Vale of York Academy, 2018 Open Your Space Award finalists

Rob Orr, Community Coordinator, Vale of York Academy, York

At the Vale of York Academy, we like to think that our initials could stand for the Value of Youth! We have a fantastic team of young student leaders from Key Stage 4, who give up a large proportion of their time to give something back to their community. We hold events at the school such as sports days for the local primary school children so that they are comfortable and familiar with the school, through to parties and concerts for elderly local residents.

Last year we held an Active Community Engagement Day, with local groups and services coming out to support our event. The kids enjoyed a whole range of activities, including dance classes and graffiti art with the aim of inspiring students to try new hobbies and engage with their local community. We also run an outreach programme which sees our kids go out into the local community.   Not only does this support our community, it gives the students involved a great sense of confidence.

To enter a school and community partnership in to this year’s Awards, click here.