Taking time off from the festive end-of-term preparations, the Northamptonshire education sector found time to gather once again to celebrate the best their profession has to offer at the Northamptonshire Education Awards 2022.
Before the evening’s host – dancer, choreographer and television personality Louie Spence – began the proud task of presenting the awards, from Nursery School of the Year through to the Lifetime Achievement Award, Ben Thomas, from awards organisers All Things Business, said: “Looking at the sponsors and business guests here tonight, it’s fantastic to think that they will employ young people who may well have been taught by the finalists and guests.
“That’s why we always say that business needs education and education needs business. And an event like this is a fantastic opportunity for businesses to speak to the schools, or schools to talk to the businesses to form links that will help shape the county’s workforce of the future.”
Guests enjoyed a three-course meal before the awards began and once the presentations got under way it was clear that there were some outstanding finalists this year.
Having taken two awards earlier in the evening, Daventry Hill School was named Overall School of the Year, an award sponsored by The Qube, in recognition of its fantastic turnaround in recent years. Under Gareth Ivett, who had been named Headteacher of the Year (sponsored by Reed) earlier in the proceedings, Daventry Hill School has gone from an Ofsted rating of Inadequate to Good with Outstanding elements. The school was also named SEND School of the Year (sponsored by Track NN), with the judges saying how the school has built on strong foundations to engage with students.
Hospital & Outreach Education, which provides alternative provision for children who are not able to attend school regularly due to medical or mental health difficulties, took three awards. Sadie Hawthorn, Judy Skuce and Becky Goryll were name winners of the English Team or Teacher of the Year Award, sponsored by DFA Law. Their maths counterparts, Maggie Caner and Tracey Osborne took the Maths Team or Teacher of the Year Award, which was sponsored by J Sweeney Accountants, while Charlotte Colgan was presented with the STEM Award, sponsored by The University of Northampton.
Lesley Stevens was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by All Things Business, and Northampton College’s Executive Management Team picked up the inaugural Environmental Champion Award, sponsored by David Williams IFA Mortgages & Insurance.
The Fountain of Knowledge Montessori Nursery School was named Nursery of the Year (sponsored by SHEQ Group); and Sue Valentine-Swallow from The Skylark Partnership took the School Business Manager of the Year Award, which was sponsored by ACS.
Finally, Wootton School was named Primary School of the Year, sponsored by Sign In App, while Northampton School for Boys was presented with the Secondary School of the Year Award by Nick Morton from Supplyant on behalf of the sponsors, Learning & Skills Academy CIC.
Find out more about the Northamptonshire Education Awards here.
