The Ellesmere Port Church of England College
Despite there being nearly 5,500 miles between the two schools, The Ellesmere Port Church of England College (EPC) and The Qingdao Middle School No. 31, which is in the Shandong province on the shores of the Yellow Sea, have become sister schools to help students immerse themselves in different cultures.
Monday 13 May was a special day for students Sean Walker, Emille Scott, Josh Richards, Matthew Skillen and Shania Jones who were invited to attend a special Duke of Edinburgh ceremony at Buckingham Palace to collect their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
The students, who recently graduated from the College, were presented with their certificates by Rudolph Walker OBE, before being joined by the Princess Royal who took the time to speak with all of the participants.
Pupils from across the Frank Field Education Trust came together to celebrate their achievements at the annual Gold Award Ceremony, held at the beautiful Ness Botanic Gardens on the Wirral on Wednesday 17th June 2026.
The event recognised students who have successfully completed the Frank Field Education Trust Gold Award Programme, which encourages young people to demonstrate dedication, resilience, leadership and personal development while embodying the Trust’s core values.
During the last half term, Birches Head Academy proudly marked Cultural Week, offering pupils a variety of engaging opportunities to explore, celebrate, and learn about the diverse cultures represented within our school community.
Throughout the week, pupils explored traditional folktales from their cultural backgrounds, matched influential cultural figures to the academy’s core values, and participated in a much-anticipated inter-form World Cup competition. These activities encouraged pupils to develop a greater understanding of their own heritage while fostering appreciation and respect for the cultures of others.
A group of over 40 students from across the Frank Field Education Trust recently returned from an unforgettable immersion experience to India, combining cultural exploration with community engagement and social awareness activities.
The journey began on Wednesday 29 April 2026, when the group travelled from Manchester to Heathrow before boarding an overnight flight to New Delhi.
Pupils from across the Frank Field Education Trust took part in an another exciting and inspiring FFET Be More Event at Manchester Airport’s AeroZone.
As part of their ongoing commitment to inspiring the next generation, Manchester Airport has developed the on-site AeroZone - an innovative education centre designed to bring learning to life.
During the visit, students had the chance to explore this unique space and experience the world of aviation up close.
On Wednesday 28 January 2026, FFET hosted its first-ever Student Leadership Conference at Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre, bringing together students from across the Trust for a full day of leadership development and reflection.
The conference opened at 10.00am with students taking part in a leadership style task, followed by a keynote address from Mrs Green, Deputy CEO of the Trust titled “What is Leadership?”. The keynote set the tone for the day, encouraging pupils to consider the meaning, qualities, and responsibilities of effective leadership.
There are three age categories: Years 1 and 2, year 3 and 4, Years 5 and 6, Years 7 and 8 and Years 9 and 10. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are not marked – it’s all about creativity!
Finalists will be invited to go to a glamorous grand final at Cranage Hall where the bronze (2), silver (2) and gold (2) winners in each category will have their stories read out.
There are also prizes to be won – each winner will take home books and the gold winners also win books for their school library.
Not only that, but the winning stories will also be published in a FFET short story illustrated anthology.
