An East Lancashire school was crowned as a winner at the Educate Awards, taking home the award for Outstanding Arts in a Secondary School.

The category, won by The Hollins school in Accrington, celebrates schools, academies, and colleges which provide outstanding arts provisions and opportunities.

This could be through stage shows and performances, arts-led projects, or more.

Judges were wowed by the school’s ‘Cohesion Through Creativity’ initiative, which the school describes as a ‘dynamic platform that gives all pupils the opportunity to access high-quality arts and cultural education’.

The Hollins’ entry also detailed some of the other opportunities that have taken place throughout the 2022-23 academic year, including trips, competitions, performances, creative art projects, and much more.

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During the Educate Awards’ gala dinner, students from The Hollins took to the stage for a performance based on its award entry.

Consisting of a variety of mediums, including dance, spoken word, poetry, and film, the segment began with a Michael Jackson-inspired dance and was then followed by two poems from students’ ‘Pressure Anthology’.

A short film called Pressure was played at the end of the performance.

Now in its 12th year, the Educate Awards showcases the hard work and creativity in the education sector, from STEM and performing arts to sports and literacy.

Kim O’Brien, founder of the awards, said: “Congratulations to The Hollins for winning Outstanding Arts in a Secondary School as this year’s Educate Awards.

"A huge thank you to the talented students for performing on the evening too.

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“A big well done to the runners-up and finalists. Results this year were incredibly close, and judges had a difficult time deciding not only on the shortlist but also overall the winners.

“The Educate Awards team is proud to champion the innovation, diversity, and dedication that is taking place in educational establishments around the region.

"Entries will open again in February 2024, and we encourage all types of schools and colleges to submit as many entries as they like, for free.”

The awards were held at Liverpool Cathedral on Friday, November 17 and welcomed more than 700 guests.