Awards
Eco-Schools Green Flag Award with Distinction
At Uphill Village Academy, we work with the children, staff and families to promote sustainability and environmental awareness. Through Eco Schools we have achieved our Green Flag Award with distinction. The process involved a seven-step framework aimed at guiding, empowering, and motivating children to drive change and improve environmental awareness in across the school and in the local community. The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised achievement for schools committed to Learning for Sustainability.
Artsmark Award
At Uphill Village Academy, we strive for our children to feel empowered and inspired through the arts. We have worked with children, staff and our local community to achieve the Artsmark award.
Artsmark is an award that recognises all of the arts including, visual art, dance, music, drama, design and creative writing within a school setting. At UVA, we promote a culture of arts and a love of learning. The Artsmark award is a nationally recognised qualification and is the only creative quality standard for schools and education settings, accredited by Arts Council England.
Active Healthy Schools Award
We were delighted to be awarded the ‘Active Healthy Schools Award,’ in recognition of our enduring and impressive commitment to health and wellbeing.
North Somerset Healthy Schools Network Team view the Healthy Schools process as a journey, and it was recognised that our school has worked hard over the years to maintain the initiatives set in place, whilst working with this programme. Opportunities for extra-curricular activities have increased through provision of a wide range of school clubs. Healthy eating messages and activities have become embedded within the culture of the school.
Schools Games Award
At Uphill Village Academy we know that physical and mental health are closely linked. We therefore encourage our children to take part in many different sports both in school and outside of it.
The School Games Mark scheme is led by the Government and facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust. It aims to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community.
Some of the sports opportunities offered to pupils at Uphill Academy include cricket, football, cross country, boccia, curling, laser shooting, and multi-skills events. Pupils who take part in these sports are also given the opportunity to represent Uphill in inter-school competitions.
Primary Science Quality Mark Award
At Uphill Village Academy we aim to provide the very best educational provision for our children. We are pleased that this has been recognised through the achievement of the science mark from the science association.
The Primary Science Quality Mark is a comprehensive, evidence-informed, professional development and school improvement programme. The aim is to equip primary science subject leaders with the knowledge, confidence, and expert support they need to transform the quality and profile of science education across the school, for all children.
Space Education Quality Mark Award
As part of our science provision the children will at times study space. Uphill Village Academy has been recognised by the STEM association for the excellent provision it provides in this area.
The Space Education Quality Mark (SEQM) is designed to support schools and colleges using the subject of space to inspire and engage their students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
Music Mark Award
At Uphill Village Academy we believe Music is a powerful, unique form of communication that can change the way children feel, think and act. We believe our Music curriculum should engage and inspire our children to develop a love of music and their talents as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity, sense of achievement.
Music Mark is the UK Association for Music Education, championing and supporting access to music for all children and young people. Music Mark recognises the work we have done to deliver high-quality musical and social outcomes for all of our children.
Well School
We are proud to be a Well School. The Well Schools movement is a national charity run by Youth Sport, it aims to help improve education outcomes by placing wellbeing at its very heart and supports school staff, senior leaders and young people. At Uphill Village Academy we understand that children and young people are more effective learners when they are happy and healthy. We work hard to create this culture that allows everyone to reach their potential.
A Makaton Friendly School
We are very proud to be a Makaton Friendly School. Makaton Friendly is a unique partnership programme which drives inclusivity to help create a fairer and more tolerant society for all. At Uphill Village Academy we use Makaton with all pupils to build an environment and culture which promotes language development and inclusivity.
Young Carers Silver Award
We are delighted to have been awarded the silver Young Carers Award which recognises the work we do to support our young carers.Young Carers in Schools an initiative that enables schools to support young carers, and awards good practice.
Kindness Ambassador School
Over the course of the year we have worked with the charity 52 Lives- School of Kindness to become a Kindness Ambassador School. At the School of Kindness, they believe that kind is the most important thing a child can be. They believe kindness exists inside all of us – sometimes we just need to unlock it.
Our work has involved electing lead ambassadors, pupils from Year 6 and kindness ambassadors from every class.
Attending online networks with other schools across the UK and promoting kindness amongst our whole school community through everyday actions.
Plastic Free Schools
Plastic Free Schools is a pupil-led, ground-breaking programme that equips our young people with the tools to understand the problems of single-use plastic.
It starts with conducting a single-use audit across the school and throughout the year works towards reducing the use of unnecessary single-use plastic from school, for good.
The programme also encourages the children to reach out to local businesses to encourage them to reduce the amount of plastic they use as well.
The initiative has been led in our academy by a team of eager Eco Warriors. They have worked with the whole school community to identify the plastics that are being brought into and used at school then through assemblies, newsletters and lunchtime activities worked at ways in which these can be reduced. They have also encouraged their families to reduce single-use plastics in their homes.
Their work has resulted in the accreditation of Plastic Free School status awarded by the organisation Surfers Against Sewage.
