After finding out in September that their school had been shortlisted in the top three best schools in the world in the category ‘Overcoming Adversity’, by the World’s Best School Prizes 2024, students and staff at E-ACT Venturers’ Academy in Bristol have had a nail-biting wait to discover the name of the outright winner.

During a live-streamed online ceremony today, involving the top three schools in five different categories from all over the world, around 100 students gathered in the school hall, while others chose to watch online from their classrooms to find out whether they had won.

E-ACT Venturers’ Academy was joined in the top three by the First Ukrainian School in Poland, and the Rising Academy Waterloo, in Sierra Leone. All three are formidable schools that, through this international competition, have been recognised globally for the positive impact they have on the lives of their students.

Vikas Pota, the founder of the World’s Best School Prizes, revealed that the winning school was the First Ukrainian School in Poland. Students and staff at E-ACT Venturers’ Academy applauded and cheered, agreeing that the First Ukrainian School were worthy winners. The school has helped to integrate 7,000 Ukrainian families into the community and has also developed a special curriculum that emphasises creativity, critical thinking, and decision-making, so that students have the skills to one day return to, and rebuild, Ukraine.

The other runner-up was the Rising Academy Waterloo in Sierra Leone, where, despite economic hardship, the school has not only become a cornerstone to its local community, it has also developed innovations that reach over a quarter of a million students across Sierra Leone and beyond, in Liberia, Ghana and Rwanda.

Trystan Williams, Executive Headteacher of E-ACT Venturers’ Academy, described how the entire school community felt “honoured and humbled to have stood beside two such inspirational schools in the top three”.

Immediately after the winning school was announced, Mr Williams spoke to all the students: “Even though we are a runner-up, I want you all to know that reaching this stage in a global competition - being named one of the top three schools in the world for our ability and approach to overcoming adversity - is an amazing achievement and we can all feel incredibly proud. As all of us know, overcoming adversity is not merely about facing challenges - it’s about transforming them into opportunities for growth. You, our wonderful students, embrace every challenge as a stepping stone rather than a barrier and you inspire us daily with your determination to show that everything really is possible.”

Mr Williams also spoke about the many occasions throughout the World’s Best School Prizes competition, when he’s been asked what it takes to overcome adversity. He said that he’s explained to people that it takes courage, the support of a resilient community, and the ability to see potential where others might only see limitations or setbacks. He said that every achievement a student accomplishes, no matter how small, builds the foundation for something greater.

He ended by telling students and staff: “We are one of the top three schools in the world, and you are all amazing.”

Asked about what’s next for E-ACT Venturers’ Academy, Mr Williams said that the school will continue to collaborate with the other inspirational schools from all over the world that they have come to know during the competition. He said that the opportunity to share best practice and learn from each other’s experiences will be a legacy of the competition that will benefit staff and students for many years to come.”