Heanor Gate Spencer named Top 10 Finalist for World’s Best School Prizes 2025

Heanor Gate Spencer Academy, a secondary state school in Heanor, Derbyshire, UK, which is turning lives around and helping students find local employment in a former mining town identified among the 20% most economically challenged areas in the UK, has been named a Top 10 finalist for the World’s Best School Prize for Community Collaboration. It is the first school in Derbyshire, and in the East Midlands, ever to become a finalist for the World’s Best School Prizes.

The winners of the five World’s Best School Prizes – for Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives – will be chosen by an expert Judging Academy based on rigorous criteria. In addition, all 50 finalist schools across the five Prizes will also take part in a Public Vote, which opened today, to determine the winner of the Community Choice Award. All six winners will be announced in October.

The winners and finalists of these global schools prizes will be invited to the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on November 15-16, where they will share their best practices and unique expertise and experience with policymakers and leading figures in global education.

Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes, said:

“In a world being turned upside down by AI, as technology reshapes the way we learn and renders jobs that have existed for centuries obsolete, amid growing challenges of climate change, conflict, poverty and populism, the world our young people are entering has never felt more precarious. And a good education, with humans at its heart, has never been more important.

“It is in schools like Heanor Gate Spencer Academy where we find the innovations and expertise that give us hope for a better future. Congratulations on becoming a finalist for the World’s Best School Prizes 2025. Leaders and schools around the world have so much to learn from this inspirational Derbyshire institution.”

 Matthew Jones, Principal at Heanor Gate Spencer Academy, said:

“I am truly honoured that our exceptional school has been shortlisted for the prestigious T4 World’s Best School Prize. At Heanor Gate Spencer Academy, our Team Heanor ethos is not merely a mantra – it is a guiding principle embraced wholeheartedly by every member of our school and wider community.

Our unwavering, shared vision – to provide every student and family with the very best opportunities, outcomes, and experiences – is a source of immense pride. At the heart of our academy lie deep-rooted relationships, which underpin the culture of trust, ambition, and mutual respect that defines our community. Whether in the classroom or in the community, the collective dedication, support, and shared aspiration of our students, staff, families, and partners make Heanor Gate an extraordinary place to learn, work, and thrive.

To see our work commended on a global platform fills me with profound joy. The recognition within this nomination is a testament to the unified efforts of every student, colleague, parent, and community member, and it is a moment of celebration for us all.”

Paul West, Chief Executive Officer at Spencer Academies Trust, said:

“Heanor Gate Spencer Academy exemplifies what it means to be a true community school. In one of the UK’s most economically challenged areas, the academy has created a beacon of hope – redefining education through compassion, connection, and courage. By embedding emotional literacy, employability, and local partnerships into its curriculum, the school not only raises aspirations but tangibly transforms lives. Its students are empowered as changemakers – supporting food banks, elderly residents, and each other – instilling a deep sense of unity and purpose. This nomination recognises a school that doesn’t just educate – it heals, uplifts, and leads its community toward a stronger future.”

Fraser Mitchell, Director of Secondary Education at Spencer Academies Trust, said:

“I’m filled with pride that Heanor Gate Spencer’s exceptional work with the local community has been recognised on a global scale with a nomination for the prestigious T4 Education Prize. The academy’s motto of ‘Team Heanor’ is lived inside and outside of its school doors every day. Heanor Gate Spencer Academy champions every family and every member of its community, reaching as far and wide as local charities, self-help groups, sports clubs, businesses and elderly residential care.  I know that the people of Heanor will be so proud that their school is celebrated across the world.  Congratulations to Mr. Jones and team.”

Vote to help us win the Community Choice Award! Your vote counts!

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Heanor Gate Spencer Academy, a secondary state school in Heanor, Derbyshire, UK, is turning lives around and helping students find local employment in a former mining town identified among the 20% most economically challenged areas in the UK. Heanor West is a community working hard to overcome significant social and economic barriers. It faces ongoing challenges such as limited employment opportunities, reduced social mobility, and concerns around community safety. Many families are navigating these challenges, whilst local schools are striving to improve attendance, academic outcomes, and staff recruitment and retention.

Once a struggling institution, the school transformed itself into a high-performance learning environment by changing its curriculum to include self-regulation and emotional literacy, crucial for its context, to directly impact behaviour and academic performance. The community-focused model is designed around employability and the local labour market to provide personalised learning pathways for vulnerable students. Students engage in community initiatives and projects to build self-esteem and a sense of belonging.

A project in collaboration with a local gym and boxing club allows students to participate in activities including boxing, self-defence, spin classes, and breakfast clubs, which tackle involvement in anti-social behaviour and promote self-esteem, wellbeing and a sense of belonging. Through these activities, students learn valuable lessons to help them navigate the unpredictability of school life, positively impacting their academic performance. Notably, student engagement has increased, particularly among disadvantaged and vulnerable students. Complementing this initiative, a self-regulation curriculum has been introduced to teach and model positive learning behaviours and interactions gained through the project, helping students build resilience, self-control and confidence.

Another key project is a student-led collaboration with local care homes that aims to reduce social isolation among the elderly whilst raising awareness of age-related issues. Involving children from a local primary school, this project centres on the school’s value of Unity and has provided an exceptional opportunity for leadership development, building organisational skills through teamwork.

The school maintains a long-standing partnership with Salcare, a local food bank, to support families affected by the cost-of-living crisis. Initiatives led by its prefect body help reduce the stigma of food insecurity while developing leadership within the school.

More than 500 students have engaged with these initiatives, contributing to an increase in attendance that now sits above the national average. It has acquired over £30,000 in funding from the community to enhance facilities at the local gym and sponsor a study classroom for students with turbulent home environments, giving them a safe space to study and work. The wellbeing team currently provides support to 76 families. The school actively engages with the local labour market through career-related trips and employer partnerships, and has expanded its wellbeing and family support to equip students with coping strategies to overcome challenges they may face as young adults. This support also includes workshops for parents offering practical guidance across various areas, including mental health and emotional regulation. The culture of respect, recognition and support has led to a 0% staff turnover.

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