St John Bosco Arts College is celebrating after being shortlisted for the prestigious Times Education Supplement (TES) Schools Awards 2017.

Announced on Friday 7 April, the all-girls Catholic secondary school in Croxteth, Liverpool, is in the running for the "English teacher or team of the year" award.

Now in its ninth year, the TES Schools Awards celebrate the extraordinary commitment, quality and innovation shown by teachers and support staff across the UK.

The winners will be revealed at a gala awards evening at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London on Friday 23 June 2017.

The "English teacher or team of the year" award looks for schools which have found innovative ways to teach literacy and English. St John Bosco's English team, who aim to engage students in creative ways, impressed this year's judging panel

The English department is passionate about improving the life chances of students and giving them the building blocks to access the rest of the curriculum and become literate, independent and passionate learners

2015-16 was a breakthrough year for the English department at St John Bosco Arts College. Hard work, dedication and commitment to drive improvement has culminated in the best results in over 10 years, with 85.2% of students achieving A*- C grades at GCSE and a record 93.4% of students making 3+ levels of progress.
During a visit in November 2016, Ofsted noted: "The progress made by pupils in English is exceptional due to insightful leadership and excellent teaching. In this subject teachers plan lessons which challenge pupils to excel in their learning."

Reading buddies, book weeks and Harry Potter Book nights (pictured above) are just some of the initiatives St John Bosco host to improve literacy skills and promote reading for pleasure.

Supporting evidence for the award nomination included glowing testimonials from Year 11 students, with one writing, "I enjoy English in this school. The teachers are very supportive and the lessons are really engaging.

It helps me to look deeper into things and to look for deeper meanings and my teacher encourages me. I feel as though the skills that we learn in the lessons will be used outside school and will help me in the future."

Reacting to the shortlist announcement, Headteacher Darren Gidman says: "I am delighted that our English team have been shortlisted for the 'English teacher or team of the year' category at the TES Schools Awards. The talented English department have worked hard to drive improvement and inspire students this past year, which has resulted in the department's best results in over 10 years.

We believe literacy is the foundation for all learning and as a school we try and instil a love of reading and writing from a young age. The English team do a fantastic job; supporting students' learning and working tirelessly to unlock their potential through different strategies and initiatives."

Text and photos: The Foundry Agency