A NORTHUMBERLAND academy has been recognised with a prestigious national accolade for the successful way it invests funding for disadvantaged students and the impact on their attainment.
Bede Academy, in Blyth, has been designated Regional Champion for the North East in the Pupil Premium Awards 2017, one of only eight secondary schools nationally to be recognised.
The academy's senior strategic director Shayne Elsworth and two students, Shaun Olsen and Erin Brown, were invited to Westminster to collect the award at a special ceremony.
They took the opportunity to sit in on a debate on education funding and apprenticeships in the House of Lords, and to visit other sights in the capital.
Mr Elsworth said: “This award is testament to the hard work and determination of teachers across the academy who work tirelessly to ensure that no student gets left behind."
Sixth former Shaun added: “It was an honour to represent Bede Academy, it is a really prestigious award. It’s not often you get to see the sights of London which was an incredible opportunity in itself. We also got to experience the House of Lords in action which broadened my understanding of how the country is run.”
The pupil premium is additional funding awarded to state funded schools to support their work in closing the gap between disadvantaged students and their peers.
The annual awards recognise those education providers considered to be doing the most to improve the performance of disadvantaged children.
Head of School at Bede Academy, Julie Roberts, explained: "We spend the additional funding we receive on addressing six identified barriers to progress and on ensuring all day to day teaching at Bede Academy meets the needs of every student.
"This ensures that resources are targeted to whole-school teaching and learning strategies to benefit all students, whilst teachers and a dedicated academic team closely track, monitor and regularly review the progress of disadvantaged students and plan specific individualised support if they are falling behind."
The academy also targets support to improve attendance and behaviour where these may be barriers to progress.
Bede Academy has been one of the most improved schools in the country since 2012 for the attainment and value added progress of disadvantaged students.
Its selection as a Pupil Premium Regional Champion follows a Department for Education Pupil Premium local award last year.