Not only has London got eight of the world’s best secondary schools, one of the planet’s greatest sixth forms and seven of the UK’s best private schools, now two more world-class education establishments have been thrown into the mix. Two secondary schools from London have just been shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prize.
Kingsford Community School in Newham and Avanti House Secondary School in Stanmore have been shortlisted in the prestigious awards. Every year, the top prize is given to five schools from around the world in the categories Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives.
Global education hub T4 Education launched the awards after the pandemic to highlight excellence in schools that make a real difference to student’s lives.
Both London schools nominated are state-run. Kingsford Community School was shortlisted in the ‘overcoming adversity’ category: nearly half the students at the school are on free school meals and more than 70 percent speak English as a second language. Kingsford was recognised for its contributions to stopping knife crime, and for its commitment to social mobility.
A T4 spokesperson said: ‘Kingsford collaborates with various organisations to raise awareness about safety and provide students with opportunities through a comprehensive curriculum and engagement with external partners where social mobility and cultural and social capital are key features. This holistic approach fosters a safe, supportive learning environment, even in the face of community challenges.’
Avanti House, a Hindu secondary school, is nominated for ‘supporting healthy lives’. The state school includes yoga, philosophy, meditation and ethics classes alongside the regular curriculum, teaching students about mental wellbeing and physical health to help them deal with exam stress.
An awards spokesperson said: ‘This holistic approach, rooted in the school’s “Avanti Way”, fosters not only high academic standards but also promotes deep personal growth and communal responsibility among its 1,190 students.’
‘Unless we solve the urgent challenges global education faces – from learning gaps exacerbated by Covid-19 to chronic underfunding and the growing teacher wellbeing, recruitment and retention crisis – we will have failed the next generation,’ said Vikas Pota, founder of the World’s Best Schools Prize.
‘Trailblazing London schools like Kingsford Community School and Avanti House Secondary School, which have cultivated a strong culture and aren’t afraid to innovate, show the difference that can be made to so many lives. Schools everywhere can now learn from their solutions, and it’s time governments do so as well.’
You can vote for your favourite school online here now.
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