Norwich school given �3000 boost

An ongoing project aimed at combating youth crime and anti-social behaviour in the west of Norwich has been awarded a �3,000 prize after it beat off competition from other UK cities.

The project involves Chapelfield shopping centre and City Academy Norwich (CAN) and started in September last year.

The Earlham Road academy has launched a highly successful student-led Respect campaign and has replaced old-fashioned exclusions and expulsions with modern restorative justice.

This means students who have not lived up to the Respect expectations work through the reasons for their behaviour with staff and fellow students, including those who have been negatively affected by their actions, and agree what action to take to address and resolve the issues.

The �3,000 is to be directed to help further the current project and, in particular, help develop restorative justice models focusing on poor behaviour and bullying in school.

If successful, the work carried out as part of the project will be made available to other schools and community groups in the wider Norwich area.

The competition to win the prize was launched earlier this year and was open to the 10 shopping centres directly managed by Chapelfield's parent company, Capital Shopping Centres (CSC).

Each centre was invited to enter a submission talking about local projects/partnerships of particular value to them and the communities served by the centres.

CAN was presented with the �3000 prize by CSC on Monday<13>.

The project beat submissions from nine other shopping centres in the UK such as Metro Centre in Gateshead, Lakeside Thurrock and Victoria Centre, Nottingham.

Chapelfield's general manager Davina Tanner, who is a governor of CAN and plays a key role on the board, said: 'I am really proud to be involved with City Academy Norwich and delighted that they have won our chairman's annual CR prize.

'In particular, I am proud of the students and staff at CAN for their amazing achievements over the past 12 months.

'Their considerable efforts and willingness to engage with each other and the wider community have turned the school around.'

? Has your school got something to celebrate? Call reporter Dvaid Bale on 01603 772427 or email david.bale2@archant.co.uk.