New term, new look for award winners!
Walking tall from left to right: Barbara King, Caroline Nofer, Diane Stanley, Helen Brittain, Libby Pryce, Margaret Lund, Marilyn West, Rebecca Humphries, Rebecca McComb, Sarah Buckham, Sheila Bevins
Eleven Teaching Award winners from around Britain feature in the latest edition of Prima magazine, having won a ‘star treatment’ makeover prize.
The prize involved a day trip to London in July, styling by a team of hair, beauty and fashion experts and a professional photo shoot. The four-page photo-feature is published in the October issue of Prima which appears on new-stands from the 1 September.
In a letter to winners Maire Fahey, editor of Prima, spoke of her ‘admiration and utmost respect’ for teachers, headteachers and teaching assistants. She said: ‘We feel privileged to be involved with the UK Teaching Awards for the first time and to have this opportunity to say thank you to some amazing winners for making a difference in our classrooms.’
Rebecca McComb, winner in Northern Ireland of the 2008 SSAT Award for Outstanding New Teacher of the Year and a teacher at Gracehill primary in Ballymena, County Antrim said: ‘I flew to London very early in the morning with my friend Lindsey. There was a driver waiting for us at Gatwick and we were taken in a lovely car to a studio in London.
‘The girls who did my hair and nails were just super. The photographer was loads of fun and we felt like superstars for the day! The other winners were there and we had lovely conversations about teaching and the Awards. It was certainly a day to remember.’
Margaret Lund, 60, winner in the North West of the 2008 Ted Wragg Award for Lifetime Achievement, sponsored by the Innovation Unit has just retired after 20 years as head at Shakespeare Primary School, Fleetwood, Lancashire. She said; ‘I didn’t know what to expect but I went with an open mind and then I couldn’t believe the transformation. I could barely recognise myself and the children said they couldn’t believe it was me!
‘The hair and make-up artists were absolutely fantastic, really wonderful. The choice of clothes proved difficult but eventually I got a wonderful outfit and I was really pleased with the photos.’
The winners who were treated to the special Prima prize are among 142 Teaching Award winners who received silver platos this summer at ceremonies nationwide. They now go forward to the UK final on October 19, televised on BBC 2.
Prima magazine, launched 22 years ago, has a readership of 626,000 and a subscriber base of 106,050. Its front cover straplines are: ‘Making Life Simple’, ‘Packed with ideas, advice and inspiration’. Each makeover winner took home their chosen outfit from the Debenhams new autumn collection.
