The evening of Monday 12 December certainly was a night to remember.  Ten schools in the Braintree area attended the presentation of medallions to their Achievement Award winners, including three Leader Awards for staff.

Lee Thompson, the Jack Petchey compère, kicked off the evening and got the audience in the mood to have fun and celebrate a night of performances and presentations.  Guests included Inspector Neil Murray from Essex Police and the Paralympic medallist and guest speaker, Danny Crates, who presented the awards to winners.  The seven student winners from our school included:

• Alex Douglas
• Riley Baker
• Ben Turley
• Mia Shearwood
• Charlie Ward
• Alicia Andrews
• Hannah West

Twenty-three members of the winners’ families attended to join in the celebrations and proudly saw their sons and daughters receive their medallions.  Six members of the Senior Leadership Team also attended to join in the fun.  Three schools had staff who had achieved Leader Awards, including from our school, Jacqui Smith.  She received an ‘Outstanding Leadership’ certificate and medallion and much to her surprise and delight, also received a beautiful bouquet of flowers and some kind words from Simon Thompson, Headteacher.  Jacqui said ‘it’s a really lovely way to end my teaching career as I retire’.

Each school provided entertainment, with the Notley Cheerleaders Team performing a two minute piece after Danny Crates’ speech.  There were some notable performances from Hedingham School and Alec Hunter Humanities College in particular, whose students entertained everyone with a brilliant dance routine and amazing singing.

The evening certainly was a celebration of the wide ranging achievements of all the student winners.  To quote Jack Petchey himself – “Presentation events such as this provide a real opportunity to highlight the positive contribution being made by young people in schools, youth groups and communities across the area.  In these days of obsessive media coverage of the negative, this is no bad thing.  Achievement comes in many forms and this evening celebrates and acknowledges the range and diversity of those individual developments”.  Jack Petchey Awards are given to young people who make a wholehearted, unselfish and dedicated contribution to their club, school or community.  Congratulations must go to our seven winners this year and we look forward to the continuing success of this wonderful scheme in our school in the coming years.

Correction to previous press:  Hannah West was incorrectly reported as being 8th in the world in her age and class of Karate, when in fact she is 7th in the world.  How great is that?!