PRESS RELEASE: AWARD-WINNING EDUCATORS CELEBRATED FOR THEIR WORK CHANGING CHILDREN’S LIVES ON NATIONAL THANK A TEACHER DAY

AWARD-WINNING EDUCATORS CELEBRATED FOR THEIR WORK CHANGING CHILDREN’S LIVES ON NATIONAL THANK A TEACHER DAY

++ 102 Silver Award Winners celebrated for outstanding commitment in UK’s “Oscars for Education” ++ 

++ Schools and colleges across the country celebrate Thank a Teacher Day as new research highlights families’ gratitude to school staff ++

Today [23 June], on National ‘Thank A Teacher Day’, 102 inspirational teachers, lecturers and school and college staff from across the country are being honoured as Silver Pearson National Teaching Award winners for their outstanding commitment to changing the lives of their students.

Following thousands of nominations across the country, the award winners will be presented with their prestigious Pearson Silver Teaching Award trophies in celebrations taking place in schools and colleges across the country.

The Silver Award winners are honoured as part of the wider celebrations for ‘Thank a Teacher Day’, a national campaign to honour and recognise educators for their incredible work.

The celebrations come as new data shows how the previous year’s lockdowns have significantly changed how families across the country view the role of teachers.

New research from Parentkind and The Teaching Awards Trust highlights that three in four parents and carers have a newfound respect for the teaching profession following their experiences of remote learning during lockdown. 74.9% of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they had more respect for the work that teachers do following their family’s experiences of remote learning.

Organised by The Teaching Awards Trust, the annual Thank a Teacher campaign is calling on children and their families this year to thank the inspirational school and college staff who change lives through their hard work. Using the hashtags #ThankATeacherDay and #HowWillYouSayThankYou, students and their families have come up with an abundance of creative messages to thank their teachers and wider school/college community. Children will also be wearing something sparkly for their teaching heroes in celebration of the ‘Stars’ theme for the day.

The last year has seen a wealth of stories about teachers and support staff making care visits to vulnerable families, coming up with innovative ways of remote teaching, keeping their pupils settled by regularly checking in, and even using their sites for Covid-19 testing when classes did return. There has never been a better time to appreciate them and the vital work they do.

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

“Thank a Teacher Day gives us all a chance –  children, families, all of us – to pay tribute to those wonderful educators who change more lives than they will ever know. Today we say thank you to the teachers who have helped our young people navigate these most difficult of times, and who will continue to inspire countless young minds over the coming years.”

Sharon Hague, Senior Vice President of Schools at Pearson UK, said:  

“After a year like no other we want to take today to say thank you to all the incredible school staff who have kept children and young people learning despite unprecedented challenges. We hope the celebrations today show how much you are appreciated, and that your hard work has not gone unnoticed nor unrecognised.”

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: 

“The hard work and dedication of teachers in schools, colleges and across the education sector during the pandemic has been inspiring, and while our teachers deserve the country’s recognition every year, this year’s Thank A Teacher Day is even more significant. The support they have provided children, young people and adults has been remarkable, and each and every one of us should be grateful for the part they have played over the past 18 months.

“Congratulations to all the Silver Award winning educators, and every teacher who has gone above and beyond, inspiring and shaping our future generations to be the best they can be.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The 2021 Pearson National Teaching Awards are open to every school 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. It does this through its public-facing ‘Thank A Teacher’ campaign www.thankateacher.co.uk, and through the Pearson National Teaching Awards www.teachingawards.com.

Learning is the most powerful force for change in the world. More than 20,000 Pearson employees deliver our products and services in nearly 200 countries, all working towards a common purpose – to help everyone achieve their potential through learning. We do that by providing high quality, digital content and learning experiences, as well as assessments and qualifications that help people build their skills and grow with the world around them. We are the world’s leading learning company. Learn more at pearsonplc.com

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 2021 Pearson National Teaching Award Categories are: