St. Leonard’s Catholic School awarded Champion School status by National Citizen Service
● Fourteen of schools in County Durham awarded ‘Champion School’ status by National Citizen Service (NCS), as a result of their commitment to the youth programme
● 630 schools across the country have been recognised as Champion Schools, including 56 in the North East
● Almost 400,000 students have taken part in NCS since 2011, with recent research showing that it improves outcomes for the teens who take part, including increased likelihood of getting into university
National Citizen Service (NCS) has awarded ‘Champion School’ status to St. Leonard’s Catholic School, who have been recognised alongside schools across the country for their commitment to, and work with, the flagship youth programme. The award of Champion School status has been given to only those schools that have exceeded expectations in promoting the programme as well as recruiting students to take part.
Open to all young people, regardless of circumstances or additional needs, NCS focuses on three core principles of social cohesion, social engagement and social mobility, all of which have benefits not just to the participants but to communities and society as a whole.
Parents of the teens who take part repeatedly comment on the positive effect NCS has on their children, including increased confidence levels and independence. In addition, the teachers at Champion Schools have praised the impact NCS has had on so many of their pupils, and the knock on benefits to the school more widely.
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