INSPIRATIONAL COLLEGE STAFF HONOURED IN UK CELEBRATION OF TEACHING

Phil Brooks of @Dudley_College of Technology given prestigious @TeachingAwards Gold Award for Further Education Lecturer of the Year 

A week of celebrating the teaching profession has culminated with school staff from across the country receiving prestigious awards for their commitment to their students. Selected from thousands of nominations, the Stockton Riverside College and Redcar and Cleveland College, part of the Education Training Collective (Etc.), and Phil Brooks of Dudley College of Technology, have all won Pearson National Teaching Gold Awards. This focus on celebrating teaching comes at a time when the country has truly recognised the vital work that schools do on a daily basis. Now, these award-winning school staff will be honoured on a national platform. 

Phil Brooks, who was named Further Education Lecturer of the Year, has spent his career achieving some of the best results in the country with some of its most deprived students. Aside from the academic he has arranged placements in Berlin, Spain, Italy and India for his students, has set up live magazine photoshoots so his students can work with renowned industry professionals, and leads on the regional ‘Living Memory’ project to promote Black Country art and history. His work has been exhibited at the New Art Gallery in Walsall, as well as published in his own book 60 Degrees North.  

The Etc. Prince’s Trust Team, who won the Gold Award for Further Education Team of the Year, engage with learners who wouldn’t normally step foot in a college to turn their lives around. The team was nominated due to their exemplary work helping young people, many of whom were facing significant challenges in their personal lives, into work, education or employment. They also work with a number of military veterans, helping them find a new purpose through their outstanding partnerships with employers and training organisations.  

Many of the Pearson National Teaching Award Gold Award winners, chosen from thousands of nominations, will receive national acclaim for their incredible work supporting students across the country. Each award winner has repeatedly gone above and beyond their role to change the lives of their students and help them move towards a brighter future.   

The Pearson National Teaching Awards, which are now in their 22nd year, are an annual celebration of exceptional teachers, founded in 1998 by Lord Puttnam to recognise the life-changing impact an inspirational teacher can have on the lives of the young people they teach. 

Alex Jones, Presenter of the One Show, said:

“We all know the value of a great teacher, and these winners have proven themselves to be both outstanding and inspirational. There has never been a more important time to celebrate the hard work that happens in our colleges across the country, and we are delighted to do our bit to thank them.” 

Michael Morpurgo, celebrated author and former Children’s Laureate, and President of the Teaching Awards Trust, said: 

“We have long known the impact that one superb teacher can have, the young people they can inspire and the lives they can change. But this past year has shown us all, more than perhaps ever before, the true value of teachers.  

“No one becomes a teacher for the applause it brings, and indeed too often it can feel a thankless role. That is why this coming week is so important. It is our opportunity to show our thanks, to praise their endeavours and to tell their stories.” 

Rod Bristow, President of Pearson UK, said: 

“Congratulations to all of our wonderful Gold Award winners on their success. They have all displayed the most fantastic dedication to this superb profession and truly deserve to have their hard work recognised in this way.  

“We want staff in schools and colleges across the country to know much deeply we appreciate the work they do and the impact they have. More than ever before we have gained a real understanding of the incredible work school and college staff do every day, and we are delighted to have had this week celebrating them. They deserve nothing less.” 

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: 

“A massive congratulations to this year’s gold award winners – teachers and school staff truly deserve the national recognition for the work they do to motivate, inspire and support pupils day in, day out. 

“This year has been like no other, and it is because of schools’ hard work that millions of pupils are able to be in the classroom receiving an outstanding education. I would like to thank every single teacher and staff member for what they have done for our children.”

The Pearson National Teaching Awards are open to every school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The awards were established by Lord Puttnam CBE in 1998 and are managed by the Teaching Awards Trust, an independent charity. The vision of the charity is to recognise and celebrate excellence in education.

It does this through its public-facing ‘Thank A Teacher’ campaign, and through the Pearson National Teaching Awards. 

Pearson are the world’s learning company with more than 24,000 employees operating in 70 countries. We combine world-class educational content and assessment, powered by services and technology, to enable more effective teaching and personalized learning at scale. We believe that wherever learning flourishes so do people.

Michael Morpurgo is one of Britain’s best-loved writers for children. With a writing career that spans four decades, he has written over 100 books, selling more than 5 million copies in the UK and over 35 million worldwide. A former Children’s Laureate, Michael has won countless prizes, including the Smarties prize, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Whitbread Award, and was awarded an OBE for Services to Literature. Michael was also awarded an MBE in 1999, along with his wife Clare, in recognition of their work in founding Farms For City Children, a charity that has enabled 100,000 children to visit the charity’s three farms over the last 40 years. 

The 2020 Pearson National Teaching Award Categories are: