TWO schools have celebrated being honoured as part of the ‘biggest celebration of education in the North West’.

Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School (TIBHS) in Blackburn won the leadership team of the year prize at the Educate Awards last Friday.

Hollins Technology College in Accrington won the WOW recognition award at the event for its performing arts project Beyond Labels: In Young Men’s Shoes.

The ceremony took place at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and featured nearly 600 guests.

TIBHS won their award after the senior leadership team at the school were praised by judges for their improvement since taking over.

Judges said the school had ‘an outstanding turnaround in performance led by an inspirational head’.

Principal Mubaaruck Ibrahim said: “It’s a great honour to have won this award.

“It’s testament to all the hard work of our students, governors, trustees, staff, parents, our leadership team and the wider community.

“I see the award as a collective effort and a tremendous accolade.”

Through delivering a community service programme, sports coaching and more the school has racked up achievements such as placing as the third highest school nationally for its first GCSE cohort of 2016.

Additionally the school was shortlisted for the ‘most inspirational secondary school’ prize at the event.

Staff and students at Hollins were also celebrating at the ceremony after picking up their prize.

The Beyond Labels: In Young Men’s Shoes project involves 11 boys aged between 11 and 16, who have shared their own experiences of male identity with a series of arts performances across East Lancashire.

Members of the group also carried out a spoken word performance at the event.

Judges said the project was ‘moving, thought provoking and so pertinent to today’s view of mental health and wellbeing’.

The work has already seen the pupils involved being named as one of the winners of The Diana Award earlier this year.

Headteacher Steve Campbell said: “As a school we are extremely proud of them.

“It was a wonderful event to be at and really exciting for the boys.

“A huge amount of credit must got to Waqar Ahmed, project coordinator for the group, who is incredibly modest.

“It is absolutely fabulous for them to be involved with the project and be rewarded with this prize.”

He said the win was especially pleasing for the pupils as it was the last award of the evening.

They had already been named as runner-up in the ‘innovation in education’ category and were shortlisted for the ‘outstanding arts in a secondary school’ prize.

Kim O’Brien, founder of the Educate Awards, said: “We are proud to host this event which champions the creativity, diversity and dedication of teachers, school support stars, schools and colleges.

“Congratulations to all the winners, runners-up and shortlisted schools.”

The winners were chosen by a judging panel made up of a selection of individuals within education and other businesses throughout the North West.