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Students and staff at Northampton Academy are celebrating after being crowned 'STEM Team of the Year' at the Northamptonshire Education Awards. The awards ceremony, sponsored by All Things Business and hosted by TV Presenter Eamonn Holmes, took place at the Park Inn, Northampton on Friday, 10th November.

In taking home this award, the school was recognised for its commitment to providing exceptional opportunities in STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths – to all its young people and, in particular, the success of its unique STEM programme, Nucleus STEM. This summer saw the school's first cohort of Nucleus STEM students receive their GCSE results, with all students on the programme achieving a minimum Grade 7 in all subjects.

Throughout their time in the programme, students have presented at the Institute for Research in Schools Conference on the work they have been doing with their international partner school in India. The students are now extending their international project work to the aviation industry.

Looking ahead, several international visits are planned throughout this year to expand students' cultural capital. These opportunities include a sports development trip to South Africa to learn about wildlife and ecology, including subjects like poaching and finding solutions to protect biodiversity and a visit to a school in Zanzibar where students will learn about the country's education, water and sanitation systems.

Northampton Academy Year 10 STEM Students.

In addition, several students are set to participate in the Fantasy Wings initiative, a 10-month programme to encourage under-represented groups into careers in the aviation industry, including aspiring pilots.

Shreeja Ashton, Director of STEM at Northampton Academy, said:

"It is fantastic to receive this award in recognition of our work to provide the best STEM opportunities to our dedicated and hard-working students. Thank you to my team for their commitment to our Nucleus STEM projects and all they do to ensure our students excel in their learning. We look forward to continuing our many exciting plans this year and providing our students with new experiences to develop their interest in STEM."

Year 9 STEM student Alexia, said: "We are thrilled to hear about this award. I consider myself fortunate to be part of the Nucleus STEM Programme, and I am grateful to be able to participate in the many opportunities offered to me.”

Northampton Academy scoops' STEM Team of the Year' award at Northamptonshire Education Awards