Newcastle Falcons tackle top schools at North East School Awards - Journal Live

FINALISTS at the North East School Awards will get to rub shoulders with some of the region’s most successful sports stars.

For the first time in the awards’ seven-year history, the ceremony will be staged at Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club.

The daytime event this summer will include the opportunity for pupils to meet some of the players and take part in a touch rugby session.

Once again, The Journal has teamed up with our sister paper on Teesside, The Evening Gazette, to celebrate the achievements of our region’s schools.

The annual campaign aims to praise the unsung heroes of the classroom, whilst highlighting the fantastic work our young people do.

Newcastle Falcons’ conference and events director Jane Shepstone,said: “We are thrilled to be hosting this year’s School Awards here at Newcastle Falcons.

“It will be a great opportunity for some of the schools to meet some of our players and gain an insight into what it is like to be a professional sports person, something which the children may not normally have access to.

“Hosting the School Awards at our venue is even more poignant given the excellent work undertaken by the club’s own Community Foundation with schools and clubs throughout the region.”

The Falcons’ Community Foundation works closely with schools and grassroots rugby clubs across the region to motivate, educate and inspire youngsters through the power of sport.

Through a variety of coaching and community programmes, the foundation aims to attract a younger audience to rugby and to spread the disciplined culture of the sport throughout the younger generation.

There are nine prizes up for grabs at the School Awards, with five individual categories and four for projects.

The individual awards are: Inspirational Primary School Teacher of the Year; Inspirational Secondary School Teacher of the Year; Inspirational Head teacher of the Year; School Support Staff of the Year; and Caretaker of the Year.

The project awards are: Sustainable/Environment School; Healthy School; Best School in the Community; and Learning through the Internet and ICT.

The awards are sponsored this year by the University of Sunderland, Northumbrian Water and Newcastle’s Life Science Centre.

The ceremony, hosted by Metro Radio breakfast presenters Steve and Karen, will be staged at Newcastle Falcons Rugby Club on July 18.

Winners will be presented with a trophy and there will be a cash prize for the project awards.

To find out more, or to enter, log on to www.journallive.co.uk/schoolawards. Entry forms will also be sent to schools across the region.

Alternatively, nominations can be sent in the post to event manager Ashleigh Smithson, ncjMedia Ltd, Groat Market, Newcastle, NE1 1ED. The closing date for entries is June 7, at noon.