The Beech Academy in Mansfield has been presented with Stonewall’s silver School Champion award in recognition of its inclusivity.

Only eight schools nationally have been awarded silver in the past two years.

Rob Butler, deputy head and the school’s Stonewall champion, said: “I’m very proud of this award as it reflects the inclusive nature of our academy and our students who are accepting of others regardless of special need, race, gender or sexuality.”

Stonewall said: “The bronze, silver and gold awards give greater recognition to schools tackling homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying and celebrating diversity.

“They also enable schools to effectively benchmark their progress and give direction to their ongoing work in this area.”
The academy, graded good by Ofsted, caters for children with a wide range of special needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder and moderate learning difficulties.

The academy is a member of The Evolve Trust and has inclusivity as one of its core values.

To achieve the silver award, the academy demonstrated a commitment to equality, including members of the LGBT community.