Theale Green School has been voted ‘School of the Year’ in the 2022 Pride of Reading awards!
Tony Blinco and Sandra Eaton with the Pride of Reading School of the Year award
Organisers at the event, which took place on Friday 2 December at Reading FC Conference & Events, praised the school’s incredible turnaround, which saw it move from an Ofsted Requires Improvement, over several years, to a resounding judgement of Good. All the more impressive as this was achieved through the Covid pandemic.
The inspectors highlighted: “School leaders have worked with determination to raise the school profile in the community.”
The unknown awards nominator said of the school, which joined Activate Learning Education Trust in 2018: .“They have turned round a failing school that went through three head teachers in a short period of time to an Ofsted rated Good. Jo Halliday, the new head, has led on this, ably assisted by the trojan figures who weathered the storms such as Tony Blinco, Lesley Parker and John Neil.”
They went on to describe the monumental and relentless efforts of a team of staff, committed to ensuring that Theale Green School is the school of choice for the community.
Speaking on the school’s win, Mrs Halliday said: “We have been truly motivated by the kindness of the whole community in supporting us through very challenging circumstances. There is, and always has been, something special about our school in the heart of a community; with a difficult winter ahead, for families, students and staff in all schools, how we work together to support each other feels more important than ever.”
This year was the 18th year of the Pride of Reading awards, which celebrates the amazing achievements of the great and the good of Reading. This year the theme was Let’s Celebrate, and was hosted by TV’s Chris Tarrant, who said it ‘made him proud of his home town’. The event was attended by Theale Green’s Tony Blinco, Director of Sport and Sandra Eaton, Office Manager who have collected several decades of dedicated service at Theale Green School between them!
This award crowns the year off in style and comes on the back of a year of wins for the school. In September the school achieved a School Game Platinum Mark Award for its commitment to PE, and in March it won the Outstanding Secondary Practice Award by the Youth Sport Trust.
