OF
FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE
STAR NEWS
Marking Star’s 10th anniversary
STAR SPOTLIGHT
The Star Awards 2023 winners
STAR COMMUNITY
Pupils perform at Downing Street
STAR PEOPLE
Transforming lives and outcomes
NURTURING TODAY’S YOUNG PEOPLE, INSPIRING TOMORROW’S LEADERS
2022-23 is a landmark year for Star, as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of opening our first free school. Marking this achievement has led me to reflect on the remarkable journey of our organisation, from its modest origins in a small, terraced house in Blackburn to where we stand today as one of the country’s leading multiacademy trusts. Our accomplishments have far exceeded the humble aims we set out at Star’s inception, and I am immensely proud of the impact our schools have had on young people in some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities.
I wish to thank our wonderful colleagues for the instrumental role they have played in our success. I am sure they will share my pride in the numerous triumphs we have realised together during the last decade, some of which are included in this issue of Starlight. From topping national school performance tables and raising millions of pounds for charity to forming exciting strategic partnerships and new schools, we have a great story to tell. Furthermore, this is only the opening chapter. I have no doubt that the Star family will continue to innovate, grow and flourish by continuing to cultivate a culture of excellence.
In this issue’s Star Spotlight feature, we reflect on the inspirational Star Awards ceremony which took place in March. It was a joyous celebration which showcased the exceptional talents of our incredible pupils and staff. One of the most poignant aspects of the day was witnessing the joyful interactions and spirit of togetherness shown by the pupils from Star’s various schools. It was wonderful to see young people from different regions and communities effortlessly connecting with each another, united by their shared commitment
and ethos. Their outstanding character truly personifies the STAR values and makes me extremely proud to lead the Star family.
This term, we’re also celebrating National Thank A Teacher Day, recognising our often unsung heroes whose hard work is manifested in children’s happiness and progress. I also wish to extend my gratitude to everyone working in our schools and Star Central team for their hard work and dedication to furthering our pupils’ education every single day. Star’s vision of nurturing today’s young people and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders would not be possible without your collective efforts.
Finally, I must thank our selfless, philanthropic pupils for completing over 10,000 hours of community service in celebration of the Coronation. The Star Big Help Out Challenge was a fantastic opportunity to honour the Royal Family’s charitable legacy and make a significant and lasting difference in our communities.
I hope you all have a fulfilling end to the academic year and enjoy a restful summer break as we look forward to another exciting year of progress together.
Together we are strong. We are Star.
SIR MUFTI HAMID PATEL CBE Chief Executive, Star Academies
A warm welcome to the Summer 2023 edition of Starlight magazine, in which we look back on the fantastic achievements and milestones of the past few months.
Star Academies is celebrating a decade of educational excellence on its 10th anniversary, as the trust looks ahead to a bright future.
Since the founding of its first free school ten years ago, Star has developed and expanded to establish its position as one of the country’s leading multi-academy trusts. Today, Star is a growing family of 31 free schools and academies across five partnership areas, with over 3,500 employees and serving more than 21,000 pupils nationally.
Over the last decade, Star has achieved incredible milestones and has consistently ranked amongst the top-performing multiacademy trusts in national performance tables, with individual Star schools also routinely placing in the top 5 in the country for GCSE results.
The trust is rooted in educational excellence, which - alongside exceptional academic outcomes - has been recognised by 15 of its schools securing ‘outstanding’ Ofsted judgements and improved gradings for sponsored academies that have been inspected since joining the trust.
While the pandemic provided lots of challenges for schools, it also brought the philanthropic work of Star’s pupils and staff into sharp focus. Over the past 10 years, schools’ commitment to serving others has seen over £2 million raised for good causes, with hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people benefitting across the globe.
Star Family Hubs – established during the pandemic to support families, colleagues and neighbouring residents, charities and organisations – have become an integral part of their communities, supporting hundreds of vulnerable families every
week. All Star schools are rooted in the STAR value of Service, and the annual Festive Winter Gift Programme emphasises schools’ commitment to vulnerable people in their localities by tackling food poverty and spreading kindness.
Star has embarked on ground-breaking partnerships which have cemented its position at the forefront of system leadership and innovation. Its partnership with Eton College, initially formed to create three academic sixth forms for high-achieving young people from deprived communities, will build on a shared drive to boost the achievement and life chances of disadvantaged young people.
Along with three founding partner MATs, Star formed the School-Led Development Trust, which was appointed to establish the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT). Launched in September 2022, the country’s flagship teacher and leader development institute has welcomed the first intake of participants to its programme of National Professional Qualifications (NPQ).
Star has extended its partnership network of leading colleges, universities and employers to support more of its pupils to secure aspirational post-16 opportunities with world-renowned educational institutions and blue chip companies.
Star schools provide personalised support to enable pupils to identify and apply for prestigious opportunities to further their education and careers, including scholarships, internships and apprenticeships.
The Aspire Programme aims to close the inequality gap by giving pupils in Star schools wider access to a world-class education and first-class career opportunities. Bursary and scholarship opportunities will provide a pathway into highperforming FE and HE institutions for the brightest pupils.
In its latest initiative, Star has partnered with leading independent school, City of London Freemen’s School. The network will initially see two Star schools, Bay Leadership Academy and The Valley Leadership Academy, partnering with the co-educational independent school in Surrey to raise aspirations for pupils. It will also support them to apply to the country’s highest-performing sixth form institutions, including fully-funded bursaries at City of London Freemen’s School.
Star has been named as a finalist in the MultiAcademy Trust (MAT) of the Year category of the MAT Excellence Awards.
Presented by Optimus Education, the national awards recognise the achievements of multi-academy trusts across the country and their impact on pupils, staff and the communities they serve.
Star has been shortlisted alongside five other trusts in recognition of its impact on reducing attainment gaps, driving social mobility and Star’s contribution to system leadership. This shortlisting follows a string of exceptional accolades that have recognised Star’s exceptional pupil outcomes and its wider impact on the educational landscape, which have included a Pearson National Teaching Award and a National Schools Award.
Pupils, staff and families across Star once again demonstrated their compassion and extraordinary generosity by collectively raising an incredible £173,000 for victims of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Amongst the tens of thousands of people to have lost their lives in the disaster, countless more people are living with the devastating effects of serious injury or homelessness. While The Olive School, Bolton community collectively raised an astonishing £23,000, Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham East contributed £16,000 in the trust-wide appeal by selling food kindly made by staff, pupils and members of the local community.
Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham also held food stalls at their school for staff and families to enjoy, while pupils at Laisterdyke Leadership Academy raised funds through a sponsored silence.
The donations will help aid charities’ disaster relief activities, including providing medical care, hot food, blankets, bedding, clean water and safe spaces for families.
Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham East was rated as ‘outstanding’ in all areas in its first ever Ofsted inspection in January.
Ofsted inspectors awarded the school, which opened in September 2018, the highest rating of ‘outstanding’ in all areas, with no areas for improvement.
The report highlights many positive aspects of the school, noting that ‘pupils benefit from an exceptional education at Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy. Leaders and teachers share strong school values of service, teamwork, ambition and respect. These are woven throughout the school. Staff and pupils live out these values every day.’
As well as lavishing praise on the school’s staff, pupils were also commended for their commitment to learning. Inspectors concluded that ‘pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Pupils move calmly and quickly around the site. In lessons, pupils happily meet their teachers’ very high expectations.’
The report added: ‘Pupils understand the importance of their academic work. They thrive in a wonderful working environment’. Inspectors also commended pupils’ attitudes to their work, stating that ‘pupils’ attitudes to learning are extremely impressive.’
At their termly meeting in February, representatives from all Star schools joined together at the Star Pupil Council to express their views about school life. Two pupil council members from every Star school joined their counterparts to discuss topics ranging from technology to the King’s Coronation.
The main topic of discussion at the Spring term meeting was ‘Schools of the Future’. Pupils shared their visionary thoughts on what schools and education may look like in 20 years’ time. Their creativity sparkled as they explained their imaginative ideas for how the school day and learning environment could change over the next two decades. The evolution and adoption of technology – from robot teaching assistants to AI learning and augmented reality headsets – was at the fore of pupils’ vision for education in the 2040s along with a more connected world where pupils from across the globe would learn together collaboratively.
Young people across Star schools revelled in the historic occasion of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla by celebrating the Royal Family’s selfless service and by expressing their community spirit.
Pupils and staff celebrated the once-in-a-generation event with a range of regal activities to mark the crowning of a British monarch for the first time in 70 years. Inspired by His Majesty The King’s dedication to charity, schools participated in the Star Big Help Out Challenge to volunteer their time to improve and support their communities.
Star schools decked out their halls, corridors and classrooms with royal bunting and decorations fit for a king as they celebrated with Coronation Big Lunches. Members of the community were invited into schools to join pupils and staff for Coronation banquets, with some of our younger pupils donning sparkling crowns and imperial gowns to embrace the majesty of the occasion.
In recognition of The King’s life of service and commitment to charities – and in keeping with the STAR value of Service – giving back to communities formed an important part of schools’ Coronation celebrations. In the Star Big Help Out
Challenge, pupils collectively completed over 10,000 hours of voluntary service in their local communities. This endeavour was inspired by the national Big Help Out initiative to encourage the public to lend their time to a local charity on Monday 8 May, the Coronation Bank Holiday.
Pupils at Highfield Leadership Academy in Blackpool spread the joy of the occasion by hosting a party for members of the community who live in sheltered accommodation. The event featured talented members of the school community entertaining guests with singing, dancing and games, as pupils served special Coronation cheesecakes, which were freshly made by pupils in their community kitchen.
Hundreds of pupils pledged their time to spruce up their school grounds, public parks and areas in their local community to create more welcoming environments for residents. Pupils at The Olive School, Small Heath and Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School in Blackburn took to the streets to litter pick and improve the appearance of their local streets.
Inspired by King Charles III’s passion for the natural world and the environment, pupils at The Valley Leadership Academy volunteered their time by planting a peace garden on school grounds. Decorated with royal bunting for the occasion, the area will provide a permanent and dedicated space for pupils and staff to reflect in a calming environment.
At Starbank School in Birmingham, imaginative primary pupils created 3D crowns in an art competition, with the regal creations paraded by their creators at the school’s Coronation party. In Bradford, every pupil at Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy was given the opportunity to express their artistic
talents by designing portraits of the King, which were proudly displayed in a commemorative art gallery which lined the school’s corridors and hall.
Schools’ Coronation creativity also extended beyond decorations to the art of cuisine as school halls were brimming with impressive culinary displays as they held their own Big Lunch events. Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School and Sixth Form College’s Best of British theme featured the finest scones and decadent sandwiches in tribute to a British institution, afternoon tea.
Sir Mufti Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, said: “As we celebrated this historic occasion, the Star family once again reinforced its commitment to its communities. Our Royal Family, and in particular our new King and Queen, provide so much inspiration by their tireless commitment to the country and through their charitable endeavours.
“The Star Big Help Out Challenge was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to reflect on His Majesty’s life of service and to make a genuine difference to their community in his honour. By volunteering their time and resources, our pupils were able to create meaningful change while enhancing their character.”
Thousands of Star pupils joined millions more worldwide in the global celebration of World Book Day, with a host of activities and events which expressed the joy of reading.
Star schools embraced their love of literature with an explosion of colour as both staff and pupils dressed as their favourite fictional characters and brought the pages of classic novels to life.
A world-class book culture is at the heart of every Star school. The Star Readers challenge, thanks to headline sponsors EG Foundation, encourages all pupils to read at least 10 books from a specially selected reading list over the course of each year to nurture a passion for reading.
EG Foundation’s support for Star Readers extended to a special World Book Day celebration at the EG Group head office in Blackburn. Year 3 and 4 pupils from The Olive School, Blackburn participated in a series of literary-based activities to express their love of reading alongside colleagues from EG.
After discussing their favourite books together, pupils then got their creative juices flowing by taking part in a competition to design a book cover and write a synopsis of their imaginary tale.
Other pupils heard first-hand from some of the most revered international authors. High Crags Primary Leadership Academy and Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy attended the Bradford Literature Festival, where pupils revelled in readings and workshops with celebrated author and comedian Sir Lenny Henry and illustrator Sophy Henn.
SIR MUFTI HAMID PATEL CBE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF STAR ACADEMIES, SAID:World Book Day is an occasion that celebrates the joy and power of reading. It is a reminder of the significant role that books play in shaping our young people’s vocabulary and academic success.
“The Star Readers programme plays an integral part in creating a worldclass book culture in every Star school. Reading can have a transformational impact on education and, by encouraging regular reading from an early age, Star aims to pique pupils’ curiosity, ignite their imaginations and encourage them to develop a lifelong love of reading.”
Creativity was, of course, in abundance as classroom doors were transformed into literary creations at Eden Boys’ School, Bolton and The Olive School, Small Heath. Pupils and staff at Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy and Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham mixed books with baking to mark the occasion. Both schools hosted book cafes with a selection of sweet treats on offer for visitors to enjoy whilst taking time out to read their favourite books.
Other schools chose to celebrate World Book Day by spreading the joy of reading to others. Pupils from Bay Leadership Academy took part in a book drop, where they picked out their favourite books and donated them to community centres and to the homes of local residents.
Lisa Crausby, Executive Director for Education at Star Academies, has been honoured with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Lisa has been recognised for her outstanding service to education in recognition of her exceptional impact on the lives of tens of thousands of children throughout her 25 year career.
In her role as Executive Director for Education at Star, Lisa is jointly responsible for the development of the trust’s education strategy, which seeks to secure and maintain educational excellence across all Star schools, and she is the trust-wide lead for teaching and inclusion. Her exemplary leadership and visionary guidance have seen her empower senior leaders to deliver exceptional results through the development of an ambitious knowledge-rich curriculum. More recently, Lisa has been instrumental in laying the foundations for creating a world-class book culture in all trust schools, enriching the educational experience of pupils.
Lisa joined Star from a multi-academy trust where she was the Chief Education Officer responsible for transforming the education of over 12,000 pupils from areas of high deprivation. Previously, Lisa was the Inspector Adviser for Service Children’s Education with responsibility for securing high personal and academic achievements across the Ministry of Defence’s secondary and middle schools worldwide. Lisa has over ten years’ experience inspecting primary and secondary schools and is a passionate linguist.
Schools across Star have been engaging in school linking projects to promote interfaith knowledge, understanding and compassion.
These connections are an important part of the faith and character offer in Star’s faith schools where pupils can work and spend social time with peers from different faiths and backgrounds. Over the course of an academic year, schools and classes are partnered to learn more about each other’s lives and beliefs. This is an important stepping stone in creating harmony and addressing prejudice in communities.
Through the Faith and Belief Forum, a school linking initiative, Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham has partnered with nearby Bartley Green School to explore issues
To initiate the partnership, pupils from both schools wrote letters to each other to gain insights into their peers’ lives. A video call was then organised, allowing the pupils to virtually interact, ask questions and share common experiences. This online introduction set the stage for their first face-to-face meeting where pupils had deeper conversations to explore each other’s identity and their community, and wrote poetry on the theme of identity. The visitors from Bartley Green observed prayers, with the Star pupil ambassadors explaining the associated rituals.
Primary faith schools have also been developing relationships with their local community. The Olive School, Hackney visited Simon Mark’s Jewish School to experience their Sukkot exhibition, about one of the three major festivals in Judaism. After hearing about the importance of Sukkot from their peers at Simon Mark’s School, the two groups feasted on traditional Jewish food together, giving them a chance to discuss their similar hobbies, talents and interests.
The Olive School, Hackney reciprocated by inviting pupils from their partner school to attend their Seerah Super Spirituality Exhibition. The visitors were escorted around the event’s stalls, which featured Sunnah foods and information about the life of the Prophet (pbuh) and his love of animals, nature and family. The event concluded with a performance from the Star Voices choir, with pupils benefiting from discovering and celebrating the many experiences and interests they share with those from different backgrounds.
The Star Innovators Challenge laid down the gauntlet to the scientists of the future by tasking them to find solutions to real-world science conundrums.
As part of Star schools’ activities to mark British Science Week, pupils were challenged to enter a series of science tasks to broaden their knowledge and ignite their passion for our Earth. With separate challenges in each of the phases of primary and secondary education, pupils took part in the contest which was centred around British Science Week’s theme of ‘connections’.
In the Reception and Key Stage 1 category, pupils were tasked with carrying out an action that can make a big difference in the Earth Calling challenge, while key stage 2 pupils investigated and planned actions to overcome environmental challenges facing the UK in the Country Calling challenge.
For secondary school pupils, their challenge was to research a topic and devise an idea or project that will make a significant improvement to the environmental challenges facing their local community and then plan actions and steps required to have a positive impact.
After pupils across Star primary and secondary schools spent weeks investigating, experimenting and setting out their solutions, the competition winners were revealed.
Nicky Crum, Science Improvement Lead at Star Academies, said: “Once again, our talented pupils wowed the judges with their incredible subject knowledge, attention to detail and the creative solutions they proposed to a broad range of environmental challenges plaguing their local communities and issues affecting the entire country.
“It is inspiring to see so many of our pupils expressing their passion both for science and our earth, using their own time to develop their ideas and creations to enter the challenge. Thank you to our staff and parents for their support and encouragement. I’m excited to see what the future holds for our budding scientists!”
1st: Muhammad Moiz Khan, The Olive School, Bolton
2nd: Muhammad Khan, The Olive School, Blackburn
3rd: Inaaya Ahmed, Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy
1st: Safiyah Daya, Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest
2nd: Safa Omar, Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham
3rd: Unaiza Raza, Eden Girls’ School, Coventry
1st: Sara Alum, The Olive School, Small Heath
2nd: Aaminah Patel, The Olive School, Bolton
3rd: Aliza Zuberi, Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy
1st: Jamie Mahran, Bay Leadership Academy
2nd: Sadgun Sri Chandrapatla, Tong Leadership Academy
3rd: Ibrahim Khan, Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Manchester
The Star family’s shared commitment to challenge all forms of prejudice was reinforced on Holocaust Memorial Day as pupils and staff remembered those who have lost their lives to genocide.
The annual remembrance event was marked across the world on 27th January, in the hope that atrocities such as the Holocaust and other acts of persecution are never repeated.
Prior to Holocaust Memorial Day, a ground-breaking collaboration between Star and University College London Centre for Holocaust Education was announced, which aims to tackle mistruths and confusion in English schools. In February, staff from Star schools received CPD training from UCL at Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Manchester on ‘How to teach the Holocaust’, as part of the scheme. The partnership with UCL will provide pupils with a curriculum that deepens their understanding of the Holocaust with classroom resources and professional development.
The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day, Ordinary People, highlighted how ordinary people were complicit in all aspects of the Holocaust and in genocides across the world.
Pupils learned about these important lessons through assemblies and talks and also used their creative talents to communicate messages about challenging prejudice.
Starbank School was among just three schools nationally given the honour of performing at one of the country’s most significant Holocaust memorial events. Primary pupils performed a spoken word poem to almost 500 people at the Anne Frank Trust’s Annual Lunch in London. Six pupils provided a rendition of Dearest Anne, a piece they had written together with prominent poet Francesca Beard. They relayed their admiration of Anne Frank and how her lessons in fortitude positively affect their own lives.
Many pupils represented their schools at local commemorative events. At a Holocaust Memorial Day event at Bradford City Hall, pupils from Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Bradford read a poem and took part in a live debate around the ‘ordinary people’ theme. The event was attended by distinguished local delegates including the Lord Mayor of Bradford and Hanneke Dye, a Dutch survivor of the Holocaust.
Hearing from witnesses of the genocide during the Second World War formed an integral and poignant part of pupils’ learning.
Highfield Leadership Academy participated in a live webcast hosted by the Holocaust Education Trust which featured Ruth Posner, who survived the Holocaust by escaping the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw, Poland, before becoming a famous actor and dancer in adult life. Year 9 pupils were moved by Ruth’s harrowing but inspiring tale which relayed the realities of the atrocity.
Star Academies held its annual Star Awards celebration to recognise and celebrate the notable achievements of pupils and staff across its 31 schools. Over 400 guests, including pupils, staff, governors, trustees and members of the Star family gathered in Blackburn for the prestigious event.
Guests were greeted by the beautiful sound of Oliver Tattersall from The Valley Leadership Academy playing the keyboard. Pupil MCs Saliha Farooq, from Eden Girls’ School, Coventry, and Jack Schuyler, from Bay Leadership Academy, opened the event, thanking guests for taking the time out from their busy schedules to attend and the event’s sponsors for their generous support.
The trust Chairman, Kam Kothia OBE DL, who played a key role in Star’s development, praised the accomplishments and efforts of all pupils, staff and governors, and commemorated the success of the schools. He also reflected on the trust’s 10-year anniversary and shared some of Star’s most notable accomplishments from the last decade.
The awards ceremony was flawlessly presented by Lisa Crausby OBE, Executive Director: Education, who introduced proceedings by welcoming Ehsan Khan from Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham who delivered a stunning spoken word performance of a poem that he had penned about his experience in a Star school.
Guest of honour, double Olympic champion rower James Cracknell OBE, then took to the stage to make an inspiring speech on the highs and lows of his accomplished career as an athlete and adventurer. As well as recounting his many successes in elite sport, James spoke candidly about his pride in his charitable endeavours, which have motivated him to continue pushing his mind and body to the limit through awe-inspiring physical challenges.
The atmosphere was electric as the finalists and winners for all 22 award categories were revealed, celebrating the remarkable achievements of individuals and groups of Star pupils, staff and governors. The ceremony culminated in a rousing reception for the winner of the inaugural Spirit of Star award. The award, which is the ultimate recognition of exceptional service and dedication to Star, was awarded to long-standing ambassador and friend of Star, Dot Thomson.
Throughout the awards presentation, guests were treated to moving performances from our talented pupils. Children from The Olive School, Bolton lifted the energy of the event with their fantastic Djembe drumming showcase, while guests fell silent as Jasey Hall from The Valley Leadership Academy sang an emotional rendition
of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. To wrap up the event, talented actors from Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School wowed the audience by performing a medley of scenes and songs from Matilda the Musical.
Star Academies would like to thank its generous supporters for their sponsorship of the event, including AHR, Arena, BAM, British Army, EG Foundation, Hill Dickinson, Lyreco, Morgan Sindall, Moving People, ReadingWise, Vivify Venues, and Wates Construction.
SIR MUFTI HAMID PATEL CBE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF STAR ACADEMIES, SAID:
As we celebrate the achievements of our pupils and staff, I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every member of the Star family for their unwavering support towards our goal of nurturing today’s young people and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders.
“Congratulations to all of the winners, finalists and nominees; hearing about your achievements filled me with immense pride. Thank you to everyone who made the Star Awards possible, particularly our fantastic pupil performers who provided us with entertainment. We take delight in your incredible talents.”
See ofcompletethelist winners on the next page
All of our winners and finalists are listed below. The winners’ names are shown in pink.
SERVICE AWARD
Sponsored by Wates Construction
• Eden Boys’ School, Bolton
• Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham
• The Olive School, Birmingham
TEAMWORK AWARD (TEACHING)
Sponsored by BAM
• Maths Department – Small Heath Leadership Academy
• Maths Department – Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School
• EYFS Team – Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy
TEAMWORK AWARD (SUPPORT)
Sponsored by Arena
• Business and Customer Service Officers – Eden Boys’ School, Preston
• Pastoral Team – Small Heath Leadership Academy
• Specialist Support Assistants – The Olive School, Blackburn
AMBITION AWARD
Sponsored by ReadingWise
• Bay Leadership Academy
• Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy
• Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School and Sixth Form College
RESPECT AWARD
• Highfield Leadership Academy
• Starbank School
• Tong Leadership Academy
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING
AWARD - Sponsored by Moving People
• The Olive School, Blackburn
• The Olive School, Bolton
RISING STAR OF THE YEAR (TEACHING)
Sponsored by Morgan Sindall
• Billie-Jade Birks – Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham
• Kulsum Umar – The Olive School, Blackburn
• Shelby Lloyd – Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Manchester
RISING STAR OF THE YEAR (SUPPORT)
• Moulana Naeem Mohammed –Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham East
• Misha Sharrock – Star Central
• Naeema Desai – The Olive School, Bolton
SUPPORT STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR
• Razia Malik – Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Bradford
• Halima Dadabhoy – Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest
• Humaira Hamid – The Olive School, Small Heath
TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Hill Dickinson
• Lindsay Welch – Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy
• Oliver Hives – Eden Boys’ School, Preston
• Hassan Majid – Laisterdyke Leadership Academy
MIDDLE LEADER OF THE YEAR
• Raman Sandhu – Eden Girls’ School, Slough
• Shayna Silverman – Starbank School
• Jennifer Taylor – The Olive School, Bolton
SENIOR LEADER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Vivify Venues
• Vicki Hinchliffe – Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy
• Yasmin Manzoor – Small Heath Leadership Academy
• Claire Moses – The Olive School, Hackney
UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR
• Alexis Ryder – Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Manchester
• Mark Gedney – High Crags Primary Leadership Academy
• Karen Heslington – Starbank School
PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR
• Parveen Yusuf – The Olive School, Preston
PUPIL AWARDS
SPORTS LEADERSHIP AWARD
Sponsored by the British Army
• Morgan Jackson – Bay Leadership Academy
• Danyal Farrooq – Oulder Hill Leadership Academy
• Vonnie Haley – Tong Leadership Academy
ARTS LEADERSHIP AWARD
• Jack Schuyler – Bay Leadership Academy
• Faith Brannan – High Crags Primary Leadership Academy
• HLA Dance – Highfield Leadership Academy
SOCIAL ACTION LEADERSHIP AWARD
Sponsored by EG Foundation
• School Charity Ambassadors – Bay Leadership Academy
• Fair Treats Team – Eden Boys’ School, Bolton
• Highfield Helpers – Highfield Leadership Academy
INSPIRATIONAL LEARNER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Lyreco
• Muhammad Abdullah Amjad –Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Manchester
• Lexi Naylor-Coombs – Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy
• Yahya Akhtar – Eden Boys’ School, Bolton
• Cora Booth – Tong Leadership Academy
• Azkah Rehman – Eden Girls’ School, Coventry
• Tyler-James Memory-Murray – The Valley Leadership Academy
• Asiyah Ahmed Panczyszyn – Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Manchester
• Imogen Fitton – Bay Leadership Academy
• Lexi-Jo Woollard – High Crags Primary Leadership Academy
• Haleema Rafiq – Starbank School
• Jay-James Sherlock – Starbank School
• Isaac Khan – The Olive School, Birmingham
• Zaynab Waheed – The Olive School, Small Heath
• Hamza Said – Barkerend Primary
Leadership Academy
• Zahra Malik – Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest
• Yelyzaveta Sements – Tong Leadership Academy
PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPIL OF THE YEAR
• Yashveer Chandraptla – Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy
• Hamza Rafique – Starbank School
• Hidaya Ahmed – Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy
SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPIL OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by AHR
• Nasra Shabaan Hamid – Eden Girls’ School, Coventry
• Umar Saleh – Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School
• Junior King – The Valley Leadership Academy
OUTSTANDING GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR
• Talat Awan – Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Manchester
• Fiona Jordan – Laisterdyke Leadership Academy
• Barry Corless – Oulder Hill Leadership Academy
SPIRIT OF STAR
• Dot Thomson - Star Central
Two Star primary schools performed at the home of the Prime Minister in historic events celebrating the Muslim community’s contribution to British society.
The Star Voices choir from The Olive School, Hackney performed at the first-ever Iftar reception held at 10 Downing Street, while just two months later, pupils from The Olive School, Bolton entertained Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and prestigious guests with a Djembe drumming medley at a national Eid Al Fitr celebration.
Performing to over 100 leading figures including MPs, Lords and faith leaders, the Star Voices choir opened the Ramadhaan event with a composition of stunning harmonies. Hosted by Greg Hands MP and the Conservative Muslim Forum, the pupils performed a pitch-perfect nasheed for the guests.
Year 5 pupils from The Olive School, Bolton had a similarly exhilarating experience at the event which celebrated the culmination of Ramadhaan. Following in the footsteps of many revered historic figures who have held court with British leaders at Number 10, the pupils were privileged to have a private audience with the Prime Minister before their performance.
The pupils and Mr Sunak talked about their shared love for drumming. The PM revealed to the children that he played the dholka and tabla drums when he was younger, and the pupils invited Mr Sunak to visit their school during his next visit to the north west.
The drummers, who have been developing their musical talents for the past two years, were then led through to The Pillard Room where they performed in front of over 200 guests, which included cabinet ministers and prominent members of the Muslim community.
Pupils at Highfield Leadership Academy raised hundreds of pounds for a youth work charity by camping out in school for a fundraising sleepover.
Taking part in the annual ‘Bill’s Big Sleep In’ event, pupils raised £400 for Blackpool’s Streetlife charity. The mass sleepover coincided with the charity’s Big Sleep Out event, which raises awareness of the challenges homeless people face in the local community.
The Blackpool-based charity’s fundraiser sees 150 people spend a night outside its emergency night shelter in the town centre. With the help of Highfield pupils, this year’s event raised a record amount for Streetlife.
At the school’s fundraising event, pupils were sponsored to sleep in the school building overnight, armed with their sleeping bags, blankets and cushions.
Before settling down for the night, the young participants took part in entertaining team building exercises and made cake pops from their Kindness Kitchen, which were later sold in school to raise more money for Streetlife.
As darkness began to fall, pupils enjoyed sports activities, such
as gymnastics and basketball, in the sports hall, whilst others showcased their creative flair by producing street art with spray paint in the design and technology classrooms.
The group also took time to reflect upon the work of the charity and the challenges facing young people by watching an educational film featuring broadcaster Emma Willis, who spoke with Kaitlyn, a young person supported by Streetlife.
Pupil leaders will continue to raise awareness about Streetlife’s work and encourage their peers to raise funds and donate items to support people accessing their
One of the pupil leaders who took part in the event, Tammy-Lea Cooper, said: “The sad reality is there are lots of hidden homeless teenagers who are sofa surfing because they can’t afford accommodation or are struggling with things like family break-ups. Even though we are young, we can make a difference so that’s what I try to do.”
A heroic pupil from Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest has been presented with the police’s highest honour for her bravery following a knife attack.
Year 10 pupil Maisarah Assam was on her usual bus journey home from school when a young passenger was seriously injured following a stabbing. Maisarah immediately rushed to the aid of the 16-year-old victim and put pressure on the wound until an air ambulance arrived to rush him to hospital.
Waltham Forest Police confirmed that, without Maisarah’s swift and selfless action, the attack could have been fatal.
To reward her for her bravery and quick-thinking, the school held a special ceremony to pay tribute to Maisarah, where she was presented with a Commendation by Chief Superintendent and Borough Commander Simon Crick of Waltham Forest Police.
Principal Aamena Mayet said: “We are immensely proud of Maisarah. Her noble actions demonstrate the values we strive to instil in our pupils - compassion, empathy and a sense of service towards others.
“We are grateful to Waltham Forest Police for commending Maisarah’s extraordinary efforts by presenting her with this well-deserved honour. It’s a testament to her character and serves as an inspiration to our entire school community.”
Primary pupils from Starbank School have been getting closer to nature thanks to the UK’s biggest citizen wildlife study.
2023 marks the 44th RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which sees keen birdwatchers across the UK spend one hour tracking the birds they see in their gardens over a three-day period.
One in four bird species is under serious threat, so a key objective of the study is to measure and track the plight of different species to identify those requiring additional
Starbank’s Eco Councillors joined over 500,000 nature lovers across the country by grabbing their binoculars and clipboards, and logging the number and species of every bird that landed in an area of the school’s field.
Pupils had earlier used their creative skills to make birdfeeders from recycled plastic bottles. They filled them with bird feed and hung them on trees around school to attract more feathery visitors to their patch.
With the help of a handy visual guide to identify each type of bird, pupils recorded their findings on data sheets which were then collated by the Eco Council and submitted to the RSPB.
Many of the pupils enjoyed the experience so much that they persuaded their families to join them the following weekend to record more findings in their gardens and local parks.
Sports enthusiasts from Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Manchester have been gaining vital leadership skills by delivering an extra-curricular football club for their peers.
Twelve pupils, known as Pupil Activators, have successfully organised a football enrichment club for all year groups in the school, with sessions, activities and matches all run by the girls.
The Activators’ goal is to maximise young girls’ participation in all sports, not just football, and inspire them to continue with physical recreation after school.
Launching the club was a result of the school’s involvement with Barclays Game On, a programme developed by the Youth Sport Trust in partnership with England Football. Inspired by the successes of the Lionesses in the European Championships last year, the nationwide initiative aims to increase participation in sport and help young people to develop new transferable skills.
Through a series of workshops, the school’s team of Activators participated in training to enhance their delivery skills. Pupils’ newfound skills will not only help the football club to gain traction, but to develop young female leaders of the future.
On a trip on the historic Settle-Carlisle railway, Year 5 pupils from Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy fuelled their interest in STEM studies whilst soaking up the breathtaking scenery.
The group of 30 pupils, many of whom were experiencing train travel for the first time, took in the scenic landscape of the Yorkshire Three Peaks as they travelled on the celebrated line from Bradford to the historic Ribblehead Viaduct - lauded as an engineering masterpiece when it opened in 1875.
The trip, which took place during Community Rail Week, aimed to help pupils engage with their STEM studies by witnessing first-hand extraordinary feats of engineering.
On the journey to the viaduct, the pupils took part in a STEM eye-spy challenge where they were tasked with identifying engineering landmarks on the route, such as the Bingley Three Rise locks, Keighley’s Worth Valley Railway and semaphore signals.
After disembarking at Ribblehead station, pupils took a short tour to marvel at the 400m long viaduct. Chartered engineer Andrew Walker, who worked on the viaduct’s refurbishment in 2021, taught the children about the structure’s history and its four-year construction programme.
The experience culminated with a return to the station, where pupils were tasked with putting their new-found knowledge of construction into practice by building their own version of the viaduct using different materials.
A group of pupils from Eden Boys’ School, Manchester embarked on an enriching four-day tour of Spain in March, immersing themselves in the country’s captivating Islamic history.
The trip aimed to deepen the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of ancient civilisations – and their rise and fall – to enrich their history studies.
The adventure began with a visit to the magnificent Royal Alcazar Palace of Seville – believed to be the oldest palace in Europe still in use – and the iconic Le Giralda, which was built in the 1100s as the minaret for the Great Mosque of Seville. After exploring the ancient sites of Seville, the group travelled to Cordoba to admire the Mosque Cathedral and enjoy an insightful walking tour of the Jewish Quarter and the Medina area.
The whistle-stop tour of the Andalusia region continued with a trip to Granada, where the pupils marvelled at the breathtaking Alhambra Palace and the Granada Mosque. The trip concluded with a trek in the Alpujarras mountains, a historical region lined with olive groves, natural springs and rugged scenery, before pupils refuelled with a traditional meal in a mountain village.
Pupil Subhan Faheem said: “I learnt so much about the history of Spain that I was unaware of. It has really deepened my understanding of civilisations’ rise and fall. It has sparked a desire within me to learn more about this fascinating area.”
A morning of fitness activities led by an international badminton player gave pupils at The Olive School, Small Heath an insight into what it takes to be a professional sportsperson.
Jordan Hart, a Welsh international currently ranked in the top 100 women’s players in the world, delivered a workshop and assembly to engage pupils on the relationship between fitness and health.
Delivered to the whole school, Jordan took the pupils through the importance of a balanced diet in any sportsperson’s life, before testing the fitness of pupils by running circuit courses around the school hall.
The artistic talents of pupils from Oulder Hill Leadership Academy will be preserved for generations after they were buried in a time capsule at the school.
After producing artwork to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, pupils placed it in a commemorative tin and ceremoniously buried it in the school’s Peace Garden for future generations to discover.
With a label placed on top of the capsule giving those who find it information on its contents, it is hoped that the pupils’ legacy will inspire pupils in future decades to learn about the Coronation and how Oulder Hill pupils marked the historic occasion at the time.
On the same day, the pupils commemorated the lives lost in combat for VE Day, as the school’s History Ambassadors laid a wreath in the Peace Garden alongside the capsule.
A charity worker and pupil from Eden Girls’ School, Slough had an exhilarating meeting with HRH The Prince of Wales, as she showcased her dedication to volunteering.
Year 9 pupil Inaaya Shahab met Prince William when he visited the Together as One charity, where she volunteers, on its 25th anniversary. Inaaya had the honour of demonstrating the charity’s work to support young people and unite communities.
The future King rolled up his sleeves and donned an apron to help Inaaya prepare meals in the charity’s kitchen, as he talked about his love of cooking English breakfasts and his inability to prevent his sauces from becoming lumpy.
Along with her fellow volunteers, Inaaya was part of a demonstration led by chef Kevin Muhammad of Together as One’s Global Grub programme, which teaches young people how to cook nutritious food in a cost-effective manner.
Together as One was established in the late 1990s in response to gang violence between young people in Slough. Its mission is to work with people from all backgrounds to promote conflict
resolution and community cohesion through training and projects.
Inaaya volunteers at the charity along with her siblings and cousins, helping both the Global Grub programme and Together as One’s work to tackle knife crime in the area.
Speaking about her encounter with Prince William, Inaaya said: “It was absolutely amazing to meet someone from royalty and I only found out the night before that I was meeting someone special.
“The Prince himself helped us put the soy sauce and noodles in when we were cooking – he tried it and he loved it! I loved meeting him as I was representing my school and Together as One, as well as the Muslim and South Asian community in and around Slough.”
A rising cricketing star from The Valley Leadership Academy got off to a fantastic start in her fledgling county career.
After impressing for her club team, Abbie Bingham was selected to play for Lancashire County Cricket Club in both the under 15 and under 17s teams.
The Year 10 pupil received an even greater boost after she received personal words of encouragement from New Zealand international batter Devon Conway, who also plays for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. Abbie also spoke to former England all-rounder Ravi Bopara, who discussed the mental and technical attributes required to maximise a player’s potential in the sport.
Inspired by the words of the two international cricket stars, Abbie delivered a bowling masterclass in the Red Roses under 15s game against county rivals Yorkshire CCC. She finished the match with 4 wickets for just 17 runs in her 6 overs of bowling. In her spare time, the left-arm bowler also represents the senior ladies team at her local Ramsbottom Cricket Club, recently taking a five-wicket haul against Leyland.
Abbie said: “I have always enjoyed sport in general, but cricket is a huge passion of mine. I feel special when staff at The Valley Leadership Academy talk to me and take interest in my achievements outside of school. It has helped me build strong relationships with these staff members and is helping me understand the importance of my education in my dreams to represent my county and country in the future.”
A trip to the world-famous Silverstone racetrack gave pupils at Eden Boys’ School, Bolton an insight in the vast array of STEM and design and technology careers available.
Pupils visited the museum on the site of the famous Formula One racing venue to learn about the circuit’s illustrious history, including Lewis Hamilton’s record for the most wins in the British Grand Prix.
The excited visitors marvelled at the vast array of motor sports vehicles on display and witnessed first-hand the awe-inspiring evolution of technology and engineering. Pupils relived sporting history as they stood within touching distance of classic cars including Jenson Button’s 2009 World Championship winning Brawn GP 001 and the iconic two-time Le Mans winning Porsche 962.
The mood was more sombre as pupils discovered Silverstone’s role in World War II. The circuit is built on the site of a Royal Air Force bomber station, RAF Silverstone, and the airfield’s three runways still lie within the outline of the present track.
One of the most enriching aspects of the trip was learning about the career opportunities available within motorsport. Pupils were given an insight into the vast manpower behind every F1 car, from technical jobs such as mechanic and performance coach, to operational roles such as events management and HR. In the Tech Lab, pupils investigated the properties of the innovative materials used to manufacture current F1 cars. Motorsports experts explained that in a competitive sport where every gram counts, the industry invests billions of pounds researching and developing new materials. Together, they explored the importance of innovation and engineering to the sport and how advances in technology have led to the development of new compounds of materials such as carbon fibre, titanium and steel.
Of course, a trip to Silverstone would not be complete without a tour around the track itself, and a photo with a mural of Sir Lewis Hamilton, Britain’s most successful racing driver.
Enterprising pupils at Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham have been commended for the launch of a sustainable tote bag business.
The group of creative Year 10 pupils have been developing important business skills through their newly-formed ‘Positote’ enterprise, which designs, manufactures and sells bespoke handmade tote bags emblazoned with inspirational quotes and messages of positivity.
The girls’ venture, which was launched with the support of the Young Enterprise charity, has been awarded the Young Enterprise ‘Creativity’ award after the young entrepreneurs delivered a business pitch to judges at the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.
Pupils opened their pitch by explaining their business concept, sharing their sustainability credentials and showcasing their products – a range of ready-made stylish tote bags featuring uplifting messages. To appeal to a wider market, customers are able to request custom-made designs, which celebrates Positote’s mantra of promoting individuality.
Through the venture, pupils not only crafted their entrepreneurial talents, but gained valuable experience in sales and marketing. Product sales have grown exponentially as a result of their eye-catching and impactful marketing campaigns and their creative use of Instagram to attract new customers.
Speaking about the how she has personally benefited from the enterprise, pupil Rumaisah said: “By taking part within this business I have acquired many key aspects of a marketer, such as being a good communicator and taking the initiative while also maintaining a prospect of teamwork and unity.”
A talented pupil from Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy achieved national recognition at an award ceremony celebrating inspirational women.
At the event held at the Houses of Parliament, Akshara Narayanakumar won the Bright Artist award at Inspiring Indian Women’s She Inspires Awards. In scooping the prize, Akshara became the youngest ever recipient in the awards’ history.
The ceremony, which coincides with International Women’s Day, celebrates ‘ordinary’ female figures across the country who are doing ‘extraordinary’ things in their community, from social workers to artists and entrepreneurs.
The Year 3 pupil was recognised for her excellent progress both at school and her extra-curricular activities. Akshara regularly attends the Stagecoach Performing Arts school where she has excelled in her studies in drama and dance since she joined aged just two. Akshara is also a talented musician who recently played the guitar and sang in a school concert, and also performed at the Pongal Harvest Festival in Leeds.
Akshara also keeps active, taking part in Parkruns and the recent Bradford Marathon, and even finds time to help her fellow pupils to produce radio shows at BCB radio station’s summer schools.
Presented with her award by Bob Blackman MP, Akshara rubbed shoulders with MPs, community leaders and her fellow inspirational award winners at the prestigious event in Westminster.
In the school’s first ever netball tour, the sportsmanship displayed by pupils from Eden Girls’ School, Coventry saw them crowned as ‘Team of the Tournament.’
At the tournament – held at PGL Boreatton Park in Shropshire – the school was awarded the accolade following a unanimous vote from the umpires, who commended their respect towards officials and fair play towards other teams.
Each of the school’s five teams competed in six games against other Midlands schools. As well as playing the games in the right spirit, pupils also tasted victory with the Year 7 and Year 9 teams both taking home bronze medals.
During the tour, the pupils had the privilege of meeting Netball Super League player Ella Bowen, who engaged them in discussions about nutrition, health, career pathways and the importance of sports.
Describing her joy at the tour, Year 8 pupil Halima said: “PGL was a great experience for me to learn a lot of new skills and to help strengthen the bond between everyone in the team. We all became closer and did every activity together making it ten
Artwork designed by pupils from Tong Leadership Academy has travelled all the way to the South Pole after being selected in a national competition.
UK Polar Network runs an annual art contest to design a flag for Antarctica – a continent that does not currently have a flag of its own –with the winning designs flown proudly on the world’s southernmost continent.
The project takes place as a celebration of Antarctica Day, which marks the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, a document declaring that Antarctica would be off limits to military activity and setting it aside as a place for peace and scientific discoveries.
Pupils at the school’s Humanities Club rallied behind the idea, creating flag ideas inspired by the Antarctic scenery, science and wildlife. The school’s final flag was a combined design from pupils Harvey, Kayden and Laura which features a collection of serene mammals and birds which call the Antarctic their home.
Pupils were delighted to receive photos of their flag held proudly aloft by researcher Aurelia Reichardt, outside the Rothera Research Station on Adelaide Island, close to the continent’s most northerly point.
The whole school community at Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy joined together for a day of fancy dress, physical challenges and mouthwatering treats – all in aid of Red Nose Day.
Pupils and staff dressed up as their favourite sporting heroes to enjoy a host of healthy lifestyle activities, including an outdoor gym, climbing wall, an obstacle course and a fort-building challenge.
The creative talents of pupils were showcased as they designed their own red noses in art classes, baked Red Nose Day themed treats. With classrooms filled with cookies, cakes and buns, pupils sold their scrumptious sweet creations to raise funds for Comic Relief, which will be used to tackle poverty in the UK and around the world.
High Crags Leadership Academy has reinvented break and lunchtimes at the school with the help of local businesses and creative members of staff, replacing the traditional play activities with a range of enriching new experiences.
Recognising the decreasing opportunities for children to engage in outdoor play at home, the school has introduced OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) to create more opportunities for pupils to gain the benefits of fresh air and physical activity in a well-structured environment on the school grounds.
The school has replaced the traditional bats, balls and skipping ropes with equipment that encourages children to investigate, explore, invent and take measured risks. Pupils can get creative with cardboard, wooden boxes, tyres and plastic crates, and are encouraged to build dens, get hands-on in the mud kitchens and create obstacle courses.
A particularly popular new addition is a scooter track made from hundreds of tyres donated by a local garage. Larger tyres have become the focus of pupils wanting to hone their climbing skills, with the trees on the school grounds also utilised as staff-supervised climbing areas.
Pupils are encouraged to bring in their wellington boots and waterproof clothing so that the fields around the school can be utilised all year round, ensuring that outdoor play continues in all weather conditions.
Pupils have certainly been seeing the benefits, according to Vice Principal Chris Kimberley. He said: “OPAL has transformed playtimes for our children. There is something for every child to engage with on our school grounds. Being able to explore and take risks in a safe, well-supervised and controlled environment has given our children the most wonderful experiences. Most importantly, children appear happier and they come back into lessons after lunchtime refreshed, smiling and ready to learn.”
Pupils from The Olive School, Preston got a special visit from a parliament of owls to inspire their writing studies.
The flying visit from Horus Birds of Prey brought Year 2 pupils learning to life after writing about the birds and other nocturnal animals in their English studies.
The handlers from Horus taught children about the many different species of owls and the importance conservation plays in our environment.
After having their photos taken with the owls and brimming with detailed knowledge of the nocturnal birds, pupils proudly demonstrated their new-found knowledge and passion by writing exemplary reports about the characteristics and lives of these interesting animals.
Pupils at Bay Leadership Academy once again demonstrated their practical skills and community spirit by organising a ‘Big Cook’ to support a local food waste project.
Volunteers at the school organised a colossal cooking event in collaboration with Eggcup, putting good use to surplus food going to waste to feed vulnerable members of their community.
Under the guidance of staff, the school has been hosting regular cooking events since 2019. The culinary events, which now take place six times a year, started life as small, staff-only cooking sessions and have evolved into large-scale pupil-led initiatives.
Pupils not only gain invaluable cooking skills, the experiences also offer the young chefs an opportunity to help others and give back to their community.
In their ‘Big Cook’ in May, pupils celebrated the King’s Coronation by preparing Royal Quiches, the official food of the event, which was the pupils’ first foray into making pastry. Using the school’s catering facilities, pupils spent the day cooking, learning practical skills and exploring new ingredients. By the end of giant ‘cookathon’, pupils had made more than 160 vegetarian and vegan quiches, which were collected by Eggcup and distributed to the nearby Stanleys Community Centre in Morecambe and Eggcup’s Lancaster Hub, ready for recipients to enjoy as they celebrated the Coronation.
The creative prose of talented young writers from Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Bradford will reach a new audience after being published in a book which celebrates Bradford’s diverse culture through the lives of its residents.
ROOTS AND REALITY: Through the Lens of Bradford is an anthology of writing from Year 9 and 10 pupils at the school, compiled and edited by poet and performer Saju Iqbal Ahmed.
The Leeds-based writer joined the pupils in the school library for a 16-week programme of after-school sessions. Saju led rich conversations with pupils about their culture, beliefs and sense of belonging, and then guided the young writers about how to articulate their personalities and upbringings into their writing. The project formed part of First Story’s Young Writers Programme, which encourages and supports young people from all backgrounds to practise creative writing for pleasure and self-expression. The programme places inspiring professional writers into secondary schools, where they work intensively with pupils and teachers to develop young people’s creativity, confidence and ability. Explaining the importance of the project in the introduction to the anthology, Saju said: “The boys were passionate about making a difference to their lives and wanting to work towards their dreams and aspirations.
They were very vocal when it came to discussing making change. The hope they have for a better tomorrow is inspiring. The important thing to know is that this project didn’t just encourage them to read and write, it encouraged them to be themselves, feel proud of who they are and what they represent.”
In celebration of the anthology being published, the school held a special launch event where the young authors recited their poems in front of an audience of staff, parents and peers.
A copy of Roots and Reality will be placed in the British Library and is also available to buy on Young Writers’ website, with all proceeds from book sales reinvested into the programme itself.
Eden Boys’ School, Preston hosted pupils from Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School for a leadership day which combined two of pupils’ greatest passions - an unlikely pairing of football and Arabic.
The ‘Football in Arabic’ theme provided an opportunity for the pupils to engage in a programme of enrichment activities whilst conversing exclusively in Arabic and using sport as a catalyst for developing leadership qualities. Internationally, Arabic is seen as one of the most important languages to master. With over 400 million native speakers and a further 100 to 200 million people for whom it is their second language, Arabic ranks as the fourth most widely spoken language in the world and is one of the six official languages of the United Nations (UN).
15 pupils from each school participated in a crash course in football coaching, run by PE teachers and language specialists. Their goal was to learn the essentials of coaching whilst expanding their Arabic vocabulary and fluency of speech, with the sessions being delivered entirely in Arabic. Later, they were guided through a series of sessions on how the language can be effectively taught through the premise of sports, with pupils then tasked with preparing a coaching session for primary school children.
Laisterdyke Leadership Academy commemorated the lives of loved ones in a heart-warming memorial tree planting ceremony as part of National Tree Week.
Pupils and staff planted trees to recognise and remember the significance and impact of three individuals who are close to their hearts and have had a profound impact on the school community.
Mr Aziz, a beloved member of staff who tragically passed away in September 2021, and Abu Farhan, a pupil who died suddenly in March 2021, are both commemorated with a tree and plaque designed and crafted by members of staff. Alongside their commemorative trees, rests a third tree that is dedicated to the memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Pupils at Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School and Sixth Form College (TIGHS) welcomed Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, one of Britain’s most successful Paralympians, to inspire them to take up the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Silver Award.
Baroness Grey-Thompson, a member of the House of Lords and the DofE’s Chair of Trustees, shared her inspirational personal story and spoke to pupils about the endless opportunities of the Silver Award challenge.
An 11-time gold medal winner in wheelchair racing across five Paralympic games, Baroness Grey-Thompson spoke at length about her determination to be the best in her discipline. She also explained the significant barriers she had to overcome when entering the world of politics in 2010, when she became an independent crossbench peer in the House of Lords, where she campaigns on disability rights and sport.
Whilst challenging pupils to aim for the sky with their future aspirations, Baroness Grey-Thompson also gave extra motivation for pupils to pursue the next stage of their DofE experience by progressing from the Bronze Award to Silver.
Over the last seven years, hundreds of TIGHS pupils have completed the Bronze Award and the school is now finalising plans to offer the Silver Award to its sixth form pupils to further advance their resilience and character. Alongside the physical challenges that young people have to complete for the Silver Award, volunteering also forms an important part of the qualification. Participants are tasked with completing at least six months of voluntary work in the community. The voluntary element of the Silver Award feeds into Star’s established community programme, which aims to promote community service, social impact and charitable giving.
Acknowledging the importance of young people serving their community, Baroness Grey-Thompson said: “The Silver Award gives young people ideas on what to do in terms of volunteering and instils the importance of giving back to their community. I think a lot of young people want to make a change to society and the Duke of Edinburgh’s
Small Heath Leadership Academy hosted its first ever Culture Week to celebrate diversity, advocate equality and champion inclusion. The week-long programme of activities shone a spotlight on the school community’s rich, diverse and unique identities.
Organised by the Student Wellbeing team, pupils staged a series of events across the week’s tutorial sessions, which included interesting quizzes, informative presentations and inspiring debates about the definition and importance of culture in society.
The week culminated with ‘Culture Day’ where pupils dressed in clothing to represent their own identity and heritage. With traditional clothing from Somalia, Bangladesh, South America and numerous European nations on display, the colours, cultures and eccentricities of communities around the world presented an opportunity for pupils to learn more about their peers’ cultures and to celebrate the school’s rich diversity.
On an immersive visit to a Victorian town, pupils at The Olive School, Birmingham experienced the sights, sounds and smells of 19th century British life.
Throughout their visit to the Blists Hill Victorian Town – located in the Ironbridge Valley of Invention, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the children had the unique opportunity to interact with ‘real’ Victorians within the town’s authentic shops and cottages.
As pupils were transported back to Victorian times, donning traditional costumes and experiencing aspects of a child’s life during the era, they observed tradespeople skilfully engaged in their crafts in the town’s workshops and factories. In the first of two workshops, the pupils experienced a typical-Victorian school lesson which included mathematics and literacy. The pupils also took part in a drill lesson in the schoolyard, gaining an insight into the disciplined routines Victorian children had to follow.
The second workshop focused on the art of candle dipping, delving into the history of the craft by trying it themselves. Pupils made their own candles by skilfully dipping a white candle into coloured wax, precisely maintaining a temperature of 65°C.
The memorable trip aligned seamlessly with the pupils’ studies of the Industrial Revolution in their history lessons and their learning about Victorian hats in design and technology. By exploring the Blists Hill Victorian Town, the pupils witnessed first-hand the transformative changes that occurred in British towns during the Industrial Revolution, gaining valuable insights into the challenging, and often gruesome, conditions faced by factory children.
A campaigning pupil from The Olive School, Blackburn has won a regional environmental award for tackling pollution around his school and home community.
Muhammad Abdulrashid took home the ‘Young Nature Champion’ award at the inaugural South Pennine Park Awards.
The South Pennines Park, which covers a 460-square-mile area cutting across the Yorkshire and Lancashire county boundary, is the only upland region in England not designated as a national park or area of outstanding natural beauty. The awards celebrate those who support the park’s mission to look after nature and the environment.
Muhammad, who has asthma, has made it his goal to tackle climate change by spreading awareness of the dangers of car idling. Car idling is harmful to the environment as it increases the amount of CO2 emissions, producing twice the amount of a moving car.
The Year 6 pupil at the school has been politely encouraging those on the school grounds to turn their engines off while they are not moving. Muhammad also regularly takes part in The Olive School, Blackburn’s regular community environmental activities, which include tree planting and litter picking around the area.
Talented pupils at Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham have produced a film to educate their peers about the impact of racism and to inspire action to tackle it.
The short film, entitled Stand Up to Racism, was produced by five Year 8 pupils at the school after they received funding from the Changemaker Social Action Grant, as part of a wider campaign by pupils to raise awareness of the damage caused by prejudice.
Featuring candid interviews with their fellow pupils and members of school staff, the documentary focuses on the destructive impact racism can have on individuals and communities. By highlighting the dangers of stereotyping and the damaging effect social media can have, it aims to educate and raise awareness of how misconceptions can rapidly perpetuate.
The pupils’ film also offers solutions to tackle racism,
with interviewees explaining how championing diversity and challenging all forms of prejudice are powerful tools to move society forward.
Whilst making the film, the pupils gained valuable skills in film production by working alongside a team of experienced editors and camera operators from Paperwolf Productions.
In true Hollywood blockbusterstyle, the pupils invited their peers and prominent members of the community to attend the grand premiere in school. The showing was followed by a group discussion about how young people can help shape conversations around racism.
A group of Year 9 pupils at Starbank School have been helping their younger peers with improving their wellbeing through a mentoring programme.
The Young Mental and Physical Wellbeing Champions have delivered a six-week programme to a group of Year 7 pupils, with a range of activities to improve their physical and mental health.
The ‘Active in Mind’ scheme is a pupil-led intervention project, with exercise and mindfulness sessions promoting better physical and mental wellbeing, underpinned by a peer-to-peer support system.
After being selected by the school to take part in the Youth Sport Trust’s project, the group achieved ‘Champion’ status after completing workshops that gave them training on ways individuals can improve sleep, their diet and stress levels through exercise routines. They also learned how our bodies react to different situations and studied
practical activities which they could then implement through their own mentoring workshops.
The wellbeing mentors then got to work on delivering their six-week programme, which took the form of a series of games and activities while introducing the power of teamwork and communication.
By engaging with their peers, the activities are intended to encourage an environment where pupils can open up to their peers about the stresses or anxieties they may be experiencing.
Pupils from Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham East reinforced their commitment to their local community by spreading kindness during Ramadhaan.
Throughout the holy month, Muslims are encouraged to engage in charitable activities and good deeds, and to serve their community.
The school has successfully forged key relationships with local community groups and embraced Ramadhaan as an opportunity to spread kindness to residents, pupils and staff. Pupils donated hot food and Eid gifts to Heartlands and Evergreen care homes, as well as St Basils Grosvenor Court homeless shelter.
The school’s pupil-led foodbank also stepped up its commitment to the community during the holy month. The foodbank, which runs every Friday and is part-financed by pupils’ fundraising activities, introduced a hot food home delivery service to ensure its regular service users received healthy, nutritious meals.
At the Star Awards in March, Dot Thomson became the first ever recipient of the Spirit of Star Award, for her outstanding contribution to the trust over the past two decades. In this edition of Star People, she discusses the transformation of Star since it was first established and how a teacher changed the course of her life.
How did it feel to win the Spirit of Star award?
I was very surprised and very emotional to receive the award. It was a tearful moment, and I don’t think I took it in at the time, it was so overwhelming. To be the first recipient of the award, which only really sunk in later, is something quite special. It was fantastic to be recognised alongside the pupils, the leaders who make sure everything goes well in school and the teachers on the ground who make exceptional learning happen in classrooms and transform children’s lives.
bodies, to make sure they understood the importance of their role in making a difference to pupils and young people. I have also advised Star’s academic board, been involved in interview panels and supported Star’s teacher training programme.
You have been involved with Star since its inception. How much has it changed in that time?
I’ve seen it grow and develop way beyond what people would have imagined from the little independent school that was located in one terraced house. Their facilities when TIGHS was an independent were very modest, with no proper desks and chairs. Despite this, the results were superb and that has continued to this day. I don’t think people could have predicted just how successful and influential Star would be today.
What would you put the success of Star down to?
the standard of education, the systems, processes, policies and procedures into each of the schools. We’ve had tremendous success with free schools starting from scratch and then achieving outstanding exam results and Ofsted judgements, before maintaining and improving on these high standards. Seeing the fantastic outcomes for the young people is tremendously satisfying. It’s all about transforming lives and outcomes and the children we serve.
Who was your favourite teacher at school and why?
How would you describe your involvement with Star?
I’ve worked alongside the people at Star, in its various forms, for the past 19 years. While working for Blackburn and Darwen local authority, I was the school improvement officer deployed to Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School (TIGHS) to support the transfer process from an independent school to a maintained school. After I retired in 2014, I took on a broader role within Star, becoming a governor at TIGHS, TIBHS and Eden Girls’ School, Slough and supported the establishment of The Olive School, Blackburn. My involvement included providing training for governing
The senior leaders within Star have so much ambition for the young people we serve, particularly those from socially disadvantaged communities, to give them the life chances they deserve. The growth of the trust has been in areas of need, where we could build great relationships and forge strong partnerships, to ensure success and make sure young people fulfil their potential.
What part of your job has given you greatest satisfaction?
Seeing schools grow from nothing to something special. When a free school starts and you’ve only got a couple of year groups of pupils on roll, you don’t know how it’s going to turn out. But Star has a model that works, introducing
I wouldn’t have been able to do the jobs that I have done without Mr Wright, who was my maths teacher. I struggled with the subject, particularly with calculus. He used to keep me back at lunchtime and explain in different ways until the penny dropped and, because of him, I passed my maths O level. Without that qualification I couldn’t have trained as a teacher. He was someone who didn’t give up, went that extra mile and who cared enough about the potential I had to persevere until I figured it out. I took that into my own work – I think it’s our job, as teachers, to help children believe in themselves, and empower them to have true ambition to stretch beyond their imagination.
What are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading a book that was a gift from a friend - 50 Words for Snow by Nancy Campbell. Each chapter is a different word for snow from a different language or different culture, so you get a new insight into the culture in which that word springs from. Who would know there are 50 different words for snow?
I’VE SEEN STAR GROW AND DEVELOP WAY BEYOND WHAT PEOPLE WOULD HAVE IMAGINED.”
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