Five awards for Northamptonshire schools announced at Inspiration Awards

Five Northamptonshire schools have recently won awards in the sixth annual David Ross Education Trust Inspiration Awards.

The winners were announced in a virtual awards ceremony that was live streamed via YouTube Live to all DRET schools from London to Hull on 22 June 2023 so that all staff could celebrate together.

The awards for Northamptonshire schools included:

• Secondary Academy of the Year: Welton CE Academy

• Teacher of the Year: Lorraine Berry, Lodge Park Academy

• New Teacher of the Year: Rebekah Kitchell, Falconer’s Hill Academy

• Music Academy of the Year: Malcolm Arnold Academy

• Volunteer of the Year Inspirational Teaching Assistant of the Year Award: Julie Newman, Eastfield Academy

The Inspiration Awards provides staff and pupils across DRET with the opportunity to celebrate the outstanding work of 1,800 exceptional teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across a nationwide network of 34 academies.

The Inspiration Awards are funded by sponsors’ donations, and proceeds go to DRET’s Inspiration Fund, which enables the trust to provide life-changing and character-building enrichment opportunities to 13,000 state school pupils across the country.

The wide range of opportunities made possible by the Inspiration Fund are normally only available to pupils in fee-paying or public schools. These opportunities include talent support programmes, bursaries, flagship competitions and events, specialist tutoring or coaching, and much more.

Rebekah Kitchell, Falconer’s Hill Academy, said: “I am very humbled to have received this award from DRET. I completed my training and am about to complete my ECT years at Falconer's Hill Academy. I have loved learning alongside my colleagues both in my school, and across DRET. The support I have received has been impeccable and has helped me to become a confident, passionate teacher. I can't thank the school, and DRET enough for the great start to my (hopefully long) career in teaching.”

Lorraine Berry, Lodge Park Academy, said: “It's an absolute honour to have been given this award. I love being a history teacher and the best part is seeing how much enjoyment the students get out of each lesson. It's brilliant when I see teachers learning something new too. I want the best for each student I teach and every student in school and I am so blessed to be a part of their story.”

Ruth Roberts, Head of School, added: “We are all very proud of Mrs Berry winning Teacher of the Year in the DRET Inspiration awards. She is real life example of LPA Spirit and always ‘Shows her best’.

Stuart Burns, Chief Executive Officer at the David Ross Education Trust, said: “Huge congratulations to all our inspirational winners. I am constantly inspired by our staff and their dedication to helping provide a truly world-class education.

“It is so important to recognise their efforts and take time to celebrate our teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders together as a team.

“I am very grateful to our sponsors for supporting this virtual awards ceremony so that we can once again include all our staff.”

Joanne Bland, Divisional Director at Caterlink, said: “As their lead catering partner across the UK, Caterlink are delighted to once more be sponsoring the Inspiration Awards for David Ross Education Trust. We thoroughly enjoy working with 29 of the Trust schools up and down the country, day in, day out, and are very proud to be supporting these awards, which highlight the fantastic achievements of your teams.”