Academy wins prestigious national award for outstanding sporting provision

A Multi Academy Trust in Buckinghamshire has scooped a prestigious national award in recognition of their work supporting their students through PE and sport.

Insignis Academy Trust (IAT), won the Outstanding Multi Academy Trust Practice award at the Youth Sport Trust 2025 Conference Awards, sponsored by Sports Directory and The LEGO Group, which were held in Telford on March 25.

The award recognised a Multi Academy Trust that places pupil and staff wellbeing at the heart of the trust, delivering a co-ordinated approach to leveraging PE, play and sport to support resilient learners.

The Youth Sport Trust is the UK’s leading children’s charity improving every young person’s education and development through sport.

Trust wellbeing lead Ali Arber said: “To get recognition like this is brilliant for us. It has been a long journey working with different education establishments to get to where we currently are, but this award is a springboard because we are only at the beginning of our journey.”

A celebration of inclusivity attended by key figures from the sporting world, including Clare Balding and Maisie Summers-Newton, the awards recognised the trailblazing schools, trusts and individuals driving transformative change in education through sport.

Hosted by TV personality Radzi Chinyanganya, the evening was filled with insightful discussions and inspiring stories that highlighted the power of sport and play to foster positive change and inclusivity in schools.

Speaking on the importance of inclusivity in sport, Maisie Summers-Newton, four-time Paralympic gold medallist and S6 100m world record holder, took part in a captivating Q&A session where she shared her experience navigating sport with a disability, from childhood through to competing at the Paralympics in Tokyo and Paris.

Trust CEO Garret Fay added: “It has been really wonderful working with the Youth Sport Trust for a number of years and the work that has been done has been transformational both for the students in our Trust, and the teachers too.”

Clare Balding said: “The power of sport means so much to people and there is nowhere I would have rather been this evening than with the people who are actively changing the world for the better.”

The Youth Sport Trust Annual Conference Awards, sponsored by Sports Directory and The LEGO Group, celebrate schools, settings, trusts, and individuals who, working alongside Youth Sport Trust, have made a real and impactful change to the lives of young people. Find out how the Youth Sport Trust is building brighter futures for children through sport and play: https://www.youthsporttrust.org/