Harry Styles congratulates London school on 'amazing achievement' as it is shortlisted in global education prize

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Swiss Cottage School, Development and Research Centre, a state primary and secondary special school in north-west London, is among five UK schools in the top 10 list for the World’s Best School Prizes this year.

The others shortlisted are:

• Five Acre Wood School, a foundation all-age special school in Maidstone, Kent.
• Surrey Square Primary School, a state kindergarten and primary school in Southwark, south-east London.
• Ward Jackson Church of England Primary School, a state-funded primary school in Hartlepool.
• Hybrid @ London Park School Mayfair, an independent secondary school in the centre of the capital.

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The former One Direction singer, whose friend is a teacher at Swiss Cottage, said: “This is an amazing achievement for the children, their families, the staff, therapists, local partners and national collaborators that help to make this wonderful school so special.

“Keep doing what you’re doing and congratulations again.”

Harry Styles is currently on a sold-out 12-night run performing at Wembley Stadium following the release of his latest album Together, Together.

Children’s author Julia Donaldson sent her good wishes to the pupils at Ward Jackson.

She said in a video message: “Congratulations, that’s a huge achievement for quite a small school and I was also very pleased to hear you like my stories, not just that you like reading them but I hear you’ve been acting them and drawing them and getting to really know the characters so that’s great as well.”

Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education and the prize, said the five settings have shown that “British schools truly stand among the best in the world”.