Three schools in England named finalists for global education prize

A school with a working farm, a pupil-operated coffee shop and a role-play village to offer real-life learning experiences to children with autism, is a finalist for a global education prize.

Grange School, an all-age special school in Manchester, is one of three schools in the UK which have reached the final three for the T4 Education World’s Best School prizes.

The state school, which educates about 275 pupils ranging from four years old to 19, has been shortlisted among the world’s best for innovation.

Venturers’ Academy in Bristol, which takes children with special educational needs on “extreme classroom” expeditions, has made the final three of the global prize for overcoming adversity.

Avanti House Secondary School, a state Hindu school in Stanmore, north London, is a finalist for the supporting healthy lives prize.

The work they have done to transform the lives of children with special educational needs and disabilities through innovative learning environments is making a profound difference in our city-region and we’re all incredibly proud of them

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester

The winners of the five World’s Best prizes: for community collaboration; environmental action; innovation; overcoming adversity; and supporting healthy lives, will each receive 10,000 US dollars (£7,800).

Last year, the Max Rayne Hand In Hand Jerusalem School, a bilingual and integrated Jewish-Arab school in Israel, was crowned winner of the global prize for overcoming adversity.

It is the first time three UK schools have been named as finalists – and it is more than any other country globally.

Rachael Clifford, headteacher at Grange School, said: “When it was announced that we were in the final for T4 Education’s World’s Best School Prizes, we were totally overwhelmed but also totally overjoyed.

“It’s just so amazing that the impact of taking a risk by designing such a unique school has finally been recognised as well as putting the autism community on the international stage.”

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Huge congratulations to the staff, pupils, and parents at Grange School on the remarkable achievement of being named a finalist for the World’s Best School Prize for Innovation.

“The work they have done to transform the lives of children with special educational needs and disabilities through innovative learning environments is making a profound difference in our city-region and we’re all incredibly proud of them.”

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said: “It’s fantastic that Avanti House has been nominated for the World’s Best School Prize and I’d like to congratulate the teachers, parents and pupils for all their hard work.

“The school puts the health and wellbeing of pupils at the heart of everything it does, supporting their physical and mental health in its curriculum and achieves impressive results.”

Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education, said: “Unless the world takes urgent action, it is set to miss UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 of universal quality education by 2030. The global education crisis is multifaceted and so must be the solutions.

“That’s why we must look to the grassroots, to our schools at the coalface, for answers. To exceptional UK institutions like Grange School, Venturers’ Academy, and Avanti House Secondary School, whose work should make governments around the world sit up and take notice.

“By spreading its innovations far and wide, we can inspire change where it’s needed most.”

The winners for each of the five prizes will be announced in October.