Thousands flock to celebrate best in school at Nottinghamshire education trust's annual awards

Staff and children from 31 schools across the region attended the Flying High Trust awards at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena, an annual event recognising the achievements of staff and pupils over the previous academic year.

The schoolchildren took to the stage to perform songs for the huge audience of friends and families. Also included in the evening was a spectacular arts showcase where children from each Flying High school paraded flags through the audience, culminating in a mass of colour on the stage.

The flags were created as part of school sustainability projects and made with recycled materials promoting the message ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ to highlight the importance of creating a more sustainable future.

Chris Wheatley, Flying High Partnership chief executive officer, said: “Our schools have continued to go from strength to strength, with an unbroken record of improvement and coming together under one roof gave everyone the chance to reflect on our schools’ combined achievements .

“I could not be more proud of the children and the staff. This event has been a deserved celebration of the resilience of our schools, and the determination of staff and pupils to create the best schools in the universe.”

The event saw awards presented which reflect the trusts’ values of aspiration, confidence, creativity, enjoyment, perseverance, pride and responsibility, with individual and team awards for achievements in sports, and a recognition of long service.

Ivy Bingley is a Year 5 pupil at Mansfield’s The Flying High Academy – Ladybrook and a member of her school’s Pupil Parliament.

She said: “It was such a fun evening. Watching myself on video on the big screen was so funny and a bit scary – I covered my face while my video was playing. After the video had finished, I felt so proud to be part of such an amazing and important event and had a huge smile on my face all night.”

Fellow FHA – Ladybrook pupil Violet Bingley was a winner in the enjoyment category and went on stage with her teacher, Robert Hughes. The Year 2 pupil said, “When I was waiting to go on stage Mr Hughes made me feel happy. When I got on stage, he knelt beside me to make me laugh, which took my nerves away. I felt proud to receive the award.”

Jacob Bacon, a Year 3 pupil at Sutton’s Leamington Primary Academy, said: “I won the award for confidence. I was excited to go on stage. When I got on the stage, I had to stop myself from bouncing up and down with excitement.”

Eleven-year-old Maddison Pledge, a pupil at Pinxton Village Academies, won the All Values award. She said: “You get this award when you follow all the trust values. It's important to me because it shows how much I enjoy school, how confident I am, and how I perservere and show pride in my work.”

Other Flying High schools in attendance included: Bilsthorpe Flying High Academy, Sutton’s Forest Glade Primary and Nursery School, Kirkby’s Greenwood Primary & Nursery School, Sutton’s Mapplewells Primary & Nursery School, Peafield Lane Academy in Mansfield Woodhouse, and The Green Infant School in South Normanton.

Also present were Bestwood Village’s Hawthorpe Primary & Nursery School, Hucknall’s Hillside Primary and Nursery School, Horsendale Primary School in Nuthall, and Hucknall Flying High Academy.