Historic Award for St George's

A passion for learning all about local history has seen a Newcastle school receive a very special award from Historic England.

Pupils at St George’s Catholic Primary School, a member of Bishop Bewick Catholic Academies Trust, have a keen interest in discovering more about the area in which they live, and utilise everything from the local library archives to the internet to learn more.

History Lead at the school Gillian Ellin said everyone at the school was thrilled to discover how much its work on local history was appreciated.

“St.George’s was delighted to receive our Heritage School Award from Historic England. This is a prestigious award that recognises the unique approach that St.George’s has taken to our local history studies whilst also recognising the positive impact it has had on all our children.

“St. George’s school has developed a local programme of study that has inspired our children to learn more about their local history and the important role that Lemington has played in the history and development of the North East of England – we have a proud heritage that we recognise and celebrate through our studies. 

“Areas of study have included our local church and its role in the social history of Lemington, the development of industry evaluating its impact on both the local area and the wider area of Newcastle during the industrial revolution,” she said.

A representative from English Heritage told the school that: “This is definitely one of the best submissions I have had.”

The Heritage Schools Award is awarded for excellence in teaching and learning about local history and is delivered through Historic England.

“Schools are using local heritage to connect children to where they live, develop a sense of place and an understanding of how local heritage relates to the national story.”

The award was presented during a school assembly at St George’s and special mention was made of ‘how much learning outside of the classroom’ had taken place to reinforce the lessons. This included trips to Grainger Town, the historic commercial centre of Newcastle.

Some of the city’s finest buildings, including the Theatre Royal and Grainger Market can be found with 244 of the 450 buildings listed at Grade I or II. The area is named after developer Richard Grainer who built several classical streets between 1824 and 1841. 

Research conducted into the benefits of taking part in the Heritage Schools initiative over the last year revealed a total of 582 schools were involved and the vast majority said learning about local heritage improved pupils’ sense of place.