The School Awards 2012

May 14 2012 The Journal

THE Journal and Evening Gazette, in association with Northumbrian Water, are delighted to launch the Schools Awards and welcome your entries for 2012.

The Schools Awards are designed to recognise the fantastic achievements being made by our schools across the North-East. They cover both community and curriculum based projects, as well as individual excellence, and will honour whole schools, classes and individuals.

Categories: INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
(CLICK HERE to enter the INDIVIDUAL AWARDS online)

FIVE of the awards recognise the individuals within a school who have really made a difference to the pupils.

These might be inspirational teachers who make learning exciting and relevant, encouraging the children to reach their full potential; classroom assistants, support/administrative staff or caretakers who make a difference to the children and the school through their enthusiasm and commitment; or headteachers, whose guidance and leadership has helped create a dynamic learning environment where the pupils are happy and encouraged to reach their full potential.

Inspirational Primary Teacher
For a teacher in a nursery, first or primary school who goes the extra mile to give children the best start in their education.

Inspirational Secondary Teacher - Sponsored by University of Sunderland
For a teacher in a middle, high or secondary school who goes above and beyond the call of duty to get the best out of their children, regardless of ability.

Caretaker of the Year
For a caretaker whose dedication makes them an invaluable member of the school community.

School Support Staff of the Year
For a teaching assistant or any other member of support or administrative staff who makes a real difference to individual children, classes or the whole school.

Headteacher of the Year
For an outstanding school leader, whose guidance and leadership has helped create a dynamic learning environment where the pupils are happy and encouraged to reach their full potential.

Categories: PROJECT AWARDS
(CLICK HERE to enter the PROJECT AWARDS online)

THERE are four awards for projects that are to be carried out within the school, its grounds or the local community. The projects can either be on-going or an idea for the coming academic year. They can be carried out by a class, year group or even a whole school.

Sustainable School Award - Sponsored by Nexus

For this category the judges will be looking at how the whole school has made or is making changes to become more sustainable. These might be changes made by the efforts of one class, the whole school or an eco-committee.

We would like to see how you have managed to raise awareness and instigate changes within the school, for example, using poster campaigns, research, setting up eco-committees, class environmental champions, presentations, etc.

This category is quite broad but for instance some of the areas you could consider are:

· Water conservation - e.g. water audits, fitting water saving devices, water conservation campaigns.

· Energy conservation - e.g. energy audits, energy conservation campaigns.

· Walking buses/transport - e.g. encouraging safe ways to come to school that don’t involve the car.

· Recycling - e.g. paper recycling in class rooms, can and plastic recycling schemes, litter picks and no litter campaigns.

Healthy School Award

For this category, a school must be able to demonstrate outstanding practice in at least two of the four core themes of:

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
Healthy Eating
Physical Activity
Emotional Wellbeing

This must include:

Cross-curricular links
Multi agency work
Sustainability of the work

The judges will also be looking at how the school has:

Linked to Every Child Matters
Involved the whole school community
Involved other partners and stakeholders, including health
Listened to the voice of the young people and most importantly, impacted on the health and well-being of the young people

Active Community

For this category the judges will be looking at how the pupils are actively involved in helping their local community, for example, by visiting old people, holding coffee mornings in the school or raising money for their local communities.

We would like to see how you have put citizenship into practice by encouraging awareness of diversity and how involvement in your local communities has brought benefits to both the community and the pupils.

School Newspaper Award

Open to all schools who have produced a newspaper in 2011/2012. To qualify, schools must produce a publication that contains relevant news for their audience, and some coverage - either in the newspaper or in an insert flyer - on the value of water or the importance of sanitation.

All Project Award winners will receive a £1000 bursary towards their school!

For more information please contact Event Manager, Jennifer Cook on 0191 204 3310 or jennifer.cook@trinitymirror.co.uk

ENTER ONLINE!

:: CLICK HERE to enter the INDIVIDUAL AWARDS online
:: CLICK HERE to enter the PROJECT AWARDS online

CLOSING DATE for entry is Monday 21 May 2012 at 12 noon.

Alternatively you can download an entry form by clicking here.

Turn to page 2 to see some pictures from last year's Schools Awards >>