‘Teachers can be proud of contribution to pupils’ lives’, Hinds

At the Pearson Teaching Awards, Damian Hinds thanks teachers for their selfless work inspiring young people

Published 12 July 2019 From: Department for Education

Teachers have been hailed for the life-changing contribution they make to young people’s lives in a speech by Education Secretary Damian Hinds.

At the Pearson National Teaching Awards Reception at the House of Commons, the Education Secretary met short-listed teachers and praised them, and all 450,000 teachers across England, for their selfless and dedicated work in inspiring young people.

Those attending the reception had been shortlisted for one of the categories of the Teaching Awards, in recognition of their outstanding commitment to inspiring young people through their role in the classroom.

Speaking at the reception, the Education Secretary Damian Hinds said:

To be shortlisted from thousands of applications across the UK is an extraordinary achievement and a testament to your commitment to the profession. In my time as Education Secretary I’ve visited over 100 schools and getting out and about and into classrooms is one of the best bits of my job because I get a chance to see the fantastic teaching and learning that is your every day.

I am sure you all know better than me, how rewarding a career in teaching can be, but I’m also acutely aware, that at times it can be a challenging one. Over the summer holidays I hope you will take some time to reflect on your fantastic achievements and special moments from the last academic year.

The DfE sponsored two of the thirteen categories in this year’s National Teaching Awards; Outstanding New Teacher and Lifetime Achievement.

The four headteachers nominated for the Lifetime Achievement award, in recognition of their immense contribution to education and to the many thousands of young lives they have changed for the better, are listed below:

• David Blow, The Ashcombe School, Surrey;
• Frank McCarron, Stockport Academy, Cheshire;
• Keith Berry, Park Community Academy, Lancashire; and
• Teresa Roche, Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School, Derbyshire.

The five teachers nominated for the Outstanding New Teacher prize, recognising the inspiration to all new teachers dedicating their careers to shaping young minds and inspiring them to succeed, are listed below:

• Sharmin Rahman, Crowmarsh Gifford Church of England Primary School, Oxfordshire;
• India Brown, Fulham Cross Girls’ School and Language College, London;
• Natalie Wilsher, The Gryphon School, Dorset;
• Francesca Buckland, World’s End Junior School, Birmingham; and
• Connor Goulding, Sacred Heart R.C. Primary School, Bolton.