STAFF and students at William Edwards School, part of South West Essex Community Trust (SWECET) have been celebrating following news that Department Leader Neil Moore, recently won a leadership award at the Royal Opera House Trailblazer Awards.

The ceremony was attended by multiple members of the Trust where SWECET also celebrated nominations in multiple categories.

The Thurrock Trailblazer celebrated its 10-year anniversary recently. In the past decade, the Trailblazer has been dedicated to giving every child the opportunity to accelerate their development through the arts.

Mr Moore won in the 'Leadership' Award category. He was awarded by Alex Beard CBE, CEO of the Royal Opera House.

Speaking of his achievement, Neil said: "I am incredibly proud of the entire team for leading us to this success. Awards like this recognise our project-based curriculum, which goes beyond traditional teaching methods.

"I believe that art should involve everyone, regardless of skill level. It encourages a sense of belonging and positively influences attitudes towards learning. The Trailblazer Awards are incredibly important in reinforcing this."

Colleagues across SWECET have made outstanding contributions to developing cultural learning in schools and represented the Trust with a number of nominations.

William Edwards School received a nomination in the 'Collaboration with the Royal Opera House' category, while Clare Bradfield from Deneholm Primary School was up alongside Neil in the 'Leadership' category.

SWECET was nominated on behalf of all primary schools and William Edwards School in the 'Collaboration with Trailblazer Cultural Partners', highlighting its dedication to providing exceptional arts education and its ongoing partnership with the Royal Opera House.

Steve Munday, Chief Executive Officer at South West Essex Community Education Trust, said: "We are incredibly proud of Neil for his fantastic achievement, aswell as the multiple nominations received by our schools and staff for the Royal Opera House Trailblazer Awards.

"The award was thoroughly deserved by Neil. He has been instrumental in shaping a creative curriculum which has brought some incredible opportunities for students at William Edwards School. This recognition is a testament to the exceptional work happening across our Trust, and it motivates us to keep pushing boundaries and inspiring the next generations of artists."

 "As a Trust, we recognise the importance of providing all our students the opportunity to further their personal development through the arts. These recognitions showcase the unwavering commitment our staff have to contributing to enriching the lives of our young people."

For more information on South West Essex Community Education Trust, visit: https://swecet.org/

For more information about Royal Opera House Trailblazer programme, visit: https://www.roh.org.uk/schools/resource/thurrock-trailblazer