The shortlist for the prestigious Educate Awards 2018 has been announced - and five Wirral schools are in the running for an accolade.

The awards are now in their seventh year and is the largest education awards in the North West.

Heswall Primary School’s ‘Wirral Science Under the Stars – Wirral Saves the Planet’ project is in the running for the Eco School Project of the Year award.

The project’s aim was to raise the profile of science and sustainability across the Wirral, Merseyside and Cheshire community.

Over two years, school’s festival of science has brought together over 80 eco organisations and has been visited by nearly 2000 children as well as parents, teachers and educational professionals.

Leasowe Primary School is shortlisted for the SEND Provision Award. This award is presented to a school that can demonstrate an increase in the quality of care and education services provided to pupils with Special Educational Needs.

Inclusion is paramount at Leasowe and is at the heart of everything that the staff do.

In 2017, the school opened Hub 1, an inclusion base managed by Miss Tyler which is dedicated to children whose needs vary so considerably.

The Hub proved so popular that Hub 2 and Hub 3 followed closely behind; the school now has inclusion bases for every child who needs them.

Wirral Hospitals’ Schools is in the running for the Spirit of Enterprise Award. Its Joseph Paxton Campus is a small community special school offering a therapeutic alternative setting for young people in Wirral.

The school runs a range of initiatives developing enterprise skills through a combination of teacher-led sessions and visits from local companies and charities.

Examples include a visit to the University of Liverpool, talks from special guests and a £5 fundraising challenge where students have to start up their own enterprise.

The school says the impact has been huge, as well as raising over £1,500 for various charities, students’ self-confidence and self-esteem has flourished.

Last year’s Outstanding Arts in Primary School winners, Riverside Primary School in Seacombe, is shortlisted yet again, this time for its ‘Archie and the Royal Avocado’ project.

During Prince William’s royal visit to the school, four-year old pupil Archie gave him a unique gift for the Duchess of Cambridge - an avocado - as his mum was also pregnant at the time and found avocados helped her morning sickness symptoms.

Inspired by the excitement that the royal visit generated, the school made an all-singing, all-dancing production, ‘Archie and the Royal Avocado’ which involved the whole community.

With a focus on enhancing the mental health, well-being and happiness of pupils, the impact of the far-reaching project has been vast – all pupils state they are ‘happy’ at Riverside and writing progress is at 100% good or better across the entire school.

Ridgeway High School’s commitment to sport has been recognised in the Outstanding Commitment to Sport in Secondary School category.

The Prenton school has had a phenomenal year of sport which saw the introduction of ‘Sports Voice’ for students to have their say and the creation of a PE department twitter account @RHS_Sport.

Sports lunch clubs are booming with 65% of the school community now involved in extra-curricular on a regular basis.

Ridgeway also introduced an inaugural Winter Games which saw an incredible 200 students enter and take part in the winter sports day.

Kim O’Brien, founder of the Educate Awards, said: “We are delighted to finally reveal the shortlist ahead of the awards ceremony in November. This year’s shortlist includes schools and colleges from all across the region.

“The awards recognise the arts, careers, sport, literacy, STEM and so much more – we believe it’s so important to celebrate all aspects of school life and champion the teachers and school support stars who bring learning to life!

“Many congratulations and good luck to all the shortlisted schools in Wirral.”

In total there are 21 award categories, from Teacher of the Year, Career Aspiration, School Support Star of the Year and Outstanding Commitment to Sport.

The winners will be announced at the annual awards ceremony, which takes place on Friday, November 16, at Liverpool Cathedral.