Three schools and one nursery have been crowned winners of this year's awards
The winners of awards which celebrate inclusive education have been announced.
Three schools and one nursery have been crowned winners of this year's Success Looks Different Awards.
The awards invited education settings to share how they celebrate the achievements of all pupils, including those who get additional support with their learning.
They were created by the Children In Scotland-run Inclusion Ambassadors, a group of secondary school-aged pupils who have a range of additional support needs.
Now in their third year, the Success Looks Different Awards contribute towards the Scottish Government’s Additional Support for Learning Action Plan.
The awards have four categories: Early Years, Primary School, Secondary School and Special School. This year, the application process required applicants to coproduce their submissions with children and young people.
This was because the Inclusion Ambassadors wanted the voices of children and young people to come through more in applications.
The winners of each category were chosen by the ambassadors themselves, and the group judged applications based on their own carefully crafted selection criteria. This includes how well applicants celebrate the individuality of pupils, how they demonstrate creativity and how well they share successes with the wider community.
SUCCESS LOOKS DIFFERENT 2024-25 WINNERS:
EARLY YEARS
ELU Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
The Inclusion Ambassadors were particularly impressed with ELU Hamilton’s achievement tree. They noted how it offers a focal point for displaying daily celebrations and recognising children’s achievements from both nursey and home. The group also loved the sound of the edible yard, where children can grow, use and share their own produce with the wider community.
PRIMARY SCHOOL
Buchanhaven Primary School, Aberdeenshire
The Inclusion Ambassadors chose Buchanhaven Primary School as winners of the Primary School category due to the positive language and quotes included in their application. The group also highlighted the broad range of achievements that the school recognise, their strong community links and the Thrive Hive, where children engage in a range of new experiences.
SECONDARY SCHOOL
Duncanrig Secondary School, East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire
The Inclusion Ambassadors were particularly impressed with how strongly pupils' voices came through in Duncanrig Communication Support Base’s application. They were also inspired by the vibrancy and detail on display in the school wall displays that share pupils' achievements, testimonials, experiences and other creative pieces.
SPECIAL SCHOOL
Parkhill Secondary School, Glasgow
Parkhill Secondary School was crowned winner of the Special Schools category with the Inclusion Ambassadors particularly impressed with the straightforward approach of their application and how they mapped out things they were doing across the school building. The group also liked that the Parkhill shared things they loved about their own school and how much of what they do is about making pupils ‘feel good’.
Jenny Gilruth MSP, cabinet secretary for education and skills, congratulated the Inclusion Ambassadors and the winners, saying: “I want to congratulate the winners and all of those who took part in this year’s Success Look Different Awards. It's vital that we recognise the work being done to ensure our schools and early learning and childcare settings are inclusive places of learning.
“This is an important opportunity to celebrate the achievements of children and young people with additional support needs and those dedicated to ensuring they can thrive and fulfil their potential.
“I would also like to thank the Inclusion Ambassadors for their ongoing commitment to fostering inclusive learning environments.”
