North East Figures and Schools recognised in national Awards
Julie Deville, CEO at Extol Trust and Maria Carlton, Head Teacher at Bewley Primary School, have been recognised at the Pearson National Teaching Awards with Mary Astell Academy winning an award at the Education Business Awards.
Pearson National Teaching Awards success
The Pearson National Teaching Awards are open to every early years setting, school and college across the UK. 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.
Julie Deville was the winner of the Silver Award for Lifetime Achievement for their outstanding commitment to the lives of the children they work with every day. Julie has now been shortlisted to win one of just 16 Gold Awards, which will be announced and celebrated at a gala ceremony in London on 25 November and televised on the BBC, with winners showcased on The One Show.
Julie commented:
“I am absolutely delighted to receive a Silver Award in the National Teaching Awards 2023 for Lifetime Achievement. This is a special year as The Teaching Awards Trust celebrates its 25th anniversary. The award is truly humbling, no one in education works in a vacuum. I am so lucky that over my 37 year career I have worked alongside some amazing and dedicated colleagues. This award is a testament not only to my work but also to the collective commitment of countless individuals who have supported and inspired me throughout the years. Education holds a sacred place in our society. It has the power to transform lives, break down barriers, and build a brighter future. Each day, educators step into classrooms armed not just with knowledge but with a profound sense of responsibility. We have the privilege of igniting curiosity, nurturing talents, and instilling in our pupils the belief that they can achieve greatness. As I’ve said, to receive this lifetime achievement award is an extraordinary honour, however I want to assure you all that my journey in education is far from over. The flame of passion still burns brightly within me, and I remain committed to advancing the cause of education within the North East. We all know there is still much work to be done, and I pledge to continue contributing in any way I can, sharing my knowledge and experiences to inspire future generations of educators.”
Maria Carlton from Bewley Primary School in Billingham, County Durham, was also recognised at the awards with the Silver Award for Head Teacher of the Year in a Primary School.
As Executive Head Teacher, Maria provides leadership across The 1590 Trust. Until recently she was a National Leader of Education and is also part of the Leadership Board for Campus Stockton Teaching Alliance.
The school motto is ‘Bright, Proud and Successful’. This permeates Maria’s leadership and cascades to staff, pupils, parents/carers and the wider community. Maria strongly advocates pupil voice and childrens’ rights. She encourages children to shine brightly and be proud of who they are.
Being a Unicef UK ‘Gold’ Rights Respecting School is testimony to this – as are the roles and responsibilities given to pupils. Children lead weekly assemblies, are buddies to younger children and have their voices heard on a weekly basis at school council meetings.
Maria’s vision to develop the school’s grounds has resulted in positive outcomes for the children. She has added a Multi-Use Games Area and Trim Trail and continues to add playground climbing frames to enhance health and wellbeing.
Sharon Hague, Senior Vice President of Schools at Pearson UK, says:
“We would like to congratulate today’s Silver winners on their incredible achievements. We can’t underestimate the huge contribution schools make to our young people’s lives”
The honours have been announced on National Thank a Teacher Day, an annual event celebrating the role of educators across the UK for the valued role they play in communities and shaping young people. This year, students were joined by celebrities including Sir Michael Morpurgo, Edith Bowman, Bobby Seagull, Ore Oduba and Nadiya Hussain to mark their teachers’ achievements.
Education Business Awards
Mary Astell Academy were winners of the ICT Facility Award at the Education Business Awards, a ceremony which was set up to recognise the unsung heroes and celebrate their achievements in all aspects of school life.
The award is received by the educational establishment in the UK that has made outstanding progress in the provision of a first class environment for the teaching of ICT and related subjects. Mary Astell Academy won for their ICT resources and infrastructure which had a major upgrade following significant investment. Both ICT suites had a complete refurbishment of all PCs in both teaching and non-teaching areas. The additional purchase of 20 laptops allowed for more online learning to be delivered across the curriculum. The Academy has also benefited from the integration of dark fibre. Led by Newcastle City Council, dark fibre is being introduced throughout all of Prosper Learning Trust’s schools.
North East recognition
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East said:
“Congratulations to all the winners at both education awards, it is brilliant to see the North East being represented and recognised on a national level for the brilliant work they do. The awards are a testament to the hard work of not only the individual recipients but also recognise the brilliant teams who work to support the winners become the fantastic leaders which they are.”
Bewley Primary School & Mary Astell Academy are Schools North East Partner Schools and Extol Trust is a Schools North East Partner Trust. If you’d like to find out more about our Partner School Programme click here.
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