Bradford Academy is celebrating after being winning the Community and Collaboration Award in this year's prestigious Times' Educational Supplement Awards.
Delighted Executive Principal at the CofE Academy, Tehmina Hashmi said: "The awards, celebrating their eleventh year, recognise outstanding contributions made by education teams and individuals to help students around the country to succeed, both inside and outside the classroom.
"This award recognizes the exceptional work taking place with our many partners which prepares our young people to be good citizens, taking pride in their community and having a say on the issues that concern them."
Examples of the Academy's work include projects such as weekly anti-radicalisation workshops, which encourage mothers to speak openly in a supportive environment, work with The Linking Network; a local charity that brings pupils together from demographically diverse schools to develop reflection and debate around contentious issues and The Peace Foundation charity, through which pupils have been trained in peace building and have become ambassadors in their communities.
"We also have links with sporting clubs, including the Bradford Dragons basketball team and Bradford Bulls Rugby League Club, and we work closely with local businesses, colleges and universities to widen the horizons and raise the aspirations of pupils," Ms Tehmina said.
Other partners include Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, the Ahead Partnership, Go Higher West Yorkshire and Bradford Cathedral, all of which are helping pupils develop into active citizens.
Bishop of Huddersfield, the Rt Revd Jonathan Gibbs, leads on education for the diocese and praised Bradford Academy for this most significant award:
"On behalf of the Diocesan Board of Education, I am delighted to offer warmest congratulations to Bradford Academy on receiving the Community and Collaboration award at the recent TES Awards Ceremony.
"This is a fantastic result!"
The judges commented: “This felt like a brave school. It is very easy for schools in Bradford to put their heads down and not be noticed.”