Jack Petchey Awards

The Jack Petchey Foundation was established in 1999 to inspire and motivate young people across London and Essex by providing exciting projects and programmes for them to get involved in. It also recognises the outstanding achievements of today’s young people by awarding them for their hard work and positive impact on their community. 

Part of the Foundation, the Jack Petchey Achievement Award Scheme started in East London. It now operates in all London boroughs running in over 1000 schools, colleges and clubs. It is a scheme to recognise and celebrate the achievements of young people, to help them take advantage of opportunities and to play a full part in society. Grants of over £35 million have been given since the establishment of the Foundation.

Over the course of the school year, St Martin’s is able to give nine awards to individual students, and a leader award. The winner of each student award receives a framed certificate and £250 in the form of a cheque made payable to St Martin’s. The money is then spent on a school or community project of the recipient’s choice.  Students are nominated by their peers who need to fill in a nomination form which can be placed in the box in Student Services.

The Foundation realises that lots of the great work, projects and schemes that young people are able to access and participate in, would simply not be possible without the support of their adult leaders. In recognising this the Foundation created the Leader Award. This gives young people the opportunity say thank you to their leaders to recognise and vote for the the ones that inspire and support them.

In addition, we also take part in the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge.  Click here to find out more about the Jack Petchey Foundation and the Award Scheme. 

JACK PETCHEY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS 2021-2022

Who can be nominated?  who nominates?

Any student can be nominated if they have not previously been awarded. Jack Petchey Achievement Award winners are young people who have gone above and beyond to achieve – perhaps when others thought they might fail. The Achievement Awards are not solely for academic achievement – they may be used to recognise a personal triumph for someone who has faced a challenge, a young person who has pushed themselves outside of their comfort zone or it may be an opportunity to recognise the outstanding efforts of a team player.  Young people must be involved in selecting a winner, but staff can also get involved.

WHAT DO YOU GET?

When a winner is selected they are publicly congratulated for their achievement and receive a framed certificate and badge, membership of the JPF Achievers community and £250 to be spent on a something of their choice that will benefit the school.  Award winners are further recognised by attending one of our celebration events where they are congratulated on stage in front of friends and family. 


'Speak Out' Challenge!

Jack Petchey’s “Speak Out” Challenge! is a programme run by Speakers Trust and funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation to encourage the skills, confidence and desire to speak in public and available to every state secondary school in London and Essex.  Training is offered to at a group of twenty five students from Year 10 and is followed by an in-house 'Speak Out' competition.  The winning student then goes on the represent St Martin's in the Lambeth final and, if successful, the Jack Petchey's 'Speak Out' Challenge! regional final.  

In June 2022, Year 10 and three distinguished judges gathered in our Main Assembly Hall for the school's Speak Out Challenge School Final 2022.  All four contestants (pictured above) delivered excellent speeches, all topical and thoughtful as well as entertaining.  The high quality of all the speeches made the judges' work all the harder but, after deliberation, they declared Valerie St Martin's Speak Out Challenge 2021 champion and Edwina, the runner-up.

On Tuesday 17 May 2022,  Valerie and Edwina (pictured below) represented St Martin's at the Lambeth Regional Final of the Jack Petchey "Speak Out" Challenge held at Saint Gabriel's College. It was great seeing our students represent our school with passion and conviction and to hear all the other speeches from other Lambeth schools.  Despite not getting through to the next stage of the competition, we are very proud of both Valerie and Edwina, both excellent role models for all St Martin's students and great ambassadors for our school.

Congratulations to Cheyanne from Dunraven school who was the overall regional winner and will go on to represent Lambeth in the Jack Petchey 'Speak Out' national finals.  Until the, you can enjoy her winning speech and more HERE.


2021 jack petchey 'speak out' challenge school finalists