Warrington Guardian Education Awards are back for 2022

And we need your help to make them the best yet, by letting us know who deserves to be an award winner. We've got more than a dozen awards to give away in a variety of categories, including School of the Year (scroll down to see the full list).

Over the past two years the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in many events having to be postponed or cancelled, but we believe that now – more than ever – we need to celebrate everything that’s good in Warrington.

That means highlighting the brilliant work carried out by our dedicated teachers and everyone involved in education in the borough, as well as shining a spotlight on innovation and best practice across the area.

Our schools awards, launched in 2016 in association with Warrington Borough Council, also aim to recognise the outstanding achievements of pupils and students, including those who may have overcome the odds or battled adversity during the pandemic to succeed in their studies or extracurricular activities.

Warrington Guardian editor Hayley Smith said: “Our education awards are always one of the highlights of our calendar, so it was incredibly disappointing that we weren’t able to run the awards in 2019 and 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.

“But after the success of our Lockdown Heroes Awards we believe now is the time to shout about those who have gone above and beyond to help others and made a real difference in their nurseries, schools or colleges.

“Whether it’s a teacher, governor, caretaker, pupil, class or team of students, we want to hear about what makes them great.”

These will be our sixth education awards and this one is set to be extra special because of the challenges faced by schools throughout the pandemic.

Children and teachers, support staff and students, headteachers and lecturers will be honoured at a special virtual awards event hosted by Granada TV presenter Elaine Willcox on Thursday, March 17, which everyone in the town will be invited to watch live on the night.

The awards would not be possible without our event partners Warrington Borough Council, the University of Chester, Golden Square Shopping Centre and Assura.

Entries are invited from teachers, parents, governors, pupils and anyone with knowledge of a particular school or education establishment.

All schools are welcome to enter as long as they are based in the borough.

Individuals or institutions can enter more than one category, but this should be made clear on the entry form.

You can make a nomination by clicking here

Alternatively if you have any issues accessing the online form you can email NW-Guardian-Awards@newsquest.co.uk including the following information: Your name and full contact details, the name and full contact details of the person/school you are nominating, plus the category you are nominating in (see below) and your reasons for nominating, providing as much detail as possible.

And if you are a local business interested in sponsoring an award, please email nikki.whinnett@localiq.co.uk for more details.

Please note that due to the volume of entries received we will not be able to respond to individual nomination submissions, however please be assured that provided the required information is included your entry will be put forward for discussion by our panel of judges.

THE CATEGORIES:

School of the Year

Does your primary, high school or further education setting stand out from the rest? Not only do we want to hear about academic achievement and competition success, we also want to see entries that demonstrate how pupils and students have developed in ways that go beyond the league tables. Whether it is improving attendance levels, developing healthy living or mental health and wellbeing policies, or building better relationships with parents and the wider community, this is your chance to shout about how great your school has been throughout the pandemic.

Head Teacher of the Year

Does this head teacher provide outstanding leadership with a clear and compelling vision for success? This award will go to an inspirational head teacher who has shown exceptional leadership, management, teaching skills and commitment to their school or college over the past year.

Teacher of the Year – Primary School

Teacher of the Year – High School/Further Education

Does this teacher inspire and engage pupils in order to help them achieve their full academic and social potential? The winner of our top teacher categories will have made an exceptional contribution to the school or college they work in and will go over and above to provide the best opportunities for the children they teach.

Separate awards will be presented to primary and high school/further education teachers.

New Teacher of the Year

This category celebrates the achievements of those who are new into the profession, for example a newly qualified teacher. We want to hear about the teachers who have made an outstanding start to their teaching career by inspiring others to achieve their goals.

Entrants should have been in education for no more than three years.

Teaching Assistant of the Year

This award is for a dedicated teaching assistant who has made a real difference in their school, someone who shows kindness and compassion to the children they care for in their day to day school life and plays a vital role in their wellbeing and happiness, as well as playing an essential role in supporting their teaching colleagues.

Primary School Pupil of the Year

Whether they have excelled academically, been successful in their extra-curricular activities or had to overcome adversity to succeed, we want to hear about your hardworking children. They will play an active role in all areas of school life, be respectful of others and always willing to lend a hand.

High School Pupil of the Year

This award will go to a young person who has achieved something beyond expectation in education during a challenging 12 months. They may not necessarily be the highest academic achiever – we also want to hear about students who have developed themselves personally, through sheer determination to do better, or helped others in the community during the pandemic.

Class/Team of the Year

Do you know a class or team that deserves to be rewarded for their hard work throughout the pandemic? It may be a sports team that has gone the extra mile, an after-school club or school choir that has carried out outstanding work in the community, or a class of primary or high school pupils that have excelled in their studies or on a special project. We want to find the top team for 2022.

Innovation Award

This award will recognise an individual, team, school or college that has excelled in the use of digital technology or can demonstrate innovation in order to help others. Judges will be looking for evidence that the technology/initiative has had a positive impact on educational outcomes of students inside or outside the classroom, supported teaching or benefited the wider community.

Unsung Hero

This category is open to any non-teaching staff, either individual or a team, who play a key role in the smooth running of their school or college. Whether it is a lunchtime team, caretaker, governors, administrative staff, PTA or school crossing patrol assistant, tell us who your unsung heroes are. We are looking for a stand out star of a school who consistently goes above and beyond and is an inspiration to others.

Early Years Award

This award will go to an innovative and successful child-minding provider, nursery, pre-school or organisation which stands out from the rest for their early years support or provision. Nominations should demonstrate the impact their work has had on their users or the children in their care.

Outstanding Achievement Award

This prestigious award is open to nominations from pupils, parents, school staff and teachers as we look to honour a person who has had a significant and positive impact on education in Warrington, whether recently through the coronavirus pandemic or over a number of years. If you know someone who deserves recognition for their unwavering hard work and dedication, make sure you tell us about them.