Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT) were proud to host their first annual staff Excellence Awards last week as part of their commitment to recognise extraordinary examples of where staff, including volunteers, go above and beyond to support their school, colleagues and students.
The awards, which took place during the fourth Trust Annual Conference, celebrated staff success stories in 11 different areas of the Trust, including teaching excellence, operational excellence, outstanding governance and the coveted Life Time Achievement Award.
A panel from the Trust chose 11 winners and 11 runners-up from a long list of 173 nominations put forward by colleagues from schools across the Trust. These nominations reflected the outstanding dedication, support and hard work of staff and volunteers who support children, families and wider communities across BDAT schools in the Bradford district.
The Excellence Awards highlight BDAT’s commitment to being an employer of choice, fostering a supporting and inclusive workplace where staff can thrive, flourish and are celebrated for the work they do every day.
Notable award winners include John Watts, a founding Trustee of Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust who was awarded BDAT Trustee/Governor of the Year. During his time with BDAT, John has also served as a Governor at Immanuel College, Lady Royd Primary School and Christ Church Academy. John is reliable and always on hand to help out. His knowledge of education and all aspects of governance is incredible and his support to BDAT and the Trust schools was applauded as phenomenal.
Rev Stuart Hacking, Chaplain at Immanuel College, was awarded the winner of the Lifetime Achievement award. Working at the school since 2000, Rev Hacking is the glue that holds the school together – his steadfastness, faithfulness and loyalty to Immanuel is described as second to none and his care and compassion for students, families and staff alike praised as unwavering. As one nominator said “His work changes lives!!”
Other staff celebrated on the day included:
Mrs Claire Berry, Director of Corporate Affairs, at Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust, said:
“We are really proud of our staff and their commitment. Their hard work and dedication make a real difference to our students, their families and communities they serve. It is a real pleasure to work with such dedicated people who go above and beyond daily.”
Carol Dewhurst OBE, Chief Executive Officer at Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust, added:
“Our staff and volunteers are at the heart of BDAT. We wouldn’t have great schools if they weren’t packed with great staff who go above and beyond every day. We are honoured to celebrate their achievements and recognise the valuable contribution they make day in and day out to our schools and the communities they serve.”
A full round up of the winners:
Rebecca Brodrick from Wycliffe for the Teaching Excellence Award (Primary)
Emma Locke from Immanuel for the Teaching Excellence Award (Secondary)
Vanessa Shields from St Johns for the Pastoral Excellence Award (Primary)
Paradine Campbell from Bradford Forster for the Pastoral Excellence Award (Secondary)
Fran Best from Christ Church for the Operational Excellence Award (Primary)
Wasiq Suleman from Belle Vue Girls for the Operational Excellence Award (Secondary)
James Boxell from Bradford Forster won the Outstanding Leader Award
Huma Ali from Shipley for the Outstanding Teacher Support Award (Primary)
Sara Flatt from Belle Vue Girls for the Outstanding Teacher Support Award (Secondary)
John Watts from Immanuel, Lady Royd and Christ Church for the Outstanding Governor / Trustee Award
Stuart Hacking from Immanuel won The Lifetime Achievement Award
Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust leads a family of 15 primaries and 5 secondaries across the Bradford district, united in their commitment to ensure “every child has a happy and high-quality education enabling them to grow and flourish during their time at school.”
Each year the Trust holds an all-school annual conference to bring staff together to focus on one of the Trusts five values. 2024 was a year looking at the importance of resilience for both staff and students. This year was the first year the Trust hosted the BDAT Excellence Awards at their conference as a way of recognising the extraordinary work and commitment of both the operational and teaching staff working in the Trust schools.