St Paul’s Way Trust School honoured by Greenhouse Sports at Sport Gives Back Awards
St Paul’s Way Trust School, has been recognised by Greenhouse Sports charity for the work they have done transforming lives through sport at their school in Tower Hamlets, East London.
VIEW THE FILM
We are delighted to announce that British Tennis legend Greg Rusedski will present the Greenhouse School Sport for Development Award to Executive Head Teacher Phil Akerman at the Sport Gives Back Awards Ceremony at the Royal Institution on Thurday 5th March.
St Paul’s Way Trust has been recognised for their pioneering commitment to providing high-level sports coaching and mentoring to the students of the school, which has undergone a remarkable transformation in the last 10 years. The school, which is situated in Tower Hamlets, started Greenhouse Sports first tennis coaching programme eight years ago and has established a model which has been successfully adopted by five other inner London schools.
Greenhouse Sports, a charity that develops young people through sport, works with young people living with disadvantage. At St Paul’s Way Trust School, 93% of pupils who have been participating in tennis coaching this year live in areas that are defined as experiencing high levels of child deprivation.
Since 2012 the tennis programme, led by Head Coach Christine Dransfield, has seen more than 500 girls and boys from many different backgrounds have regular tennis coaching several times a week through the school year, with many students going on to represent the school and borough in the National Schools League and London Youth Games. Regular matches take place against other schools across the south east of England, both state and private schools.
The school leadership passionately believes in the power of sport to change young lives, so much so in 2019 they launched a Greenhouse basketball programme to expand the opportunity of regular expert coaching to students engaged by the sport.
CEO of Greenhouse Sports, Beatrice Butsana-Sita said: “We are delighted to present this award to St Paul’s Way Trust School, a pioneering school for Greenhouse Sports. They started Greenhouse Sports first tennis programme in 2012 and we have progressed on a journey together, seeing the school transition from ‘inadequate’ and undersubscribed 10 years ago to being rated ‘outstanding’. The value of quality sports coaching and mentoring runs through the school’s DNA, especially for the most disadvantaged. A true standard bearer and pioneer in education, using the positive power of sport to unlock opportunity, potential and learning.”
Sporting legends including Lord Sebastian Coe, Dame Kelly Holmes and Daley Thompson CBE will be amongst the VIPs present at the Sport Gives Back Awards, which will be held at The Royal Institution in London’s Mayfair on March 5 2020.
The awards will pay tribute to the hard-working individuals, groups and organisations across the country who are transforming lives through sport.
Phil Akerman, Executive Headteacher of St Paul’s Way Trust said: “We are honoured to accept the School Sport for Development Award from Greenhouse Sports. Sport is an integral part of school life and we strive to make it as inclusive and rewarding to as many of the students as possible. The tennis programme led by Coach Christine has changed the students’ perception of what sport is to them and it is inspiring to see the positive effect it has on so many, and how it influences other parts of personal and educational development.”