Two schools up for prestigious awards

News

Two Bellevue schools have been nominated for the 2020 Independent Schools Association (ISA) Awards.

The Hampshire School, Chelsea, is a finalist in the Junior School of the Year category, as well as a new category for 2020, the Innovation in Pupil Voice award; while Edenhurst Preparatory School, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, is a finalist in the Outstanding Sport (Small School) category.

Founded in 1878, the Independent Schools Association is one of the oldest of the independent schools’ organisations, providing professional support to its 535 member headteachers. Its annual awards recognise remarkable work taking place across the independent schools sector.

Headteacher of The Hampshire School, Dr Pam Edmonds comments: ‘We are delighted that we have been recognised for the exceptional learning journey we provide our pupils. We blend academic rigour with art, music and sport and a Growth Mindset to create well-rounded pupils who have the confidence to succeed.’

The Growth Mindset approach, developed by psychologist Carol Dweck, posits that hard work and dedication improve learning and can help to build intelligence, as opposed to these traits being ‘fixed’. She claims that building a love of learning and resilience is ‘essential for great accomplishment’ (Dweck, 2015).

Michael Hibbert, Headteacher at Edenhurst Preparatory School, adds: ‘At Edenhurst we pride ourselves in that we punch well above our weight in sport. We compete with much larger schools and win tournaments because of our Growth Mindset work, which extends beyond the classroom. Our skilled and dedicated PE teachers know our children exceptionally well and are able to motivate and coach them to the highest standard. As a school we are very excited to be shortlisted for this award.’

Director and founder of Bellevue Education, Mark Malley, says: ‘We are delighted to see two of our schools nominated in the prestigious ISA Awards. This has been a challenging year for schools across the world, and for our schools to receive acknowledgment of their exceptional tenacity is immensely heartening.’

The winners of the ISA Awards 2020 will be announced in February 2021.