TAS Trust shortlisted for prestigious ISA award thanks to Canada trip
A landmark school trip to the Invictus Games has earned the TAS Trust a nomination for a top education award.
The TAS Trust, a network of independent specialist schools across Lancashire, has been shortlisted for the Independent Schools Association (ISA) Award for International Provisions. This nomination highlights TAS’s commitment to creating global opportunities for its students.
The ISA works closely with schools and other professional bodies to promote excellence in independent education. The ISA Award of International Provision selects its nominees based on schools that stand out in an international context, which includes giving pupils opportunities overseas.
TAS earned the nomination based on its landmark trip to Canada for the Invictus Games in May of this year.
Pupils Jodi-Li Wilman, 15, Hayden Richardson, 14, and Bailey Blaine were given the chance to travel internationally for the first time due to their outstanding attitude to learning, progress, attendance and completion of the BTEC Level 1 in Sport. It represented a significant step forward in building self-confidence and independence for the students.
The TAS Trust, a network of specialist schools with eight campuses across Lancashire, offers a new approach to schooling, allowing a more creative and out-of-the-box way of teaching that benefits pupils who struggle with traditional education formats.
The school’s hybrid, relationship-led approach allows pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs, including many with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP), who have been excluded from mainstream schools, to flourish.
All four students have developed significantly since returning from the trip. Staff have noted changes not just in confidence, but in how these pupils approach challenges and opportunities alike.
Abroad opportunities like the Invictus Games demonstrate TAS’s vision – intentionally different, rooted in purposeful enjoyment and driven by a belief that education is about much more than what happens in the classroom.
CEO Kirsty-Anne Pugh, founder of the organisation, said: “Being selected as a finalist for this award is an outstanding achievement for TAS and it’s great to be acknowledged for the opportunities we provide for our students.”
The award ceremony will take place at the ISA Autumn Study Conference in November.