St John Bosco Arts College, in Croxteth, is celebrating after being shortlisted for the TES Schools Awards 2017.

The all-girls Catholic secondary school in Liverpool is in the running for the ‘English teacher or team of the year’ award.

Now in its ninth year, the TES Schools Awards celebrate the ‘extraordinary commitment, quality and innovation’ shown by teachers and support staff across the UK.

The winners will be revealed at a gala awards evening at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London on Friday June 23 2017.

The ‘English teacher or team of the year’ award looks for schools which have found innovative ways to teach literacy and English.

2015-16 was a breakthrough year for the English department at St John Bosco Arts College, culminating in the best results in over 10 years, with 85.2% of students achieving A*- C grades at GCSE and a record 93.4% of students making 3+ levels of progress.

Reading buddies, book weeks and Harry Potter Book nights are just some of the initiatives St John Bosco host to improve literacy skills and promote reading for pleasure.

Reacting to the shortlist announcement, headteacher Darren Gidman says: “I am delighted that our English team have been shortlisted for the ‘English teacher or team of the year’ category at the TES Schools Awards. The talented English department have worked hard to drive improvement and inspire students this past year, which has resulted in the department’s best results in over 10 years.

“We believe literacy is the foundation for all learning and as a school we try and instil a love of reading and writing from a young age. The English team do a fantastic job; supporting students’ learning and working tirelessly to unlock their potential through different strategies and initiatives.”