An inspirational Honours Evening 2025

We were delighted to welcome students, families, staff, and special guests to our annual Honours Evening - a highlight of the school calendar, celebrating our students' outstanding achievements.

The presentation took place at Beeches Main Hall on Thursday 10 July and recognised the hard work, dedication and success of Beacon Academy students in Years 7 to 10 across all subject areas. This event is an opportunity to honour not just academic excellence, but also the resilience, creativity and character our students have demonstrated throughout the year.

The evening was made even more special by the presence of our inspirational guest speaker, James Cooper, a former student and founder of the health and wellbeing initiative Smilinggg. An avid ultra-runner and fundraiser, James' Steps and Smiles approach to daily wellbeing has gained national recognition, including from the Pride of Britain Awards, and we were honoured to have him join us.

James, who completed the remarkable challenge of running a marathon every single day throughout 2024 to raise awareness for mental health and fundraise for Samaritans, delivered a powerful and heartfelt speech centred on the three Gs: gratitude, generosity, and growth - a message that perfectly reflected our MARK values.

"Life, much like a marathon, will throw unexpected twists at you. There will be headwinds, uphill battles, and moments when you feel you've hit a wall. But just like I learned to put one foot in front of the other, even when every fiber of my being wanted to stop, you too can learn to push through. Understand that failure isn't the opposite of success; it’s part of the journey towards it. Embrace challenges, learn from every stumble, and build that inner strength. Your ability to bounce back, to adapt, and to persevere will be your greatest asset."

The evening also featured a wonderful musical performance by our talented students, and an uplifting dance performance from our Gifted and Talented Dance Company. 

We were also privileged to welcome Clare Collins, our Chair of Trustees, and Laura Masson, Beacon Academy Local Governing Committee member, who supported the presentation of awards alongside our dedicated Heads of Years 7 to 10 and our Head Students.

Clare Collins said:

"Beacon Academy's Honours Evening was a wonderful opportunity to see the outcomes of the work of the academy trust: inspirational students, dedicated staff, supportive parents and carers. It was my honour to be part of it and to be able to recognise all those who are making their MARK."   

We are immensely proud of every student who was nominated and all of our finalists. They each embody the values we champion at our school - not only through their academic achievements, but through their kindness, resilience, leadership, and contribution to our school community. They truly deserve this recognition.

Images of individual winners and runners up are available for parents and carers on request to Mrs Hoper at c.hoper@beacon-academy.org.