Outstanding Secondary Practice

Sponsored by Enrich Education

Awarded to a secondary school that has used PE, sport and play to build back healthier, happier and more resilient young people. 

Winner

The Belvedere Academy, Liverpool 

Led by the head of PE, Kate Reynolds, Belvedere Academy has demonstrated an exceptional transformation of their physical education offering for girls, adopting a student-centric approach that has significantly improved engagement, mental well-being, and inclusivity. Despite limited school facilities, her efforts have encouraged a more positive relationship with physical activity and improved the school’s wellbeing score from 53% to 92%.  

By using the Youth Sport Trust Youth Voice Toolkit, the academy has been able to create a safe space, allowing students to openly share the challenges they are facing and have employed several key changes as a result. This includes allowing Year 11 students to wear PE kits to school, which alleviated changing room anxiety, and implementing clear guidelines to maintain a professional and respectful environment. As a result, 95% of Year 11 students supported the change, with increased participation, fewer behavioural issues, and stronger student-teacher relationships. Following the successful results and adoption of these initiatives, they have since been expanded school wide.  

In addition, the integration of puberty education and mental health awareness into the PE curriculum has been a crucial development. This included providing period products and flexible participation policies, offering lessons on body image, hormonal health, and sports bra fitting, and encouraging open communication through student-led discussions. These efforts have led to a reduction in menstruation-related anxiety, improved understanding and management of mental health, and increased overall participation in PE. 

As a Youth Sport Trust PE CatalYST, Kate supports schools across Liverpool and beyond, ensuring that girls' voices are central to policymaking and assisting other schools to implement changes that benefit their students. Her leadership, compassion, and innovation have transformed PE into a supportive, inclusive environment where all students can thrive. 

Highly Commended

Newbattle High School, Midlothian 

Newbattle High School girls cheer squad photo

Newbattle Community High School has demonstrated exceptional commitment to using PE, sport, and play as transformative tools for fostering healthier, happier, and more resilient young people. Through innovative programming, pupil-driven initiatives, and a focus on inclusivity, the school has redefined enrichment and extra-curricular activities as an entitlement for every student. 

Central to this success are Newbattle’s Young Ambassadors, who act as role models and leaders in sport and physical activity. Their efforts have been instrumental in achieving an 80% increase in extra-curricular participation within 18 months, exemplifying how empowered pupils can inspire an entire school community. Younger students not only look up to the Ambassadors but are motivated to engage in activities that build confidence, teamwork, and resilience. 

Beyond this, the school has embraced sustainability and inclusivity through their Kit for All programme, redistributing sportswear to ensure no student is excluded due to financial barriers.  

Newbattle’s ethos of AIM Higher (Achieve, Include, Motivate, Respect) is embedded in every initiative. The inclusive curriculum design ensures sport and play are central to building students' physical, mental, and social well-being. Pupil-driven projects, such as the initiatives above, exemplify how sport can be a vehicle for leadership, connection, and resilience. 

Through its innovative use of PE, physical activity and sport, Newbattle Community High School has cultivated a vibrant culture has and community that values collaboration, ambition, and well-being. As a result, they have set a benchmark for how secondary education can shape healthier, happier, and more resilient young people. Its practice is not just outstanding—it is inspiring. 

Full list of shortlisted entries:

  • Newbattle Community High School, Midlothian  

  • The Belvedere Academy, Liverpool  

  • Teign School, Devon  

  • Crown Hills Community College, Leicester  

  • Bedlington Academy, Northumberland  

  • High Turnstall College of Science, Harlepool  

  • Titan St George's Academy, Birmingham 

Winner 2024 - Manchester Communication Academy, Manchester

Photo of winners at awards evening

Manchester Communication Academy (MCA) place a constant focus on the importance of health and wellbeing, of which PE, School sport and play are fundamental pillars, to deliver the  school vision  of excellent provision for their students, their families the  community and staff.

In an area where there are many health challenges facing families, it is crucial that the value of having a physically active student body is understood not just for the individual students but for the impact on the wider community. The local community currently has a lower life expectancy than other cities across the country and a lower life expectancy in the wards the school serves, than all other wards in the  city. This carries the potential for a huge impact on the lives of the children the school works with. Having a fundamental understanding of the impact and effectiveness a PE, School Sport and Physical Activity strategy can have is critical in ensuring the reach of the school goes beyond the school gates and into the community to help improve societal outcomes.

The school is located in a caring, vibrant, diverse community, but a community that faces profound disadvantage. The school takes, initial steps to support families to get children to a state of readiness to be able to access a menu of PE and sport opportunities. This can include supporting families with their housing challenges, working with families to ensure that children have uniform and kit to be able to access school as well as providing families with ingredients to cook in each of their food lessons, to prevent any curriculum barriers emerging through disadvantage. 

Within the PE offer, the school ensures students develop physical competence through a well-sequenced curriculum to support students learning. This supports students to develop a web of knowledge around different sports and activities to give them the motivation to succeed. Students are provided with a wealth of opportunities to ensure they are active for at least 60 minutes throughout the school day. Whether that is through the active travel scheme where the school act as a bike library to allow students to cycle to and from school, or through an extensive extracurricular offer. Students have open access to sports facilities in the mornings, break and lunch time with staff facilitating a broad range of sports and activities.

There is a culture across the academy that PE is very much a core subject. Pupils are not taken out of classes for intervention work, and PE is embedded in various programmes, including exclusion prevention programmes where external partners such as City in the Community, Sale Sharks and a local boxing club come in to work with targeted cohorts of young people.

To supplement the offer the school provides, individual groups of students who require further intervention are supported with Youth Sport Trust run projects such as Boys Move, Active in Mind and Girls Active. These ensure that these students are not left behind and every student fulfils their potential to become responsible, respectful and resilient young people. 

Manchester Communication Academy are a true reflection of excellent practice in using PE and sport to help every young person overcome social disadvantage.