Black Country and Staffordshire schools celebrate winning cash prizes in E&S competition
Five schools have spoken of their elation after winning cash prizes through the Express & Star's Cash for Schools competition.
Our competition saw around 50 schools enter for a chance to win a share of £12,000 to benefit the facilities at the five winning schools.
This year, the competition was backed by Dudley Building Society in association with KUKA, the Halesowen-based manufacturer of Thompson friction welding machines and factory automation.
Our competition involved a token collecting campaign, in which schools competed to have the highest proportion of tokens per pupil. This gave schools of all sizes an equal chance of winning.
The five winning schools have now been rewarded with a cash prize, ranging from £1,000 to £5,000.
Coming in first place was Penn Hall School, who entered our competition for the first time this year and have now received £5,000 to benefit their pupils.
With only 53 pupils at the Wolverhampton school, Penn Hall was the smallest school to take part in our competition this year.
Headteacher Sarah Wilkinson told the Express & Star: "It's absolutely amazing. We were delighted to take the initial phone call and assumed we'd be receiving £1,000.
"So when you turned up with that big cheque for £5,000, it was really really special. The impact of £5,000 is really going to be significant for our children."
Penn Hall is a school which provides education for children and young people aged three to 19 with a range of special educational needs and disabilities.
Sarah added: "We're looking at developing a small space into a calming sensory room with bubble tubes. It'll be a quiet space for children to use when they're finding things difficult and need a bit of quiet time.
"We'll also be able to have money for other things, so we're looking at enhancing our early years facilities."
Expressing her gratitude on behalf of the school, Sarah concluded: "We want to thank the Express & Star and all of its sponsors, as well as everyone who collected tokens on our behalf."
In second place, winning a cash prize of £3,000, was Longford Primary Academy in Cannock.
Longford are planning to spend their winnings on taking the whole school on a trip to the pantomime in December.
With the cost of living crisis, they want to provide this treat to assist families who would otherwise have to pay for their children to attend.
In third place was Poppyfield Primary Academy in Hednesford who won £2,000 to benefit their pupils.
Having come fourth in 2022, Poppyfield created and kitted out a library area with their money. This time, they plan to create an outside area for children’s wellbeing.
A spokesperson for the school said: "We only went and won again! A huge thank you to all of the families who collected the cash for schools tokens from the Express & Star."
Tettenhall Wood school, a designated special school for children with autism in Wolverhampton, came in fourth place and won £1,000.
Sarah Whittington, executive headteacher at Tettenhall Wood, said: "We are so grateful to receive this money from the Express & Star and thank all who collected the vouchers for us.
"We are going to use it to towards the development of our new Vocational Learning Hub – “The Link” which we hope will open in September 2023 on the site of Tettenhall Wood School.
"Here, our older students will be able to access vocational courses that will include hospitality, horticulture, jewellery making, furniture and garden upcycling, and balloon crafts."
Broadmeadow Special School in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, came in fifth place and also won £1,000.
Having finished in first place last year and winning £5,000, Broadmeadow created a sensory room for their pupils.
This time, the money will be going towards creating an outside area for work and play.
Assistant headteacher Dawn Beamer told the Express & Star: "We were amazed to have reached the final of the competition again after winning it previously.
"We are currently developing our outdoor space in order to provide more choice and increase the level of physical challenge offered to our pupils.
"We are delighted to receive £1000, which will be put to very good use and push this project forward. Please convey our thanks to all involved in the cash for schools promotion."
