OVER the past few years there have been huge changes to the secondary school landscape in East Lancashire.

Many local authority schools have changed their name to become a specialist centre for one or more subjects and at the same time a number became academies.

Academy status means they become publicly-funded independent schools, outside council control and with greater freedom over finances, the national curriculum, hours and term times.

Hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent as part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme which saw three new ‘super schools’ constructed in Blackburn with Darwen, as well as rebuilds at St Wilfrid’s, Blackburn, and Darwen Vale High School.

Darwen Vale later announced it would become an academy.

In Burnley and Pendle, as part of the BSF programme, 11 high schools were replaced by eight new ones and a special school.

Long established Roman Catholic and Church of England high schools were joined by Muslim secondaries including the separate Tauheedul Islam Boys’ and Girls’ schools and Al-Islah School, all in Blackburn.

The independent sector flourished while Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Blackburn, became a free school, and a new free school - Burnley High School - was also opened.

The Secondary School of the Year category is designed to celebrate, not the buildings, but the real achievements made in enabling pupils to realise their potential.

It’s not just about exams, but nurturing talent and aspiration while giving pupils the skills to equip them for the modern world.

Innovations which have helped to add to the learning experience will also be considered along with the schools’ commitment to, and role in, the communities they serve.

  • We want to hear from all kinds of secondary schools. Nomination forms can be downloaded from lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/education_zone/schools_awards/