ST Albans’ and Harpenden’s education elite have been recognised at a prestigious ceremony marking the inaugural Herts Advertiser School Awards.
Hosted in conjunction with Oaklands College at its Smallford campus, the event was the culmination of a district-wide campaign to celebrate the achievements of schools within the district, from their academic successes through teaching triumphs and sporting victories.
The awards were divided into categories covering both primary and secondary level education, offering the chance for schools of all different sizes to shout about their successes.
A special panel of judges including representatives from the Herts Advertiser, Oaklands College and category sponsors Collinson Hall estate agents and Neves solicitors had the arduous task of sorting through dozens of nominations, all of exceptionally high standard, to decide who would be the beneficiaries of this year’s accolades.
Herts Advertiser editor Matt Adams, who gave a speech at the awards, said: “As the leading newspaper for the St Albans district, we are constantly made aware of the high standards of education across the Herts Advertiser area, whether at primary or secondary school level, but there has never been an awards competition to do justice to these successes.
“Working closely with Oaklands College has enabled us to create an event which we hope has shown just how innovative and successful the schools in our area are.
“We have been overwhelmed by the phenomenal response we have received to these inaugural awards, which really seem to have captured the public’s imagination, and I hope the Herts Advertiser School Awards will become a fixture in our events calendar going forward.”
Zoe Hancock, principal of Oaklands College, said: “This evening is an opportunity to honour teachers, staff and students who consistently go the extra mile to achieve success and reach their potential.
“We are very fortunate in our district that we have so many talented and valued individuals in schools and we were overwhelmed by the number of nominations received for each award.
“Schools play such an integral role in the community and help to shape its future so it’s very important to recognise dedication, hard work, outstanding individuals and the extremely high standard of our local education.”
The awards evening, which took place in the main hall on the Smallford site, saw invited guests enjoy a buffet laid on by Oaklands students and an inspirational speech by St Albans athletics legend Tom McNab. Mr McNab’s incredible career includes winning five Scottish triple jump titles, and writing various sporting books, including the novel Flanagan’s Run.
The winners were:
Sporting Achiever of the Year (Primary Schools)
Sponsored by Neves Solicitors of Harpenden
Winner: James Lawrence
Second: St Albans District Primary Representatives
Third: St Adrian’s Catholic School
Sporting Achiever of the Year (Secondary Schools)
Sponsored by The Maltings Shopping Centre in St Albans
Winner: Dominic Hopkins, Sir John Lawes
Second: Isabel Hatt, Nicholas Breakspear
Third: Lee Close, Sir John Lawes
Academic Achiever of the Year
Sponsored by Deloitte of St Albans
Winner: Glenn Shorey, Sandringham School
Second: Amoi Bhuptani
Third: Harriet Brown
Innovation or Project of the Year
Sponsored by Collinson Hall estate agents
Winner: The Eco Garden, Oakwood Primary School
Second: Caring Schools Initiative, Fleetville Infant and Nursery School
Third: Gambia Link, Sandringham School
Special recognition to Engaging Minds of Verulam, Beaumont and Sandringham Schools
Teacher of the Year
Sponsored by Stevensons
Winner: Chris Armitage, Sir John Lawes School
Second: Imogen Lyon, Sauncey Wood Primary
Third: Laura McCormick, Sandringham School
Special recognition to Claire Reaney of The Grove Junior School and Alex Jeavons of Aboyne Lodge School
To find out more about the winners and the finalists, see this week’s Herts Advertiser.
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