / Merseyside, said: “We are delighted to see the Guardian Education Awards make a welcome return for 2024 after a successful 2023.

“Our education awards aim to recognise the outstanding achievements of pupils and students, including those who may have overcome the odds or battled adversity to succeed in their studies or extracurricular activities.

“We wanted to highlight the brilliant work carried out by our dedicated teachers and everyone involved in education in the area, as well as shine a spotlight on innovation and best practice.

“We were bowled over by the incredible response we had to our appeal for nominations, with dozens of readers getting in touch.

“It’s evident from the entries we received how much we appreciate our children’s teachers, teaching assistants and headteachers as well as their fellow pupils and students and support staff.

“After some very difficult decisions, our judging panel was able to agree on the 10 winners – each and every one is highly deserving of their award.

“They should be proud of their achievements over the past 12 months – and beyond – and these awards are in recognition of all their hard work.

“Congratulations to all of our winners.”

The awards would not be possible without our headline sponsors.

WATCH OUR WINNERS RECEIVE THEIR AWARDS:

THE WINNERS

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Alison Lawson

Lifetime Achievement Award

This prestigious award was open to nominations from pupils, parents, school staff and teachers as we looked to honour a person who has had a significant and positive impact on education in Mid Cheshire, whether recently through the coronavirus pandemic or over a number of years.

Winner: Alison Lawson – executive headteacher at Barnton Community Primary School and Nursery

Secondary School Pupil of the Year Eva-Rose Estcort

Secondary School Pupil of the Year Eva-Rose Estcourt

Secondary School Pupil of the Year sponsored by Thor UK

This award would be going to a young person who has achieved something beyond expectation in education during a challenging 12 months. They may not necessarily be the highest academic achiever but we wanted to hear about students who have developed themselves personally, through sheer determination to do better, or helped others in the community during the pandemic.

Winner: Eva-Rose Estcourt

Secondary School Teacher of the Year Verinder Salh at Weaverham High School

Secondary School Teacher of the Year

This teacher needed to inspire and engage pupils in order to help them achieve their full academic and social potential. The winner of our top teacher category has made an exceptional contribution to the school or college they work in and goes over and above to provide the best opportunities for the children they teach.

Winner: Verinder Salh at Weaverham High School

Headteacher Sara Albiston and assistant headteacher Harriet McGilloway celebrate winning School of the Year with pupils at Grange Community Nursery and Primary School

School of the Year

Honouring a primary, high school or further education setting that stands out from the rest. Not only did we want to hear about academic achievement and competition success, we also wanted to see entries that demonstrate how pupils and students have developed in ways that go beyond the league tables, whether it is improving attendance levels, developing healthy living or mental health and wellbeing policies, or building better relationships with parents and the wider community.

Winner: Grange Community Nursery and Primary School

Headteacher of the Year winner Sara Albiston at Grange Community Nursery and Primary School

Headteacher of the Year sponsored by Priestley College

Recognising a headteacher who provides outstanding leadership with a clear and compelling vision for success. This award would be going to an inspirational headteacher who has shown exceptional leadership, management, teaching skills and commitment to their school or college over the past year.

Winner: Sara Albiston at Grange Community Nursery and Primary School

Primary School Pupil of the Year Olivia Grannell at Darnhall Primary School

Primary School Pupil of the Year

Whether they have excelled academically, been successful in their extra-curricular activities or had to overcome adversity to succeed, we wanted to hear about your hardworking children. We aimed to honour a youngster who plays an active role in all areas of school life, is respectful of others and is always willing to lend a hand.

Winner: Olivia Grannell at Darnhall Primary School

Primary School Teacher of the Year celebrates with his year two class1

Primary School Teacher of the Year

A teacher who inspires and engages pupils in order to help them achieve their full academic and social potential. The winner of our top teacher categories has made an exceptional contribution to the school or college they work in and goes over and above to provide the best opportunities for the children they teach.

Winner: James Proctor at Weaverham Forest Primary School

Kelly Cavanagh at Darnhall Primary School was presented with the Teaching Assistant of the Year Award

Teaching Assistant of the Year sponsored by Recipharm

This award is for a dedicated teaching assistant who has made a real difference in their school, someone who shows kindness and compassion to the children they care for in their day-to-day school life and plays a vital role in their wellbeing and happiness, as well as playing an essential role in supporting their teaching colleagues.

Winner: Kelly Cavanagh at Darnhall Primary School

The double award-winning podcast team at Weaverham High School1

Class / Team of the Year sponsored by Tata Chemicals Europe

Recognising a class or team that deserves to be rewarded for their hard work or goes the extra mile every day. We wanted to hear about classes or teams that deserved to be rewarded for their hard work. It may be a sports team that has gone the extra mile, an after-school club or school choir that has carried out outstanding work in the community, or a class of primary or high school pupils that have excelled in their studies or on a special project.

Winner: The Weaverham Way podcast team at Weaverham High School

Innovation Award sponsored by Thor UK

This award recognises an individual, team, school or college that has excelled in the use of digital technology or can demonstrate innovation in order to help others. Judges looked for evidence that the technology/initiative has had a positive impact on educational outcomes of students inside or outside the classroom, supported teaching or benefited the wider community.

Winner: The Weaverham Way podcast at Weaverham High School

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