Firs Primary School
SUSAN AMBLER: And now we come to our Honorary Partnership Award. These awards are given by the University in recognition of a partner who has made a very significant contribution in its particular field. And now invite Dr Sarah Charles to give the commendation of the, sorry, commendation for the conferment of an Honorary Partnership Award from the University of Derby to Firs Primary School, represented here today by Paula Martin. Dr Charles.
DR SARAH CHARLES: Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, His Majesty's Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Derbyshire, Honoured guests, Graduands of 2026, and all our guests here today. It gives me great pleasure to be presenting Firs Primary School for the University of Derby Honorary Partnership Award.
Firs Primary School has been a committed and valued partner of the University for many years, playing a vital role in supporting the professional journey of our trainee teachers. While many schools contribute generously to placement provision, Firs stands out for its distinctive ethos of care, perseverance, inclusion and a shared commitment to social mobility.
Firs Primary School is part of Derby Diocesan Academy Trust, based in Derby city centre and led by inspirational headteacher Paula Martin, who joins us here on the stage. Its most recent Ofsted report describes Firs as "an inclusive, happy and welcoming school which ensures that everyone, including those who are new to the country, feel safe and welcomed." The school has partnered with the University of Derby since 2017 and extends the same inclusive, supportive welcome to our trainee students, particularly those who may have experienced challenges or setbacks elsewhere. Through encouragement, skilled mentoring and a belief in each individual's potential, the staff at Firs enable our students not only to succeed, but to flourish.
The partnership extends far beyond placements. Colleagues at Firs Primary have given their time and expertise to engage with our students on topics such as inclusive education, diversifying the curriculum, curriculum design and sustainability. Their contributions to the University's Annual Teacher Conference have ensured that our staff and students benefit from real world insight and reflective practice.
Firs Primary School has shown particular strength in research-informed and forward-thinking practice. Its collaboration with the University's Education for Sustainability Research Lead stands as an excellent example of partnership in action. Together, they have developed innovative approaches to embedding sustainability within both the curriculum and the physical environment of the school, drawing on the benefits of nature connection for their pupils and their wider school community as part of their Climate Action Plan, and sharing best practice and lessons learned with regional sustainability hubs.
The school has also demonstrated leadership in inclusion and language education, working with the University to lead training to support learners using English as an Additional Language across Derby city. Building on this, Firs also played an instrumental role in establishing a cluster of inner city schools to support an intensive training and practice programme, providing trainee teachers with invaluable experience in diverse classrooms.
Firs Primary School exemplifies the University of Derby's values through its unwavering support for our trainee teachers and a future-focused commitment to sustainability and research-informed practice. We are delighted to celebrate a transformative partnership that is shaping the future of education in Derby and beyond.
Chancellor, in recognition of the long-standing partnership which exemplifies the University's values and commitment to social mobility, we are delighted to award Firs Primary School the University of Derby Honorary Partnership Award.
PAULA MARTIN: Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, His Majesty's Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Derbyshire, Honoured guests, Graduands of 2026, and all our guests here today. As Headteacher of Firs Primary School, it gives me enormous pleasure to be here representing our school team and Derby Diocesan Academy Trust to receive this award. We really appreciate the recognition shown by the University because to us we are just Firs and we do what we need to do to give our children and community the best chance of achieving a positive outcome, both for now and for the future.
I was in China with a diverse group of inner city children when I received notification of the award, and I was a little shell shocked. What an honour for us.
Firs Primary is a highly diverse inner city school. We currently have children at the school who speak over 50 languages, being born in almost as many countries. Many of our children have had challenging experiences and live in economic deprivation, and we believe those children should have the same positive experiences as those born into more privileged situations. In order to help us achieve this for our children, we work closely with the University at every opportunity offered.
As a school team, we are passionate in sharing how enriching and wonderful it is to work in the inner city. In order to do this, we happily work alongside students both in school, hosting students from education and nursing, and at the University, presenting on key topics, hoping to fire enthusiasm. We believe education is the key to changing life chances for pupils. We want others to feel the same, and as a good proportion of our teaching staff are graduates of Derby University, we think it works.
We have to work innovatively. What do our children need to engage them? How are we going to inspire them? How can we let them see themselves in the curriculum, all while keeping an eye on what the current Ofsted framework determines what inspectors are expecting to see when they visit. Sometimes this is a tricky balance.
Our passion for developing sustainability in an inner city Victorian school led us to work closely with the University ensuring all our team are committed to developing a more sustainable school and teaching our children to care for the world we live in. The progress in this area has been immense and would not have been possible without our partnership.
I could continue to list the ways we have worked with Derby University. They are many and varied, but I will end by saying come and visit us. Come and see the positive impact of our partnership for our children. Our Firsy Family, particularly our children, make you very welcome.
As the representative of the Firs team, I would like to thank you very much for this award. We are truly honoured.
SUSAN AMBLER: Thank you so much Paula for that inspiring speech. And I think those messages of inclusion and education for all are ones that everyone here will truly believe in, and definitely reflective of the University's vision to.
Firs Primary School's commendation video
Back to Firs Primary School