The Black Pupil Achievement Awards 2010
The fourth annual Black Pupil Achievement Awards, which was held at the University of Huddersfield on the 25th June, was yet another resounding success for the Parents of Black Children Association (PBCA) with pupils, teachers and parents joining together to celebrate the incredible achievements of young people from in and around the Kirklees area.
The ceremony, which was undoubtedly the pinnacle in the PBCA’s calendar, was intended not only to celebrate the accomplishments of young Black people through the presentation of awards to children from a wide range of primary and high schools in the region, but also to help raise the aspirations of the Black community on the whole. Schools were initially invited to nominate pupils, bearing in mind those they considered to have made a special effort in a certain field. Overall, an overwhelming one hundred nominations were received by the PBCA, which reflected a wide-ranging degree of talent and enthusiasm in the area. Outstanding contributions were noted in the areas of sport, literacy, mathematics and the arts.
Milton Brown, CEO of the PBCA had previously stated that this year’s short-listing process had been the most difficult of all, with little to distinguish between the nominees. Nevertheless, a list of forty-four finalists was compiled and on the night the selected pupils each received their awards from local role models.
The prize for the best primary school went to Birkby Junior School, with Head Teacher Susan Davies accepting the award on behalf of all the staff and students, and the same award in the older age group category to Moor End Technology College. The highlight of the night, however, was without a doubt the opening of the golden envelope to reveal the most prestigious and eagerly-anticipated award of all: the overall winner of primary and high school award. It was an exciting moment for all when Joell Douglas from Bradley Junior School deservedly took the prize for Key Stages One & Two, and later in the evening when an emotional Chelsea Kaye of Almondbury High School laid claim to the Key Stages Three & Four trophy for outstanding achievement.
Chelsea later told the PBCA team that she was “overwhelmed” by the evening’s turn of events, and had not expected to win the award at all, which she thought could have just as easily gone to the other finalists who deserved it just as much as her. As the newly-crowned winner herself humbly put it, “everyone’s a winner”. Proud and bursting-with-joy dad was there to support Chelsea on the night and told us afterwards that he was simply “over the moon” with the result. Chelsea’s dad and learning mentor also made special thanks to the PBCA, and similar organisations, for recognising the achievements of young people like Chelsea who had faced and managed to overcome hardship in their lives. Chelsea also gave advice to other pupils who perhaps would one day like to win an award, insisting that they “just keep trying” and claiming that “nothing is impossible”.
Such catchphrases became the order of the night with a whole host of parents, teachers, pupils and dignitaries echoing Chelsea’s emphasis on hard work and determination. Steve Smith, who was invited to present an award on the evening and was, in his own words, there “to give something back” considered it a “great privilege” to have been asked to attend and present. He, too, urged young people who might be facing unfair opposition in their lives to “go ahead and do it,” whatever the ‘it’ may be. Huddersfield born and bred, bio-medical scientist and newly-published author of British Black Gospel: The Foundations of This Vibrant UK Sound, Steve served as a shining example to all those attending the ceremony of just what can be achieved with a little hard work and staying power.
Steve was one of the many special guests on the evening who was invited to the annual awards ceremony to enhance the sense of pride in the Black community. Steven Price, Head teacher of Honley Junior School spoke of a “wider good”, which events like the annual Black Pupil Achievement Awards can help to promote.
The PBCA has, for several years, been actively involved in, and committed to, narrowing the gaps in educational attainment between the different ethnic groups of the community, focusing particularly on those of African and Caribbean dual heritage. Dr. Emma Sutton, Director of Learning and Development for the PBCA spoke of how events like the annual awards have succeeded in raising the aspirations of young Black people and bringing together into one evening the hard work and efforts of all those involved in the community programmes and initiatives of the PBCA such as the Spelling Bee, the Uniquely You scheme and the Aspire role models course. On a more personal level, Emma added that she was pleased to be a part of the awards and felt even more motivated by the “heart-warming” event each and every year.
The recent ceremony at Huddersfield University which celebrated, as Steven Price succinctly put it, “children of Black origin doing well,” ultimately served as a giant pat on the back to all those parents, pupils, teachers and organisers who have been tirelessly involved with the good work being carried out in the community, something that is by all accounts set to continue into the future.
Feedback from the Awards 2010
If you attended the awards this year, we would love to hear from you. For your chance to win a family ticket to watch a film of your choice at the cinema, enter our free prize draw by filling in the feedback form below. This information will help us to improve the Black Pupil Achievement Awards, and to ensure that the ceremony remains an enjoyable and exciting experience for everyone in future events.
The Awards 2009 Video Podcast
