Two major prizes have gone to a Clackmannanshire school at the Tes Schools Awards in London tonight.
Alva Academy has won two prizes: Community Engagement Initiative of the Year and Subject Lead of the Year (Secondary), which went to David Clifford, the school’s faculty principal teacher of music, PE, dance and art.
Organisers of the Tes Schools Awards, which are in their 15th year, say they celebrate the extraordinary commitment, quality and innovation shown by teachers and support staff across the UK.
Judges were impressed by the sense of community and the volume of charity work and fundraising at Alva Academy.
The school’s Parkinson’s Singing Group was launched five years ago by Mr Clifford, following his own father’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. The aim was to bring students, staff and community members together in song, providing physical benefits for those living with the condition, while raising awareness and funds.
Since then, the weekly choir practice has involved more than 500 pupils and become a firm favourite at school and community events, including Remembrance and Christmas events and concerts jointly organised with Macmillan Cancer Support. This has helped the school raise more than £500,000 for charity over a number of years.
The success of the initiative led Parkinson’s UK to invite Alva Academy to deliver workshops at a national event, prompting an increase in participation in Parkinson’s singing groups and the setting up of new ones around the country.
Judge Tim Brighouse said: “As I read about this school, I wish I’d brought up my kids there. Alva Academy is a warm, welcoming and collaborative learning community, inclusive of all the young people in the area it serves.
“The staff and the pupils between them raise a small fortune each year for a plethora of charities, discreetly serve the poorest families and create a musical lifeline for those suffering from Parkinson’s.
“The school is the main non-corporate source of funding for Macmillan’s. It holds a genuine and passionate commitment that the next generation of citizens fortunate enough to attend the school today will think for themselves and act for others.”
Mr Clifford also impressed judges with his music-teaching initiatives, to the extent that he was also awarded Subject Lead of the Year (Secondary).
In his time at Alva, he has reinvigorated music education and increased engagement in the subject, as well as overseeing exceptional results by students.
He created a classroom-to-care-home initiative in which more than 1,000 students shared their performing talents with over 100 care homes across the UK. He also leads Alva’s support of Macmillan Cancer Support, working with staff and pupils to organise fundraising concerts, and has encouraged the use of music in interdisciplinary learning experiences, including Holocaust education.
Judge David James said Mr Clifford was “passionate about music and the transformative effect it can have on everyone”.
He added: “David’s inspirational work can be felt not just in the classroom where he teaches his students, but also in the local community where he has founded a choir for people with Parkinson’s disease.
“His work is characterised by one simple idea: to bring people together so that they grow through the power of creative expression. This was a hugely impressive submission.”
Tes editor and chief judge of the Tes Schools Awards, Jon Severs, said: “With these awards, we honour the education community, who we’ve served for nearly 113 years. This year has seen some incredibly high-quality entries.
“These awards showcase just how vital our education professionals are to every facet of this country. Teachers, leaders and support staff all play such an important role in schools: this is our chance to say thank you for all that they do.”
To find out more about the Tes Schools Awards, click here.
