Award-winning Owls Class in Woolston make parents and teachers proud

Thirteen outstanding winners have been honoured as part of this year’s Warrington Guardian Education Awards.

The annual awards aim to celebrate schools, nurseries and colleges across the town, championing pupils and students, teachers and assistants, and classes and teams.

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All the worthy winners of the Warrington Guardian Education Awards

The nomination for Owls Class said: “The children in Owls Class all struggle with social, emotional and communication needs.

“Despite that, they all managed, through Covid-19 lockdowns, to work from home.

“The huge change was horrible for them but after lockdown they all went back to school beautifully.

“Day in and day out, these children work so hard against all their struggles, to progress in making friends and developing their communication as well as with their reading and writing.

“They enjoy taking part in community activities such as swimming and library visits and a number of the children this year took part in an inclusive curling competition, winning first place in Warrington! They then went onto the county finals and got third place!”

The nomination added: “These children make their teachers and us parents so proud.

“Nothing ever stops them from trying their best - Covid lockdowns and changes of classroom - they got through it all and have come out the other side still progressing and still smiling.

“I feel they are an inspiration to the whole community and they are showing everyone that no matter what, you can get through even the most difficult times.”

Owls Class member Oliver with Warrington Guardian Community Content Editor Heidi Summerfield

Headteacher Craig Burgess said: “I am delighted our Owls Class have won the 2023 Warrington Guardian Class of the Year Award.

“There is no doubt that the pandemic has had a significant impact on nearly every child in the country but this is particularly true for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

“The challenges autistic children face on a day to day basis are often massive and both our Owls Class, which has pupils in years 3 to 6, and our Owlets Class, which has children from EYFS to Year 2 coped incredibly well with the disruption to school life and the disruption to the world around them outside of school during the pandemic.

WATCH OWLS CLASS RECEIVE THEIR AWARD:

“The designated provision staff and I were particularly worried about the negative impact such a drastic change in routine due to national and local lockdowns would have on the children and we made the conscious decision very early – in May 2020 - to actively encourage families to send their children back into school.

“The families of Owls Class and Owlets Class shared our concerns and by June 2020 our designated provision classes stayed fully open for the duration of pandemic with virtually all children attending full time from June 2020 onwards.

“Despite trying to keep the routine of school constant throughout the pandemic, our ASD children were having to cope with a world and an environment where the rules were changing on an almost daily basis.

“I am incredibly proud of how well our mainstream and designated provision children and their families coped during and after the pandemic and I am incredibly proud of my mainstream and DP staff who provided continuity and support to all of our children at a time when it would have been very easy to be overcome with their own fears and worries.”