Awards Highlight ‘Remarkable Achievements’ as Year 6 Pupils Prepare To Leave

Pilgrim Academy Year 6 leavers 2022.

Fourteen pupils won awards at Pilgrim Academy Year 6 Leavers' Awards Ceremony today.

Pilgrim Academy Year 6 pupils are celebrating today after out-performing the expected national standard in their SATs tests, and achieving greater depth in a number of subjects.

The news was announced to parents, carers, family and friends during the Academy’s annual Year 6 Leavers’ Awards Ceremony, by proud Principal Andy Clark. Mr Clark handed out 14 trophies to pupils for success in a range of categories, including Progress, Achievement, Sports, Creative Arts and Overall Contribution to the Academy.

He said the SATs outcomes were all the more remarkable because Covid pandemic disruption had led to 116 days of missed schooling in Year 4 and Year 5 for these children.

Mr Clark said both he and his teaching staff were “tremendously proud” of the children’s achievements. He said some pupils had also achieved greater depth in some subjects, which meant that they had scored very high marks.

“This is incredibly hard to do and yet Pilgrim Academy children have done so,” he said. “Your determination and hardwork has astounded us and we could not be more proud of you,” he told the pupils.

Mr Clark said that he was very pleased that the Year 6 pupils attained higher than the national average in Writing, Mathematics and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling. Mr Clark added that he was especially pleased about the progress measures for this year’s cohort, as progress was positive for all subjects – Reading, Writing and Mathematics. In the latter subject, progress was over +4, which is outstanding, meaning that on average, the pupils have gained 4 standardised points scores from the end of Year 2 to the end of Year 6. These figures are the most important measure, as they demonstrate all pupils’ progress and not just those who met the expected national standard.

The presentation was organised by the Year 6 team and senior leaders and Mr Clark paid tribute to the efforts of the Pilgrim staff who have gone above and beyond to support the pupils, not just academically but with their social and emotional needs as well.

The awards included musical interludes by the school choir, and by Tucana and Columba classes, which were received with applause from a large and very appreciative audience in the school hall.

Some pupils stood at the end of the ceremony to pay tribute to their time at the Academy. Bozhidar Georgiev said he had had the “most amazing years at the Academy” and “had acquired a lot of skills and knowledge in that time,” which he will take forward with him to secondary school.

A shortlist of nominated pupils was announced before the presentation of each award by Vice Principal, Mrs Morley. The winners were then announced by teachers, Mrs Backhouse, Mrs Ireson and Mr Gibbon, who paid tribute to each winner, outlining why they had been selected for the prestigious awards. The award for Overall Contribution to the Academy went to Jake Swift, who was described by teachers as “someone who oozes effort, care and hard work and demonstrates leadership skills

Other award winners were:

Best Progress in Reading: Billy Wilson.

Best Progress in Writing: Amelia De Sainte Croix.

Best Progress in Maths: Silvana Ivanova.

Best Progress in SPAG: Charlie Rigby.

Creative Arts Award: Kristian Ninov.

Exemplary Behaviour Award: Lily King.

Excellence in Sports Award: Noah Crockett.

Best Result in Writing: Kai-Barker Pearson.

Best Result in Reading: Juanita Otu.

Best Result in Maths: Bozhidar Georgiev.

Best Result in SPAG: Oliver Woods.

Greatest Effort in Tucana: Brooke Gibson.

Greater Effort in Columba: Sophie Chapman.

Every pupil in Year 6 received a £10 Waterstones’ book voucher to spend on a book of their choice, as a memento of their time at Pilgrim Academy. Concluding the awards, Mr Clark said: “We wish every one of you a wonderful future and we will miss you."