The annual event showcases students and teams from across the ten Trust schools and it is a chance to showcase and celebrate the sporting successes achieved this year. Brooke Weston Academy won the U-14 Elite Rugby award and Sports Day champions titles and the Y10 Volleyball team were highly commended. Individual students also received awards.

Retired Commonwealth Games Gold medallist and Olympic gymnast, Craig Heap, shared his inspirational story and the other sporting guest was hooker, Mike Haywood, from Northampton Saints, who took part in a Question and Answer session with the students. Craig and Mike handed out over 20 awards to students throughout the evening. All nominees were invited onto the stage whilst the audience were told about their sporting achievements. Each received a certificate for their hard work and success.

Kirstie Smith said: ‘This is a very special evening to celebrate the sporting achievements of our students from across our Trust family of schools. The awards this year have been purposely timed to take place during National School Sport Week (NSSW), when our schools have been celebrating the role of play and sport in education.

‘We at Brooke Weston Trust firmly believe that outstanding Physical Education has a direct impact on whole school improvement, through raising aspiration, and ultimately achievement, for our learners. Unlike any other subject in the curriculum, Physical Education has a unique role in promoting core life values; this is essential to develop our young people’s physical literacy, educating them on leading a healthy, active lifestyle.

‘Every young person within our Trust has the right to achieve their potential in PE. To ensure we reach this goal we need to collectively share our focus, engage and develop all students, from our less active to our gifted and talented. To achieve this, we need to provide them with opportunities that will cater for their individual sporting and academic needs.

‘The Director of Sport Role/Sport Strategy aims to develop a unity that ensures the Brooke Weston Trust is recognised as outstanding for Sport and Physical Education across all of our schools. This can only be achieved by having a unified approach - meaning we can drive progress forward more effectively, from developing outstanding practice, to creating inter-school events and wider resource development that would ensure every school is getting the best provision possible. I know that uniting the Trust’s Sport and Physical Education departments and PE coordinators has ensured that we are achieving so much more together.

‘It is wonderful to hear about the sporting achievements across our student body during this Sports Awards evening. We are so fortunate to have so many talented students who are encouraged to explore and excel at sport. I hope that everyone had an enjoyable evening celebrating the best in Brooke Weston Trust Sports. Thanks to our guests, Principals, teacher and parents for supporting these awards and to all our students for their amazing sporting efforts this year.’

During the evening there were messages of support and congratulations from sports stars including former KSA student Sean Dyche, who is now Burnley FC Manager, England rugby player Ben Youngs and Team GB swimmer Hannah Miley. Dancers from Corby Business Academy and Thomas Clarkson Academy performed a range of routines and the Trust Sports Ambassadors assisted by helping students and parents to find their seats and provided support to the awards organisation team. Thank you to all those involved who made the evening a great success.

Brooke Weston Trust winners were:

Performer of the Year :

Ellie Ritchie

BWT Individual Achievement Award

Jess Newton

BWT Outstanding Contribution to Leadership Award (secondary)

Hanna Mazur

BWT U14 Elite Rugby Champions

Brooke Weston Academy

BWT Sports Day Champions

Brooke Weston Academy

BWT Team of the Year (secondary)

Brooke Weston Academy Year 10 Volleyball Team (highly commended)

A full list of winners from all Trust schools can be found on the BWT website.