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Schools succeed through team effort as well as individual effort. School achievement awards are intended to celebrate and reward those efforts and encourage further improvement.
The majority of awards are given to schools where pupil performance shows substantial improvement over time (typically a four year period) or where it can be demonstrated that pupil performance in a specific year is better than at most schools in similar circumstances. Awards are also given to schools leaving special measures.
About three quarters of awards are based on rapid improvement. Most of the rest are for good results compared with other schools in similar circumstances.
All maintained schools, non-maintained special schools (NMSS), city academies and city technology colleges (CTCs) in England are eligible for an award. About 30% of schools win awards each year.
School achievement awards are being made for the third time this year. Awards are being given to schools where pupils' results in 2002 were substantially better than in 1999 or where results in 2002 were better than most schools in similar circumstances in that year.