The Boarding Schools’ Association has announced the winners of its annual Supporting Excellence Awards. The winners of the awards were unveiled at the BSA Annual Conference for Heads, sponsored by Chartwells and Schoolblazer, which took place in Bristol, on 2-3 May 2023.
First held in 2018, and now in it’s sixth year, the BSA Awards celebrate the achievements, hard work, and dedication of schools and individuals within boarding.
With over 145 submissions across 14 categories, it has been fantastic to see such a variety of impressive entries from across the entire boarding community and we thank all those who have taken the time to enter this year.
Highlights of this year’s awards include the highly deserving winner of this year’s Stephen Winkley Award, Tom Murray, Houseparent at Port Regis. According to Port Regis, Tom has made a significant impact to boarding with his “never waning patience, his warmth, and his unwavering commitment to giving the Port Regis boarders a home from.”
A former colleague and Senior Houseparent also described Tom to be “utterly committed to the welfare of the boys in his charge and is always looking for the good in children and seeking what is best for every individual he looks after.”
Judges praised Tom Murray, saying “He is a great example of a committed, passionate, caring front-line member of the boarding community who puts the children he looks after first, every day of the week. He is a credit to the sector and a role model for those who want to know and understand what being a boarding professional really means.”
The Best Artwork Project Award also saw entries which truly wowed our judging panel. One judge said “The entries have been absolutely fabulous this year, all of a very high quality and demonstrating a diverse range of processes and techniques.”
Robin Fletcher, CEO of the Boarding Schools’ Association and BSA Group, said: “Our annual awards allow us such a fantastic opportunity to support excellence in our boarding community, and celebrate unwavering boarding staff commitment and everything they do to support boarders.
“I am delighted to see another excellent response to our awards this year and our judging panel have once again been hugely impressed by the standard of entries – selecting winners was certainly no easy task!
“We wish all the finalists shortlisted the very best of luck. And special thanks to this year’s award sponsors for their support.”
Please see below a full list of the winners and highly commended finalists from this year’s BSA Supporting Excellence Awards:
Best Community Work via BSA ‘On Board’ Initiative Award (sponsored by Chartwells)
WINNER: Wellington College
HIGHLY COMMENDED: ACS International School, Cobham and Sedbergh School
Boarding House Extension or Refurbishment Award (sponsored by Schoolblazer)
WINNER: Aiglon College, Switzerland
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Bromsgrove International School, Thailand and Shebbear College
Boarding Innovation Award (sponsored by Schoolblazer)
WINNER: Strathallan School
HIGHLY COMMENDED: St George’s International School, Switzerland and St Mary’s Cambridge
Boarding Research Award (presented by the BSA Foundation and sponsored by Chartwells)
WINNER: St Leonards, St Andrews, Fife
Most Original Activity During National Boarding Week Award (sponsored by Schoolblazer)
WINNER: Denstone College
Wellbeing & Mental Health Initiative Award (sponsored by Chartwells)
WINNER: Canford School
HIGHLY COMMENDED: DLD College, London, Haileybury and Woodstock School, India
Supporting Junior Boarders Award (sponsored by Chartwells)
WINNER: Repton Prep School
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Cottesmore School and Junior King’s School, Canterbury
Supporting International Boarders Award (sponsored by Schoolblazer)
WINNER: Sedbergh School
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Academic Families and St Peter’s International School, Portugal
International School of the Year Award (sponsored by iDAT)
WINNER: Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar, Malaysia
Working with Vulnerable Children Award (sponsored by Schoolblazer)
WINNER: Bede’s School
INDEX (Inclusion and Diversity Excellence) Initiative Award (sponsored by Chartwells
WINNER: Gordonstoun School
Best New Artwork Project (sponsored by Shelleys the Printers, Sherborne)
WINNER: Mwangi Mungai, Malvern College
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Sofi Fateh, Aiglon College, Switzerland, Anastasiia Tian, Badminton School, Henry Yang, Dulwich College and Ayse Naz, Repton School
Khadija Saye Photography Award
WINNER: Sophie Watson, Gordonstoun School
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Jennifer Mobbs, Gordonstoun School and Ella Martin, King’s Ely
Stephen Winkley Award
WINNER: Tom Murray, Port Regis
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Kate Scott, Chetham’s School of Music
Categories: Sector News
