Ormiston Academies Trust wins silver in Pearson National Teaching Awards

The prestigious award recognises Ormiston’s #WeWill project, which has empowered young people across 93 schools and 272,689 hours of social action activity to support their local communities and make a meaningful difference to the world around them. This includes all 42 Ormiston academies, and many other schools in their community.

The individual school initiatives have fostered a culture of inclusivity, built a legacy of social action, and ensured that meaningful opportunities are accessible for all young people regardless of their background or experience.

At Ormiston Six Villages Academy, students have used their #WeWill be Cyber Safe project to share research and learnings about cyber safety with local Eastergate Primary pupils, alongside designing informative and helpful leaflets to be shared with elderly members of the community. Following their experience, the students also spent a day at Portsmouth University to learn all about cyber security risks for companies and how to best prevent these.

Following the success of Ormiston’s #WeWill social action projects, the Trust is now in the running for the coveted Gold Award, which will be announced at an awards ceremony later this year.

The announcement comes as celebrities, students and schools across the UK are today paying tribute to all those who work in education to mark National Thank a Teacher Day, which celebrates the whole education community and shines a light on the exceptional impact they have on shaping young lives. .

National Thank a Teacher Day and the Pearson National Teaching Awards are run by the Teaching Awards Trust, an independent charity established over 25 years ago to celebrate the transformative impact of education, shining a spotlight on the pivotal roles teachers, support staff, colleges, schools and early years educators play in inspiring young people, every single day.

Tom Rees, Chief Executive Officer at Ormiston Academies Trust, said:

“We are so proud to have been recognised by the Pearson National Teaching Awards for #WeWill and Ormiston’s commitment to meaningful social action work. It has been heartwarming to see our students and staff across the Trust get involved with so many different projects which have had such a positive effect on their communities.

“Ormiston is a values-led organisation committed to creating the best possible learning opportunities for all young people, empowering them to become responsible citizens who contribute to their communities. We look forward to seeing these projects continue to grow, and to building new initiatives in the future.”

Michael Morpurgo, author, former Children’s Laureate, and President of the Teaching Awards Trust, said: “The work and devotion of all of those who play a role in educating young people is phenomenal. Not only do they play a vital role in shaping minds inside the classroom, often they continue to encourage, support, motivate and inspire beyond. That’s why it is important for us to take a moment on this National Thank a Teacher Day to recognise their efforts.

“I am also thrilled to be able to congratulate this year’s Silver Award winners and recognise the amazing contributions and commitment they have shown is shaping the lives of the next generation - thank you!”

Sharon Hague, Managing Director of School Assessment & Qualifications at Pearson UK, says: “We're delighted to recognise this year’s Silver Award winners on their outstanding achievements. The contributions they make and the impact they have on young people’s lives every day is truly exceptional. We're extremely proud to support the National Teaching Awards and mark the achievements of all of our very worthy winners. Thank you for your continued work and congratulations!”