THE Birmingham Mail, in association with The Pallasades shopping centre, today launches its fourth annual Schools Awards – and we’re welcoming your entries for 2011.

The awards will recognise both community and curriculum-based projects, as well as individual excellence, honouring whole schools, classes and individuals. Our aim is to bring greater public awareness to the first class work going on in schools right across the West Midlands.

There are eight award categories in total including a School Of The Year Award.

All entries will then be judged individually for each category. The judges will shortlist two or three schools/individuals for each award category who will be invited to attend the prestigious Schools Awards luncheon to be held on Thursday, December 8 at Thinktank.

Thinktank is Birmingham’s award-winning science museum, offering ten galleries of historical artefacts, modern interactive exhibits, fascinating futuristic facts and a state-of-the-art digital Planetarium.

The award winners will receive a trophy and a bursary towards their school. The runners-up will receive a smaller bursary and a framed certificate.