The Boarding Schools’ Association has announced the winners of its annual Supporting Excellence Awards. The winners of the awards were unveiled at the BSA Annual Conference for Heads, sponsored by Chartwells and Schoolblazer, which took place in Bristol, on 2-3 May.

First held in 2018, and now in its sixth year, the BSA Awards celebrate the achievements, hard work, and dedication of schools and individuals within boarding.

There were more than 145 submissions across 14 categories.

Highlights of this year’s awards include the winner of this year’s Stephen Winkley Award, Tom Murray, houseparent at Port Regis. According to Port Regis, Murray has made a significant impact to boarding with his “never waning patience, his warmth, and his unwavering commitment to giving the Port Regis boarders a home from.”

A former colleague and senior houseparent also described Murray to be “utterly committed to the welfare of the boys in his charge and is always looking for the good in children and seeking what is best for every individual he looks after.”

Judges praised Murray, saying: “He is a great example of a committed, passionate, caring front-line member of the boarding community who puts the children he looks after first, every day of the week. He is a credit to the sector and a role model for those who want to know and understand what being a boarding professional really means.”

The Best Artwork Project Award also saw entries which impressed the judging panel. One judge said: “The entries have been absolutely fabulous this year, all of a very high quality and demonstrating a diverse range of processes and techniques.”

Robin Fletcher, chief executive of the Boarding Schools’ Association and BSA Group, said: “Our annual awards allow us such a fantastic opportunity to support excellence in our boarding community, and celebrate unwavering boarding staff commitment and everything they do to support boarders. I am delighted to see another excellent response to our awards this year and our judging panel have once again been hugely impressed by the standard of entries – selecting winners was certainly no easy task!

“We wish all the finalists shortlisted the very best of luck. And special thanks to this year’s award sponsors for their support.”

 

Below is a full list of the winners and highly commended finalists from this year’s BSA Supporting Excellence Awards:

Best Community Work via BSA ‘On Board’ Initiative Award (sponsored by Chartwells)

WINNER: Wellington College

HIGHLY COMMENDED: ACS International School Cobham and Sedbergh School

 

Boarding House Extension or Refurbishment Award (sponsored by Schoolblazer)

WINNER: Aiglon College, Switzerland

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Bromsgrove International School Thailand and Shebbear College

 

Boarding Innovation Award (sponsored by Schoolblazer)

WINNER: Strathallan School

HIGHLY COMMENDED: St George’s International School Switzerland and St Mary’s Cambridge

 

Boarding Research Award (presented by the BSA Foundation and sponsored by Chartwells)

WINNER: St Leonards

Most Original Activity During National Boarding Week Award (sponsored by Schoolblazer)

WINNER: Denstone College

 

Wellbeing & Mental Health Initiative Award (sponsored by Chartwells)

WINNER: Canford School

HIGHLY COMMENDED: DLD College London, Haileybury and Woodstock School India

 

Supporting Junior Boarders Award (sponsored by Chartwells)

WINNER: Repton Prep School

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Cottesmore School and Junior King’s School, Canterbury

 

Supporting International Boarders Award (sponsored by Schoolblazer)

WINNER: Sedbergh School

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Academic Families and St Peter’s International School Portugal

 

International School of the Year Award (sponsored by iDAT)

WINNER: Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar, Malaysia

 

Working with Vulnerable Children Award (sponsored by Schoolblazer)

WINNER: Bede’s School

 

INDEX (Inclusion and Diversity Excellence) Initiative Award (sponsored by Chartwells

WINNER:  Gordonstoun School

 

Best New Artwork Project (sponsored by Shelleys the Printers, Sherborne)

WINNER:  Mwangi Mungai, Malvern College

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Sofi Fateh, Aiglon College Switzerland, Anastasiia Tian, Badminton School, Henry Yang, Dulwich College and Ayse Naz, Repton School

 

Khadija Saye Photography Award

WINNER: Sophie Watson, Gordonstoun School

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Jennifer Mobbs, Gordonstoun School and Ella Martin, King’s Ely

 

Stephen Winkley Award

WINNER: Tom Murray, Port Regis

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Kate Scott, Chetham’s School of Music