By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor

Students from Kingswood Academy have enjoyed a trip of a lifetime to see behind the scenes of the UK headquarters of technology giant Apple.

They travelled to London to learn more about the company at its offices in the landmark former Battersea Power Station building.

The visit was facilitated by Antoniono Tombanane, chief executive of Hull-based digital training and up-skilling technology centre The Edge Hub.

Jan Loft, The Edge Hub’s corporate partnership manager, said: “We are all about giving young people opportunities that wouldn’t normally be as accessible to them to take up.

“In this case, we were able to give an experience like no other to some of the students of Kingswood Academy with an invite to Apple’s HQ in London.

“The students met different teams, learned what roles everyone plays in the Apple world, from making adverts to design and even got to visit the rooftop garden.

“The enrichment they gained during the trip will help shape their future and I’m sure some are already dreaming of working there one day.

“If we can help develop and empower our youth through engagement, training and leading the way, then we can all have a little hope for change through education.”

During the visit, the students also met staff from Apple’s Beats team in a speed networking session to learn more about the brand’s famous headphones, speakers and accessories.

Jan added: “Every business in Hull has an opportunity to help its community in some way and many do a great job.

“I see that here on a daily basis with our own members who use our workspace, so I get to see a lot of amazing things people do,

“We are lucky enough to have such a forward-thinking CEO like Antonio, a management team and community investors who are passionate about doing things like this for our young people.

“I would also like to thank Apple, Ollie Barnes from the Academies Enterprise Trust and Kingswood Academy's career lead Sally-Ann Harrison for making this possible.”

Kingswood Academy is part of the Academies Enterprise Multi Academy Trust and through long term school improvement, led by the current Headteacher, student numbers at the academy have grown in size year on year. The Headteacher has built a team full of expertise. Senior leaders work in unity, supporting one another across different areas of the school.  All staff are fully invested in the academy vision and mission, working as a cohesive team with a collective responsibility to their students. The assessor found all staff to be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the academy.  

The school serves two distinct communities which has brought about a shift in culture to a ‘zero warnings’ approach, setting high standards and a strong promotion of character development from the outset. High standards and expectations of students are felt throughout all aspects of academy life, alongside the high levels of support, compassion and care.  

This strong culture of academic excellence through high quality pastoral care and support has resulted in positive Progress 8 results and Attainment results above the national average. 

The academy’s ‘Key Drivers’ underpin all areas of the students’ experience of academy life. Their principles for excellence are central to all that they do and can be felt throughout the academy.  Leaders’ mission is to ensure that the development of a student’s character is as important as the academic results they leave with, can be seen throughout the curriculum and extracurricular opportunities offered to the students at Kingswood. The academy strives to develop students’ character and cultural awareness and through the Student Experience Passport, students participate in activities beyond the classroom.  

Cultural Inclusion

The Character Education programme is followed by all students and has been designed to teach students a wide range of skills to allow them to succeed in the world around them. The impact on the academy’s focus on supporting the whole child was evident during the assessor’s discussions with students.  Students talked about cultural inclusion. Flags from over 100 nationalities hang proudly in the central area of the school. One student spoke with pride about showing her family the flag stating she feels ‘seen’ and was proud to be able to show her family around the academy. Students discussed leadership opportunities across the academy and the link to careers. Students not only feel prepared for the next stage in their education journey but are excited to enter to world beyond school.  Students used the phrase ‘world class’ to describe their education.   

Students told the assessor they feel cared for in school and that their voices are heard. It was a privilege for the assessor to spend time with the students and to listen to their experiences. From playing Oliver in the academy play, to participating in sporting events, students love being a part of the academy, and hold their teachers in high regard. 

Leaders’ vision to deliver a ‘world class’ education for all is demonstrable in every classroom. The assessor spent time over the course of the day visiting every area of the school, across differing times of the day, and the dedication to the consistency of high expectations, ensuring no learning time is wasted, was truly remarkable. In all lessons students were actively engaged, always demonstrating active listening. The assessor did not experience any disruption.  Students enjoy the high expectations and rise to all occasions and opportunities to demonstrate that they want to be in the academy achieving.  

High Standards of Teaching

Policies and procedures are lived and breathed, and the assessor could clearly see the ‘Kingswood Teaching and Learning Standards’ in action.  Students across all key stages could articulate the methods used by the academy to ensure they are receiving high standards of teaching throughout every lesson. ‘Everything we do is important – there are no shortcuts or tick boxes.’ 

Leaders do not allow inadequate teaching to ‘rumble on’ and are responsive to staff training and CPD needs which will benefit the progression and experience that students receive in the classroom. The assessor experienced this through the academy’s open door policy and culture of feedback and improvement.  CPD is robust and starts from the moment adults are employed to work at the academy. The culture of feedback through regular lesson drop-ins, teaching triads and the expert use of IRIS, drives improvement. All staff want to be the best and deliver the highest standards for the benefit of all students.  

During the day, the assessor was able to experience these standards first hand as students arrived for the school day, ready and excited to learn.  All students followed the academy expectations of high standards of uniform and preparedness for the day ahead. The assessor spoke to students from different year groups as they entered the school and each student was proud to talk about the academy. The feeling of support and security of knowing you are in the best care washes over you as you enter the building. Staff are visible and openly caring of students and their needs.  Leaders have ensured that planning for the day is detailed and staff are utilised at all times with the sole aim of ensuring students are supported throughout the day.  

A School Children Want to Attend

The provision for support is outstanding and has been given the same level of detail and attention as other areas across the academy.  The academy’s Horizon provision for students who need an alternative from the mainstream allowing them to ‘reset’ patterns of behaviour, is well resourced.  Leaders understand that students with the greatest need require expert teaching. The success of the provision lies in the staff and the culture that continues from the mainstream.  Students are included and have staff who do not excuse their behaviour. Instead, the expectations in the academy’s provision are as high as they are across the rest of the school. This is because staff care and believe all children deserve the same high standard of education.  

The success of the provision alongside the robust quality assurance of external provisions, has meant the academy has not resorted to suspending a student since last academic year.  Leaders argue that although they are not adverse to suspensions, they do not believe any child benefits from time out of education. This culture of excellence and high standards has then meant that strategies such as suspension have not been needed. 

The enrichment opportunities on offer before, during and after the school day make Kingswood Academy a school that children want to attend. This is again demonstrated through students’ attitudes towards attendance and behaviour.   

Students want to be in school because it gives them a sense of identity and belonging which ensures they have the opportunity and experience to try new things. During the day the assessor visited the academy’s onsite ‘farm’ where students cared for the animals independently.   

The academy’s miniature railway club was buzzing with excitement as students took meticulous care in setting the landscape around the train track.   Across the academy, what would traditionally be seen as ‘dead’ space in secondary school corridors has been utilised to provide the students with reading nooks and art galleries. There are no barriers to this offer as all enrichments are fully funded by the academy. 

Through a consistent approach and strong leadership, leaders have ensured an outstanding academy where students are prepared for adulthood.  The culture that has been created permeates throughout every area, every staff member and every student in the academy.   

LONDON – Downtown Kayoto is the brainchild of rising alt-hip-hop musician, Chiko Chinyadza.

The Zimbabwe-born, UK-based artist has been building a reputation with his genre-blending, unpredictable sound that blurs the lines between hip-hop, pop, dance, indie, and more. Today, he’s making his TSIS debut with his latest self-released single, “Lite.”

Popularly known as Downtown Kayoto Chinyadza’s creative genre versatility can be heard all throughout the track. The production never stands still, weaving between bouncing house, trap, and UK grime.

He skillfully lays down some lyrically diverse and introspective bars, reflecting on his place as a full-time musician and his own individual growth.

The gifted Zimbabwean is an exciting young talent to watch as he navigates the early stages of his career. “Lite” is also part of his forthcoming Learning in Public EP, which is set to release on July 6.

Chinyadza, 22, was born in Zimbabwe – near Victoria Falls – and has lived in Hull since 2009. He now says he is “not Hull-born, but Hull-bred”.

Downtown Kayoto, went to secondary school at Kingswood Academy, in Wawne Road, where the “fantastic” music department allowed him to manifest his passion for music. “They had a really fantastic music department with microphones and recording equipment so we would get permission to use them after school and would use it for three or four hours,” he said. “I was really into what was going on at the time with artists like S-X and Juice Wrld on SoundCloud, where someone could make a hit and blow up overnight, so I was really infatuated with the culture of that.

Downtown Kayoto first earned national recognition in the UK as a teenage songwriter when his songs were played on Radio 1 three years ago.

12th June 2023

Hull's Kingswood Academy has taken over the top spot in the annual, compiled by Reach PLC's data team. The guide aims to provide a far more comprehensive picture than traditional league tables by taking into account 51 different data points, ranging from pupil to teacher ratio and absence rate to the more traditional GCSE results. 

It also factors in data including Progress 8 and Attainment 8 scores. The guide is now in its eighth year and has been praised by ministers and education experts. Former schools minister David Laws called it "public-service journalism in the best tradition". Having been named as East Yorkshire's best in 2019, St Mary's College has dropped into second place for 2020 - being replaced at the head of the list by Kingswood Academy. South Hunsley School and Sixth Form rounds off the top three.

The Hull and East Riding top 10

1. Kingswood Academy

2. St Mary's College, Voluntary Catholic Academy

3. South Hunsley School and Sixth Form College

4. Beverley High School

5. Beverley Grammar School

6. Hull Trinity House Academy

7. Woldgate School and Sixth Form College

8. The Snaith School

9. Cottingham High School and Sixth Form College

10. Malet Lambert

Kingswood Academy is now not only the best school in Hull - but also one of the best in the entire country.

The school has gone from strength to strength thanks to the hard work of staff and students at the school, with the academy being rated as 'good' in 2018, with the result coming after the school celebrated its best-ever GCSE results in 2019.

It has now been recognised nationally with Department of Education statistics revealing that Kingswood Academy is ranked as 16th best out of 6,274 other schools.

Not only is the academy ranked top in Hull for both Progress 8 and Attainment 8 - the two key measures that the Department for Education uses to measure school performance - Kingswood is now in the top 0.2 per cent of schools nationally for Progress 8 (within the top percentile).

The secondary performance tables, which rank schools in England by their 2019 Key Stage 4 results, show that Kingswood Academy is excelling across all measures.

On average students at the academy have made over a grade more progress than peers nationally.

Students and teachers at Kingswood Academy are celebrating the school's best ever GCSE results for the fifth year running. On top of this, once the results are validated in October, the secondary school is likely to be confirmed as one of the top performing schools in Yorkshire. There were a lot of happy faces this morning, Thursday, August 22, when pupils at Kingswood opened their GCSE results and found out that all their hard work has paid off. On average every student at the school achieved over a grade more progress (+1.07) compared to their peers nationally, which is up from +0.76 the previous year.

"Tremendously proud"

"We are tremendously proud of our amazing students and extremely pleased with their achievements this year. They worked so hard and have been fully committed to doing their very best in every subject, which has certainly paid off. We enjoyed sharing their joy today as they collect their results, knowing that they leave us with an inner-belief and ambition to fulfil their dreams and live a happy and successful life. We are also excited to see them go onto the most reputable and highest performing colleges, universities and world class employers in the future, safe in the knowledge that these tremendous students are ready to thrive on a global stage.  Finally, I would like to give a special mention to our staff team who are truly amazing. We are fortunate to have a team of dedicated teachers who are passionate about each and every one of our students, passionate about teaching and learning and passionate about our community. They have been instrumental in our students’ success and I know that they will also be extremely proud of them today.”

Richard Westoby, headteacher at Kingswood Academy, part of the Academies Enterprise Trust.

A breakdown of the grades

One of Kingswood Academy’s key drivers is ‘everyone is valued’, and school leaders say the results show that every student is supported to do their very best. Disadvantaged students as well as students with SEND did even better, with a Progress 8 score of +1.17 and +1.29 respectively. This year pupils at the school achieved on average between a Grade 5 (a good pass) and a Grade 6 in all subjects. The academy’s Attainment 8 score is 56.5, up from 50.0 in 2018, against the national average last year of 44.3. The academy also has a significant improvement in their maths and English combined GCSE results of 78 per cent at Grades 4 and above, up from 59 per cent the previous year and well above last year’s national average of 63 per cent. 22 per cent of students achieved Grade 9s in GCSE subjects, up from 12 per cent in 2018, placing those students’ performance in the top 5 per cent of the country.

High Achievers

The results of four of the students particularly stood out, with headteacher Richard Westoby giving them a special congratulations:

• • Daniel Nawab who achieved five Grade 9s, three Grade 8s and a Grade 7

  • Summer Saengkaew who achieved five Grade 9s, two Grade 8s and two Grade 7s 

  • Harry Mackinder who achieved four Grade 9s, three Grade 8s and two Grade 7s

  • Abdul Jamial who achieved two Grade 9s, six Grade 8s and a Grade 7

"I'm happy with my results and got the 9s I wanted - mainly I wanted my science 9s and because I got them I'm going to Wyke and I'm going to study biology and chemistry to hopefully become a doctor," said Harry Mackinder.

Another high achiever, Summer Saengkaew, was also proud of her grades.

She said: "I was kind of really shocked but I got five 9s and got pretty good grades for the rest of them - 7s and 8s. I didn't think I was going to pass some of them so I'm kind of happy that I did.

"I'm going to Wyke as well and doing mostly sciences and English and Maths and want to become a cardiothoracic surgeon."

The medical trend continued with another student who had done well in her exams, and also wanted to go on to be a doctor and study at either Oxford or Cambridge University.

Iga Marczewska said: "I was really shocked about my results, definitely really proud of my English because I didn't think I would pass it, but I did really well.

"I got two 9s which I'm extremely proud of and basically I'm going to go off to Wyke now and do biology, maths and French so I can become a doctor and maybe study at Oxbridge hopefully."

Schools Minister praises the school

Schools Minister Lord Agnew was particularly impressed with the academy's achievement this year.

He said: “Congratulations to all the pupils and staff at Kingswood Academy, and the wider team at Academy Enterprise Trust, on such an impressive set of results.

"GCSE results day marks the moment so many young people will make choices that can shape the rest of their lives, so whatever path they choose, every pupil at Kingswood Academy should do so full of confidence.”

The school has a formula to ensure that pupils get the best grades possible.

It's a nerve-wracking time if you're a teenager in Hull at the moment, with hundreds of youngsters getting ready to sit their GCSEs this summer.

We are now in the throes of exam season, with youngsters desperately trying to cram in last-minute revision and stave off the stress.

And one Hull secondary school  is doing something extra special to ensure that pupils get the best grades possible.

At Kingswood Academy, part of the Academies Enterprise Trust, all Year 10 and Year 11 students get a special support package designed to relieve exam stress  and help them be as prepared as possible to face their future, not just their exams.

From extending the school day to help them do extra learning, offering extra tuition in the evenings, weekends and during holidays as well as holding residentials and fun activities, the package aims to benefit the students and their studies.

The school has faced criticism from parents for is zero-tolerance approach to particular hairstyles, earrings and trousers.  But no matter how unpopular some of the policies may seem they appear to be working, with Kingswood continuing to improve in the eyes of the Government.

Last year, the Bransholme secondary was rated rated 'good' by education watchdog Ofsted following a remarkable turnaround since it was put in special measures in January 2015.

Since then, the school has gone from strength to strength thanks to the hard work of staff and students at the school, with the academy being rated as 'good' last year, with the result coming after the school celebrated its best-ever GCSE results in 2018.

This is based on range of provisions that are made by the school to promote success, including:

• A separate area in school for revision

• Revision guides, workbooks, aids such as highlighters, and flash cards for every subject

• Weekly assemblies from heads of departments showing students how to revise

• Walking Talking Mocks where students are coached on how best to tackle certain types of exam questions

• Students who require an exam reader have opportunities to meet with their readers over tea and coffee prior to the exams to allow them to build up a good rapport with their reader

• They have the opportunity to sit in the very seat where they will take their exams prior to the start of the exam period where they go through visualisation exercises to make them feel comfortable, and to give them time to take in the views, the sounds and become familiar with the environment.

• An in-house counselling service to any student who requires additional support.

• Four free residentials are offered completely free of charge to every student in Year 11 to ensure that students are fuelled correctly, where they get outdoors and go climbing and do other fun activities such as bowling and cinema visits

All of this extra support led to Kingswood Academy being recognised nationally for its excellent results in 2018 based on data from the Department for Education and Ofsted, analysed by SSAT, the Schools, Students and Teachers network.

The school was found to be among the best performing secondary schools in the country, receiving an award for being in the top 10 per cent of schools nationally for progress.

Richard Westoby, Headteacher at Kingswood Academy said: “Everything we have in place for our year 10 and year 11 students goes a long way to managing their stress levels.

"At home they might be stressing out about the exams, but these residentials and everything we do to support them to that point, means they know they’re all in it together, mentally and physically.

"Ultimately our staff are so invested in our students achieving their very best, that they will never give up on any student.

"We are there for them every step of the way, reassuring them, guiding them and believing in them at the time when they need it most.”

And it seems that the students really are reassured by the programme put in place by the school.  Abdul, a year 11 student at Kingswood Academy, said: “My exams are coming up and I am so grateful for everything I’ve been able to do at Kingswood to prepare for my future.

"I’m nowhere near as worried as I thought I would be. I recognise my abilities, every single one of my teachers has helped me to believe in myself.

"They go completely over and above, giving their time up to support me outside of school even. I feel completely prepared - I’m not panicking.”

Kingswood Academy music teacher Martin Stanley was recognised by teachers and peers for being an outstanding teacher

A Kingswood Academy music teacher has been awarded the prestigious bronze BTEC Award for teacher of the year.  Martin Stanley was recognised by teachers and peers for being an outstanding teacher with a passion and tenacity for delivering outstanding music lessons to students in Hull.

Year on year Mr Stanley's willingness to help and support others has led to outstanding BTEC results and he has inspired many students to go on to a successful career in the music industry.  Mr Stanley's hard work and dedication was celebrated at the tenth anniversary of Pearson’s annual BTEC Awards hosted online on Thursday, June 25. 

"I am so proud to have received this prestigious award and was not expecting this at all. I love teaching at Kingswood Academy and feel lucky to be able to teach such wonderfully talented students. They inspire me each and every day." Martin Stanley

The 2020 BTEC Awards comprised of 17 categories and was hosted by presenter of the United Stand, YouTube influencer and BTEC Ambassador, Flex, with awards presented by Double Olympic Gold medallist Max Whitlock as well as actress and former BTEC Drama student at The BRIT School, Kellie Shirley.

The expert panel of judges made up of Pearson’s senior leadership team, journalists and external experts, carefully considered the nominees before deciding on the winners.

Kingswood Academy head teacher Richard Westoby said that Mr Stanley's award was "well deserved".

"We are all hugely proud of everything Mr Stanley has achieved and we are very lucky to have such a talented teacher who is absolutely dedicated to his students and the academy as a whole. This award is well deserved and credit for all of his hard work and dedication over the years”. Richard Westoby

Cindy Rampersaud, Senior Vice President BTEC and Apprenticeship, said: “This year I’ve been overwhelmed by the quality of BTEC Award nominations we received and I am delighted to celebrate this year’s winners and the achievements of all learners who will be awarded a BTEC this year. 

"Over the past few weeks and months, we’ve seen how the current pandemic has highlighted the critical role of key workers and individuals who are likely to have followed a vocational educational pathway such as BTEC."

Kingswood Academy celebrated its best-ever GCSE results in 2019 and this year was recognised nationally with Department of Education statistics revealing that Kingswood Academy is ranked as 16th best out of 6,274 other schools.

Not only is the academy ranked top in Hull for both Progress 8 and Attainment 8 - the two key measures that the Department for Education uses to measure school performance - Kingswood is now in the top 0.2 per cent of schools nationally for Progress 8 (within the top percentile).

The secondary performance tables, which rank schools in England by their 2019 Key Stage 4 results, show that Kingswood Academy is excelling across all measures.

The House voted in favour of Kingswood’s motion on knife crime by a significant margin.

A team of ten Kingswood Academy pupils are celebrating winning a national competition for “Remarkable Debating”, held in the House of Commons.

Students from the Kingswood Academy debate team beat off stiff competition from the other secondary schools across the country in Westminster on July 1.

The team of talented Hull students went head-to-head with another academy to debate a motion to increase stop and search to reduce knife crime.

This was before an audience including representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Met Police, the National Crime Agency and Sefton Henry - a former gang member turned inspirational speaker. The House voted in favour of Kingswood’s motion by a significant margin.

Richard Westoby, headteacher at Kingswood Academy, part of the Academies Enterprise Trust, said:  “We are incredibly proud of our winning students, in particular the dedication, insight and focus they have shown, and the absolute relentlessness that led to their success.

"They worked tirelessly to develop their understanding of the topic and to anticipate the different perspectives on the issue. Their hard work paid off.

"I know they will all go on  to fulfil their dreams and live happy and successful lives. ”

The winning team earned their place in the finals through three rounds in which a team of 24 Kingswood pupils debated topics such as the Shamima Begum case and whether Eid should be a public holiday.

The awards, run by Academies Enterprise Trust (AET), celebrate all different aspects of what it means to be “remarkable”.

The final ten students were selected through a democratic process by the student body. The entire squad researched and trained tirelessly for the final debate.

Libby Young, in Year 7 at Kingswood Academy, said: “This was an amazing opportunity to be able to speak for all the youth of our country suffering from the tragic issue of knife crime, as well as being able to get a taste of our future.”

Fellow student Ethan Smith in Year 10 at Kingswood Academy also found the opportunity to be a useful one.

He said: “It was an extremely exhilarating experience to be able to take an issue so vital to society and put it into competitive practice, and to truly compete on a national stage, against other students with varied views.”

The winners were commended for their well-researched and well-informed debate, their close teamwork and their mature engagement with other schools.

Kate Harris, the founder of Votes for Schools, said:  “Over the last seven months Kingswood Academy students have impressed us time and time again. The students have shown an outstanding ability to be passionate advocates and speakers on a range of issues from child marriage through to citizenship in the UK.

"They worked tirelessly as a team to respond to their opposition, remaining on point, cool, calm and collected, seemingly not at all intimidated by the grand surroundings.

"We were blown away in particular by Ethan who led the group and charmed us all with his excellent communication skills.”

The winning team from Kingswood Academy attended an awards ceremony at the Derngate Theatre in Northampton on July 4 in recognition of their achievement. Schools from across AET attended the day to celebrate the awards. 

Teenagers step to share vital life skills.

Kind-hearted students at a Hull secondary school have shared important life skills with primary school children to better prepare the youngsters for high school. 

Months of hard work were put in by 40 of Kingswood Academy’s most motivated pupils, who stayed behind after school and gave up weekends to prepare inspiring seminars on character education, wellbeing, growth mindset and aspirational goal setting. 

They attended a youth leadership programme, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, to empower teenagers in Hull and give them an opportunity to share important life skills with people in their community. 

Such training helped the students at Kingswood Academy talk to 90 Year 6 pupils, from Bude Park Primary School and Highlands Primary School, on Thursday last week. The day focused on how to have higher levels of hope and aspirations for the future, how to learn more effectively and achieve better qualifications, how to enhance physical and mental health. 

“This was an amazing opportunity for our pupils to engage in meaningful work that will help make their move from year six to seven run smoothly,” said Deborah James, associate principal at Highlands Primary School. 

The workshops developed by the students at Kingswood Academy helped our pupils here at Highlands Primary, build on the work they do at primary school and continue their understanding of how to build resilience, have a growth mindset and have a positive ‘can do’ approach to tackling even the most difficult of situations.” 

The pupils learnt from sessions with performance coach, Kevin Mincher and took part in teamwork challenges, attended seminars on the skills needed for good leadership and looked at responding to feedback, strategies to develop self confidence, resilience and a growth mind set. “It is inspirational to see local teenagers stepping up to make a difference and volunteering to help their community succeed,” said Kevin Mincher, performance coach and founder of Unstoppable Teen.

By Anna Riley

A Hull FC fan is aiming to raise funds for Age UK by releasing a charity shirt inspired by the late Jean Bishop, fondly known as the ‘Bee Lady’. Lee Middleton runs the FC fan page The Mighty Black and Whites and has raised thousands of pounds in recent years by designing and selling shirts for a number of worthy causes.

Middleton managed to raise £10,000 during the pandemic for two local NHS Charity Trusts and last year he made £4,000 for Hull 4 Heroes with another charity shirt. This year he is aiming to raise funds for Age UK with his latest jersey to be released on what would have been Jean’s 100th birthday, Friday, May 13.

Bishop was one of the city’s most loved characters and was regularly seen in the city centre collecting money for Age UK, dressed up in a bee costume. She managed to collect an incredible £124,000 for the cause before sadly passing away in October, aged 99.

She was granted the Freedom of the City and the British Empire Medal in 2017 and she was also awarded a Pride of Britain award back in 2013. Middleton is hoping to carry on her outstanding work by raising funds for Age UK with a shirt that features a rather significant nod to the Bee Lady.

In partnership with Lammy Sports, the shirt features more than 100 bees designed by the pupils of Biggin Hill Primary School, while it also has a poem on the back written by the students of Kingswood Academy.

The top will be officially unveiled on social media at 6pm on Friday evening. It is priced at £29.99 with £10 from every purchase going towards Age UK.

Speaking about his third charity shirt, Middleton said: “Jean inspired a generation and her dedication and fundraising for Age UK Hull made her a national treasure and a local icon.

“I first thought of the idea back in 2020 when I saw Jean celebrate her 98th birthday with the hope that she would see the end result. Sadly that wasn't meant to be, but after speaking with Age UK Hull and Jennifer, Jean's daughter, we decided to push ahead and we will be releasing the shirt on Friday, May 13, on what would have been Jean's 100th birthday."

“The basis for the shirt was from the people of Hull but particularly those she inspired most, the children. I approached Biggin Hill Academy Primary School and asked them if the children would create us 100+ individual bees coloured in with designs by the children to feature on the shirt.

“The kids came through in some style and the bees look amazing! I approached Kingswood Academy to ask if students could create a beautiful bespoke poem about Jean and her life and it brought me almost to tears - it was so emotional and fitting.

“We wanted this shirt to show our love and admiration for Jean and now we will use it to remember her forever more in a way which raises money for the charity she loved and supported by raising over £120,000 for Age UK Hull. It has taken countless hours and many sleepless nights which are still ongoing with arrangements but we hope this shirt can do Jean and her legacy in Hull proud when we release on Friday.”