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This page is a news release published by Wrexham County Borough Council.
Content Author: pressoffice@wrexham.gov.uk

07 July 2010

St Christopher's School triumphs at national awards ceremony

St Christopher’s school has been recognised as the best special needs school in the UK at a national awards ceremony.

The school was named the first ever Outstanding Special Needs School of the Year at the TES (Times Education Supplement) School Awards 2010. The awards were held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.

The awards celebrate and reward the professionalism and flair of those teams making an outstanding contribution to primary and secondary schools in both the maintained and independent sectors. They are open to all schools in every part of the UK.

The awards encompass innovation in teaching, leadership and community involvement. St Christopher’s beat six other short-listed schools from throughout the UK to the award after judges praised the school’s ‘sense of ambition it has for all its pupils’.

The school was also praised for its pioneering work in helping children with learning difficulties and made reference to a number of groundbreaking projects St Christopher’s have in place.

Amongst its inclusion projects is scheme in which St Christopher’s go on joint college placements with young people from their schools. It also runs a programme where staff work with teachers and pupils in mainstream schools.

Pupils have access to an onsite hair and beauty salon, retail shop, car valeting, cafe, market gardening and woodcraft business

The TES also recongised St Christopher's commitment to the environmental projects. Pupils at the school run their own Millennium Eco Centre, which has more than 16,000 visitors a year. The centre promotes sustainable living and lifestyles and provides work experience placements for adults with learning disabilities.

The school was also praised for its strong global links, using its website to share curriculum materials with teachers in South Africa and beyond.

Cllr Aled Roberts, Lead Member for Corporate Leadership and Children (Schools and Corporate Parenting) said:

“St Christopher’s is an innovative school that provides a wide range of activities for its pupils. Wrexham Council is delighted that the school has been recognised at such a prestigious ceremony. To be recongised as the best Special Needs School in the UK is a tremendous achievement and is a reflection of all the hard work Maxine and her staff put into making the school a success.”

Maxine Pittaway, Headteacher at St Christopher’s School said:

“This is a wonderful award for the dedicated, hard-working staff and pupils of St. Christopher's. I am proud to lead such an enthusiastic team."

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