Leighton Park Shortlisted For ‘Independent Senior School Of The Year’

Published by Leighton Park School on Tuesday 2nd of May 2023

Leighton Park has been shortlisted for the prestigious ‘Independent Senior
School of the Year’ award in the 2023 TES (Times Education Supplement) School
Awards.

This is one of the most sought-after awards in education, recognising leading
practice in the country's top schools.

Head, Matthew LS Judd, said: “It is very pleasing to receive validation from one of
the sector’s top awards. We believe a school must be judged by the full range and
depth of the achievements of its students, and at Leighton Park we seek to
develop young people who understand, cherish, and make a difference to the
world which they will inherit. I’m lucky to witness our extraordinary learning
environment every day, to see the meaningful connections between students and
staff and all-round approach to learning and self-guided growth. It is an honour to
receive this distinguished accolade and I congratulate the whole Leighton Park
community on this tremendous achievement.”

The TES nomination process is very thorough and assessed the school against a
broad set of criteria. Our submission emphasised our distinctive, values-led
approach - providing evidence of the benefits for our students. Examples
included:
• Our focus on Pupil Personal Development and pioneering use of
technology to support students to set and reflect on their own personal
values and targets for personal growth.
• Our multi award-winning character education, providing opportunities for
students to work in partnership with our local community, to help others
and develop a strong sense of self.
• Our pioneering curriculum designed to educate ethical changemakers,
giving them the critical thinking and leadership skills, the character and
the values to effect positive change.

The TES Award winners will be announced on Friday 23rd June at a gala
ceremony at London Grosvenor Park Hotel.

Leighton Park has received several recent accolades. The most recent UK
Government analysis shows that the school’s Sixth Form leavers achieve the best
academic progress in Berkshire, while the Independent Schools Inspectorate
awarded it excellent in all areas in January 2022 – the highest possible attainment
for an independent school.

The School was recognised as a national leader for Pupil Personal Development in
2022, winning the Independent Schools Association (ISA) Award for Excellence in
this area. In the same, year the School gained the Wellbeing Award for Schools,
accredited by the National Children’s Bureau.

Leighton Park won the national ISA Award for Outstanding Local Community
Involvement in both 2021 and 2020. In 2020, the school won the national Award
for Excellence in STEAM Education – reflecting the school’s strong reputation for
teaching creative problem-solving - combining the analytical skills from Science,
Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), with creativity from the Arts. The
School is also a Yamaha Flagship Music Education Partner, the only school in
Europe to hold this level of partnership.