We are delighted to announce that our Trust alongside two of our schools, Westminster CE Academy and Belle Vue Girls’ Academy, have won a series of prestigious Diversity for Education Awards, recognising their dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion.
Bradford is the youngest city in Europe where 25.7% of the population are aged under 18 and there are more than 160 languages spoken by children attending Bradford district schools. Within BDAT schools alone, more than 50 per cent of its students are from ethnic minorities.
Our Trust has a clear ambition to champion diversity and foster inclusive and equitable environments across its academies to support its students and staff. This includes how the we, and our academies teach, recruit, and work with their families and communities. The Trust’s innovative approach has earned it the national Most Outstanding MAT Award which recognises excellence in education and inclusive practice.
Belle Vue Girls’ Academy, which is located on Thorn Lane, was also honoured at the Diversity for Education Awards with the Best Student Welfare Provision Award. This was in recognition of the exceptional levels of support students receive from the pastoral team and inclusion teams. Areas praised by the awarding body includes the strong safeguarding culture, the positive impact of the attendance strategy, high quality mental health support and the inclusive culture evident in every aspect of school life.
Meanwhile, Westminster CE Academy, positioned on Westminster Road, won the Curriculum Excellence Award in recognition of its dedication to creating a safe and inclusive space for all students. Through the collective efforts of staff, they have fostered an environment where every child feels valued, respected, and supported, regardless of their background or past experiences. The Academy has also achieved School of Sanctuary status for its commitment to providing a safe and welcoming place for child refugees.
To commemorate the occasion and celebrate the schools’ and Trust’s achievements, representatives from the awarding body will visit to present the awards in person in the coming weeks.
Debbie Anness, Headteacher at Belle Vue Girls’ Academy, said:
“Student welfare and wellbeing are at the heart of all we do here at Belle Vue Girls’ Academy. In creating a safe, calm and positive environment for all, founded on positive relationships and consistent routines, we have created the conditions in which our students can learn and thrive. We are very proud of this award and the fact that it recognises the tireless dedication of our pastoral and inclusion teams.”
Simon Gallacher, Headteacher at Westminster CE Academy, said:
“We are delighted and humbled to be recognised in this way. We are building on our clear commitment to making everyone in our community feel welcome, helping them to belong and enabling them to flourish through our daily interactions. We believe that all our children deserve the chance to make the most of the opportunities we offer, preparing them to be our community leaders of the future.”
Katie Waring, Director of Professional and Career Development at BDAT, said:
“It is a wonderful honour to have BDAT’s work towards an inclusive and equitable teaching and learning environment recognised with the Most Outstanding MAT Award. Inclusion is a key priority in our ICARE (Inclusion, Compassion, Aspiration, Resilience and Excellence) values which informs all the work we do in every space, every day across the Trust.
“Our ambition to promote and celebrate diversity is not over. We have plans to continue on our positive trajectory to ensure students, staff and families from all backgrounds continue to be warmly welcomed and supported to thrive.”