Staff member at Middleton school honoured at the Educate Awards

Mike Smith (left) from Cardinal Langley RC High School won School Support Star of the Year at the Educate Awards

A design and technology technician from a Middleton school was crowned a winner at the Educate Awards on Friday 18 November.

Mike Smith, who works at Cardinal Langley RC High School, took home the School Support Star of the Year award.

School Support Star of the Year is awarded to an individual within the school setting for their outstanding contribution in supporting pupils, students, teachers and the life of the school, consistently going the extra mile.

Mike, who has worked at the school for six years, is known to be the first to help out when students are in need and is more than happy to support other departments in the school.

He supports students with their work and uses his varied engineering knowledge to inform other staff, construct sets for the school production and even made visors for critical care staff at North Manchester General Hospital.

Mike also built and installed Covid screens around school to ensure that staff were kept safe during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now in its eleventh year, the Educate Awards showcases the hard work and creativity that takes place in the education sector, from STEM and performing arts to sport and literacy.

The awards also recognise the individuals who bring schools and colleges to life, from inspiring teachers and dedicated support staff to efficient business managers and strategic leadership teams.

In partnership with Copyrite Systems and Ricoh, the Educate Awards took place at the Liverpool Cathedral and welcomed over 600 guests. The evening was hosted by broadcaster, Simon ‘Rossie’ Ross.

Alongside the awards ceremony was a delicious three course gala dinner and glittering entertainment from St Bede’s Catholic High School’s very own saxophonist and chamber choir, a dance performance from Archbishop Beck Catholic College and a Legally Blonde The Musical medley by St Mary’s Catholic College.