Subaru supports students’ achievements

Subaru (UK) treated six Midlands students to an action-packed rally weekend, following recommendations by their respective teachers for their achievements during the past year.

David Preston, Ben Butterworth, Miles Tamplin, Tracey Patten, Lauren Burke and Natalie Millward from the Grace Academy school were each recommended by their teachers for the prize.

Ben Butterworth, aged 13, was nominated for ‘Personal Achievement’ – helping newcomers settle in to their new school, attending school meetings and assisting his teachers.

Sixteen year old David Preston was put forward due to his significantly improved behaviour at school, and particularly enjoyed travelling around Wales following the rally stages.

Natalie Millward, aged 17, won the award for her involvement in charity work for local and national animal charities. Having been involved in this since she was 8, Natalie was recommended for the trip after raising over £100 for the Birmingham Dogs Home.
The weekend began with a tour of Subaru’s engineering partner, Prodrive in Banbury, where the students were amongst the first to see the brand new Subaru Impreza STi as well as being given a history of the company’s design, build, motorsport and technology programmes.

They were then transported to Cardiff for the official start of the Welsh GB Rally at City Hall where they watched as Petter Solberg headed up the Subaru World Rally Team.

David said: “I really enjoyed the start of the Rally, I’d seen it on television and it was even more exciting to actually be there.”

Principal David Wootton said: “Our students come from a range of challenging circumstances and our school has doubled in size over the past five years to 1200 pupils. This is due in no uncertain terms to the three good Ofsted Reports, a National Achievement Award for the past four years for improving examination outcomes, a quest for ‘Business and Enterprise’ specialist status and our amazing students who all give 110%.”