VbE Compassion Award

The Award

We have recently introduced a new Compassion Award.

School staff are encouraged to nominate individuals within their school community who consistently demonstrate exceptional compassion. This can take various forms, such as continuous compassion towards students, colleagues, or parents, extraordinary acts of compassion, or the ability to nurture compassion in others.

We will review the nominations and present the award to those who have expressed the strongest acts of compassion.

In Memory of ...

The VbE Compassionate Award was created in memory of Maurice Irfan Coles. He was the founder of the charity CoEd. Its name is a blending of its founding vision for Compassionate Education.

It reflects the core essence of Maurice who was a most respected, wise and compassionate man.

The Compassion Award

Compassionate Award Grants

Sarah Phillips, head of Loddon Primary School

Sarah is the head of a beacon values-based school in Reading. She has developed and leads a vibrant group of values-based schools in her area. She has pioneered many values-based techniques and practices and is a driving force within the VbE world.

In 2023, she developed and worked on a project with a number of local values-based schools and Reading University. The participating schools developed lamp post sized posters featuring a number of universal values, such as peace, respect, happiness and tolerance. The posters were displayed throughout the Reading University campus and raised awareness of values with the thousands of people who visited the campus during the exhibition.

The exhibition was widely acknowledged in the media. Here is an example of an article featured by the University of Reading itself

Presentation to Sarah Phillips by Prof Mick Waters

Cori Bateman, CEO of Pioneer Learning Trust

Cori is head of Chantry Primary Academy and CEO of the VbE MAT Pioneer Learning Trust. She has implemented and developed values-based practices throughout schools in Luton and beyond.

She has introduced to her schools an initiative called Courageous Advocacy where students are encouraged, inspired and empowered to advocate for social causes they feel passionate about. This initiative has spawned a wide range of social action and awareness that has improved the lives of thousands of people in and around Luton.

An example of a project inspired by Courageous Advocacy was reported in 2022 by Befordshire Live

Presentation to Cori Bateman by Neil Hawkes

David Bartlett, head of Pear Tree Projects

David's outstanding work at Pear Tree Projects, an impactful special needs school, has created a nurturing environment for children with highly challenging needs.

With over thirty-five years of experience, David has developed a comprehensive system to measure, monitor, and promote emotional wellbeing. This system has proven to be highly effective in helping children process and understand their difficulties. An independent research project spanning a decade examined a group of children and concluded that those involved in David's 'marginal gains' process made significant psychological progress.

David has made this valuable resource freely accessible to all children in the UK. Additionally, he has developed an international version that can be utilised by children of any age, stage, or setting worldwide, at his own expense.

Presentation to David Bartlett by Prof Mick Waters

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