Calne’s Kingsbury Green Academy will find out this month <c July 2023> whether the school has won the national accolade of Aspire: School of the Year award.
Kingsbury Green Academy has made the final shortlist, and careers leader Catherine Young and assistant head Mary Goldsmith have been invited to attend the 2023 Student Social Mobility Awards ceremony taking place on Thursday 13 July at Mansion House, when this year’s winner will be announced.
The national Student Social Mobility Awards are organised by educational charity upReach. UpReach gives students facing socio-economic barriers access to a range of opportunities and activities to broaden their horizons, understand career pathways and develop the skills needed for professional success.
The Aspire: School of the Year award recognises a secondary school or college that has made outstanding efforts to create programmes to boost the career aspirations of students, particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Cath Young, a higher education advisor with Wessex Innovation Network (WIN) and careers leader at Kingsbury Green Academy, said she is delighted that the school has been shortlisted for its career programme which includes activities to inspire and develop pupils from all backgrounds.
“At Kingsbury Green Academy our motto is ‘Achieving excellence together’ and we are determined that all students are given the opportunities they need to excel in their professional lives in the future,” said Mrs Young. “I am so proud of the way they have responded to the careers vision of the Challenge Aspire network, embracing opportunities for work experience, networking and building their skills.
“I’m also very grateful to colleagues and our wonderful employer partners who give our pupils such incredible opportunities, including the career mentoring programme with Ablaze Bristol, the WIN personal guidance workshops, inspirational school assemblies and the Words for Work programme by the National Literacy Trust.”
Principal Jason Tudor said everyone at Kingsbury Green Academy is crossing their fingers for the big night on 13 July. “Mrs Young and her colleagues have all worked incredibly hard and been very creative in putting the mentoring programme and other initiatives together and running with it,” said Mr Tudor.
“It would be the icing on the cake if we won the award for the best school in the country, but we’re already very proud of what our careers team have achieved, and they deserve our congratulations.”
Kingsbury Green Academy is part of the Ascend Learning Trust.