Influential school scoops national sport for PE and sport support

A school from Liverpool has scooped a prestigious national award in recognition of their work supporting their students through PE and sport. The Belvedere Academy won the Outstanding Secondary 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 secondary school that has used PE, sport and play to build back healthier, happier and more resilient young people. The Youth Sport Trust is the UK’s leading children’s charity improving every young person’s education and development through sport.

Head of PE Kate Reynolds said: “I am so proud, both for the students and for the staff as well. Everybody has been involved with this award. I trained all the staff up and it is because of them that we have won. Every single person in the school has contributed to this and I could not be prouder.”

Through the work of Reynolds, who has transformed the physical education offering for girls and has ensured the integration of puberty education and mental health awareness into the PE curriculum, the wellbeing of students has increased substantially. 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. 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/