A total of 65 winners across 14 categories have been named this year, all of whom will now attend the Teaching Awards finals, which take place on October 21 in London and are televised on the BBC.
Following thousands of nominations, the Silver winners were revealed on Friday (June 22), on what has now become known as national Thank A Teacher Day.
The Teaching Awards were founded in 1998 by Lord Puttnam to recognise the life-changing impact an inspirational teacher can have.
Now known as the Pearson Teaching Awards, they are open to every school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 65 Silver Award winners will attend the 20th national ceremony of the awards along with three Scottish Education Award winners and three winners of the Professional Teaching Awards Cymru. The winners will be taking home one of the famous Gold Plato Awards.
Michael Morpurgo, children’s author, former children’s laureate, and president of the Teaching Awards Trust, said: “The best we can do is to pass on to children all that we know and love and mean every word. I think above all else, a teacher should be a friend, and that’s not an easy thing to do when there are 35 children out there. With these awards we are shining a light on these inspirational individuals whose efforts and commitment so often go uncelebrated.”
- Anyone wishing to “thank a teacher” can do so via the Teaching Awards website, whereby the teacher will receive a special thank you card. Visit www.teachingawards.com/thankateachercard/
- Selected finalists in secondary-relevant categories are listed here. For a full list of all the finalists, visit www.teachingawards.com
Pearson Teaching Awards: Finalists 2018 (selected categories)
Headteacher of the Year in a Secondary School: Ben Antell, Glenmoor and Winton Academies, Bournemouth; Andrea English, The Oaks Secondary School, Co Durham; Leanne Griffiths, The Morley Academy, Leeds; Ron Searle, Warwick School, Surrey; Janet Waldron, Pontarddulais Comprehensive School, Swansea
Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School: Jay Bradley, Academy of St Francis of Assisi, Liverpool; Romayne Charles, Higham Lane School, Warwickshire; Tom Knott, Totteridge Academy, London; Christopher Langmead, Tor Bridge High School, Plymouth; Ashley Lewis, Morley Academy, Leeds; Dale McMorran, Wymondham College, Norfolk; Shalina Patel, Claremont High School Academy, Middlesex; Helen Reddy, Ivybridge Community College, Devon; Victoria Withall, The Elizabethan Academy, Nottinghamshire; Chris Smith, Grange Academy, Kilmarnock
New Teacher of the Year: Lisa Buckley, Lakeside School, Liverpool; Charlotte Grace, Outwood Academy Shafton, Barnsley; Cinzia Imbriano, Green Ridge Primary Academy, Aylesbury; Ryan Mallett, Ormiston Chadwick Academy, Cheshire; Jane Woo, Christ’s College Finchley, London; Helen Jones, Flint High School, Flintshire
School of the Year: Benjamin Adlard Primary, Lincolnshire; Cambourne Village College, Cambridge; Dixons Trinity Academy, Bradford; Fullhurst Community College, Leicester; Jo Richardson Community School, Essex
Teaching Assistant of the Year: Christopher Haywood, Almondbury Community School, Huddersfield; James Poynter, Clacton County High School, Essex; Amy Westwood, New Horizons Academy, Cheshire
Excellence in SEN: Bethany Barnsley, Devonshire Infant & Junior Academies, West Midlands; Dawn Broom, Fir Vale School Academy Trust, Sheffield; Aimee Jackson, Henshaws Specialist College, Harrogate; Mark Lambert, Tyne Coast College, Tyne and Wear; Marie Watson, The Royal School for the Deaf, Derby
Outstanding Use of Technology: Kate Farrell, Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre, Kent; Dr Jamie Frost, Tiffin School, Surrey; Louise Porter, Ribblesdale High School, Lancashire; Lee Whitmarsh, Alsager School, Cheshire; Matt Woodfine, Hinchingbrooke School, Cambridgeshire.
Lifetime Achievement: Janis Burdin, Moss Side Primary, Lancashire; Valerie Dunsford, Sheffield High School for Girls, Sheffield; Gillian Edge, Killinghall Primary, Bradford; Bruce Goddard, Highlands School, London; Janet Macleod, Sawston Village College, Cambridgeshire; Jennifer Sims, Saffron Walden County High School, Essex; Mairi Levack, Sgoil Bhaile a’Mhanaich, Western Isles, Scotland.