T&A Education Awards finalists: the list

SUPPORTING STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR

Janet Farrell, St Cuthbert and The First Martyrs’ Catholic Primary School.

Janet is married with three grown up children and one grandchild. She moved from Manchester to Bradford in 2000 because of her husband's work and enrolled both her younger children into St Cuthbert and The First Martyrs School.

She said: “I joined the school as a TA in 2003 and have loved every minute of my time here. I became a HLTA when the scheme first started and with the help and support of the school, I completed a foundation degree in working with children and families at Trinity University which was a great help in my role as parental involvement worker.

“Everyone who visits the school all say what a special place it is and can see that the ethos of the school is lived out in it every day. The school has high expectations of all its pupils, and I have been privileged to be part of a team that strives for excellence for all its pupils for 20 years. “I support our year 6 pupils, working daily with them in the class as well as facilitating booster classes outside of school. Seeing the children learn and make progress is one of the joys of this role.”

She added: “I am lucky to work with a wonderful team of people who put so much into the lives of their students and enjoy working with both them and the students every day.”

Susan Ridsdale, Bankfoot Primary School.

Susan has been at Bankfoot Primary for more than 20 years and says she has worked with some fantastic children, staff and parents in that time.

“One of my greatest moments was taking our first finalists (with Mr Trevithick) to the British Motor Museum to take part in the Cars Maths in Motion national competition. We became the first primary school to ever finish second overall,” she said.

The following year they returned to win overall and become champions.

Susan added: “My most enjoyable adventures have been the residential, having cooked at Nell Bank, roamed the cobbles of Hampton Court Palace and explored the Dynamic Earth Museum in Edinburgh and fossil hunting in Robin Hoods Bay. I have experienced it all!

“It’s not often you have permission to paint on your school walls, so when the opportunity for my daughter (who also works at Bankfoot) and I came to create a mural in the sensory room and school library we jumped at the chance. My love of the theatre has come in handy for year six productions. Many an evening, we have spent creating props but the one my pets will always remember was Lion King and the two 6ft giraffe and elephant in my kitchen.

“Living in the community, nothing makes me happier to hear than the ex pupils I have taught are doing well and hearing a joyful, ‘Miss Ridsdale!’ as I walk home from Morrisons.”

Susan Holdsworth, Marshfield Primary School.

Susan was born and bred in Bradford and has worked at Marshfield for 34 years. She said: “My childhood experience of school wasn’t very good. I was scared of bullies and found the work difficult, so when my children started school, I decided I would support them, and I went into their primary school and worked with them to give them support.

“This motivated me to want to work in school and learn new skills to support children and make a difference. My first job was working with an autistic boy. The training I received enhanced my skills and gave me the opportunity to support other vulnerable children, from there I progressed to the learning mentor role.

“My time working at Marshfield has given me the skills to work with children in a nurturing setting. I supported the school in receiving the Nurturing School award.”

Susan, who says she loves her job, has qualified as a mental health first aider and practises mindfulness techniques with the children.

She said: “I work with groups of children around good and bad mental health and help them understand their feelings and emotions.”

She believes that nurture and wellbeing are paramount in the children making progress and succeeding in their chosen path.

Susan says she greets parents in the morning who were her mentees and who now bring their children to Marshfield.

 

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Adam Drinkall - Stocks Lane Primary School.

Adam Drinkall, 29, is in his second year of teaching at Stocks Lane Primary School, both years with Year 4.

He graduated from his degree in Drama with Aerial Performance at Edge Hill University in 2015. Before starting his teaching career, he spent five years teaching gymnastics and performing arts in schools - areas he says he is “very passionate about keeping alive in education”.

He said: “I took the School Direct route into teaching and worked at Greenside Primary School in Pudsey which gave me invaluable practical, hands-on experience in the classroom and gave me the confidence to stand on my own two feet as a qualified teacher.

“Because nothing can really prepare you for the immense responsibility that comes with having 30 little humans to look after and ensure they make good progress.”

He added: “I was honestly shocked when I found out I had been shortlisted (I didn't even know the SLT had nominated me) and feel a bit of a fraud as I don't feel like I'm doing anything special - just turning up and trying to do the best I can.

“I have been incredibly fortunate to have two of the best mentors possible during my ITT and ECT period and it is because of them I'm still going. Outside of school, I am heavily involved in Acrobatic Gymnastics as a coach and judge. I judge all around the country as well as being the Judging Convener for Yorkshire.”

Nadia Ahmed - St Andrew’s Primary School.

Nadia is an ECT (early career) teacher, currently working in Year 4.

A spokesperson for St Andrew’s said: “Since she joined our school, she has flourished; not only in the classroom but with the staff too. She is a calm and welcoming presence for the children who love being in her class and spends a lot of time making sure that her lessons are engaging for all her students.

“She is such a positive person who lifts the spirits of us all. Her team spirit is second to none and she is an absolute pleasure to work with. Nadia is always looking out for her colleagues and her caring attitude is just one of the things that make her so popular in school. She also has an infectious sense of humour and her laugh can often be heard through the building. Both the children and the staff feel privileged to work alongside her.”

Olivia Bottomley - Thorpe Primary School.

Being a part of a child’s journey is extremely special to Olivia.

She enjoys the fact that every day in teaching is different, and that children “can surprise you in more ways than you can imagine”.

She said: “Our small school has such a community feel and our children are at the heart of everything that we do.

Headteacher Paul Mennell said: “Starting school is a significant time in a child’s life and Miss Bottomley makes it her goal to make their experience at school enjoyable and memorable. She thrives on making every day exciting and engaging for all of her pupils. Her classroom is a space for pupils to feel welcomed and a place where they can be themselves. She ensures the children she teaches learn through play, have fun, and celebrate their achievements no matter how big or small. There are so many things that Miss Bottomley can be proud about.”

Olivia said one of her favourite memories of teaching was when she organised for her class to deliver Christmas cards and sing carols in the local community. During her class's local walk, the children got to meet the Lord Mayor of Bradford and sing ‘happy birthday’ to a woman who was celebrating her 100th birthday.

Mr Mennell said: “Miss Bottomley is an amazing and inspirational teacher, who everybody in school adores. She continues to amaze everybody with her enthusiasm, creativity, and desire to make sure that every child succeeds.”

 

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AWARD

Sowing Seeds Tuition.

In July 2022, after 17 years in education, director Rachel Girling left her role as Assistant Principal at a large secondary school in West Yorkshire to set up a different type of tuition and wellbeing service for 6-16 year olds in her home village, Idle. Whilst working in education, Rachel saw the impact of stretched resources at school and cuts in the community on children's mental health. One of the many reasons she set up Sowing Seeds Tuition was to help families in the community and support children struggling academically and emotionally.

Sowing Seeds Tuition has evolved with the community and listened to and learnt from their parents, carers and children. Their unique weekly 'Confident and Calm' workshops provide wellbeing sessions tailored to different age groups, including one specifically designed to help year 11 students manage exam pressure.

Rachel said: “Sowing Seeds Tuition is not 'just' a tuition service - it helps reach the children who slip under the radar due to their absence at school and helps reintegrate them back into education. Our mission is to help children struggling with their mental health and give them the tools and confidence to manage their emotions. In February this year, we also set up Sowing Seeds Wellbeing community interest company as a non-profit organisation to deliver training and support the mental health and wellbeing of families.”

Down Syndrome Training and Support Service Ltd.

This is a unique charity based at the Pamela Sunter Centre, Whitley Street, Bingley.

It works to support children and young people with Down syndrome, as well as their families and the professionals who work with them.

Wendy Uttley, from the charity said: “Some families travel for over two hours to access our services and we travel all over England, and beyond, to provide training in the inclusion, education and development of children with Down syndrome.

“We believe all children with Down syndrome deserve the same opportunities as other children. They are first and foremost children, who just happen to have Down syndrome.

“At the centre we provide training, early intervention, speech and language sessions, occupational therapy, a weekly youth club, family Saturday sessions and vital support via telephone, social media, home visits and counselling. We also organise external social activities for our young people and families including dance21 and days out.

“All of our services are in high demand and many days we find ourselves stretched to capacity; we never like to say ‘no’ to any family or school in need of help.”

One supporter of the charity said: “This fantastic charity made a huge difference to our lives, that fell apart on learning our new baby had Down syndrome.”

Another added: “This charity can and has transformed the lives of many people, it must be supported to be able to continue it’s valuable work”

Raising Explorers.

Raising Explorers is a multi-award winning after-school club founded in 2012 and established in Bradford.

The centre provides the six services of drop-in Childcare, Academic Tuition, School Holiday Club, Language School: Arabic and Urdu, 4 flexible Madrassa services and Homework Support.

Najma Jalil said: “The key aim of Raising Explorers is to revolutionise the services available to young children aged between 5-15, parents and the community. We provide childcare seven days a week to cater to the needs of working or single parents whilst also providing extra-curricular lessons in an effective way using interactive classroom methods.

“We wish to raise the new generation of young adults in a nurturing and comfortable environment so that they grow into becoming well-rounded individuals who are confident in their identity and ready to positively contribute to a forever changing society. In our eyes, every child is an explorer and, at Raising Explorers, we want to help bring out that explorer from within. This includes catering for those parents with children who have special needs. We believe in working closely with our parents to find a solution to cater for their child the best we can.

“During our School Holiday Club, we encourage our children to take part in arts and crafts, baking, sports, local outings as well as annual trips to theme parks and more. Raising Explorers also holds regular charity stalls and collaborates with multiple different charity organisations to encourage generosity and charity within our children as well as the Bradford Community and to create a sense of unity.”

SCHOOL OF THE YEAR

Low Ash Primary

Co-headteachers Fiona Meer and Beth Medhurst said: “Low Ash is a large primary school in Wrose, where children are at the heart of everything we do, aiming high both educationally and socially.

“Simply, whatever their strengths, we want our children to be the best that they can be. The staff have wholeheartedly tried to make up for 'lost time' during the pandemic and, while we do very well academically, our focus this year has been as much outside the curriculum as within it.

“Over 20 after-school clubs run each week, providing a range of activities from scootering to gardening, gymnastics to netball, choir to performing arts. ‘Fantastic Friday’ afternoons add to the range of extra-curricular experiences, with the afternoon spent on enrichment activities such as putting together drama productions, orienteering, arts and craft, Science Club or even out walking in the local area using the minibuses.

“Playtimes and Lunchtimes have also been a focus this year to give the children the chance to ‘be children’ and so the playground is now full of children rolling tyres, scootering in the scooter park, playing in the large sandpit, climbing trees, making mud cakes in the mud kitchen or even dressing up to dance on the stage. A visitor described playtimes recently as ‘like being at a holiday camp’!”

In the school’s most recent parent and carer survey one person said: “I can't find a single fault with the staff or the school.”

Carlton Keighley

Headteacher Jon Skurr said: “The last year has seen Carlton Keighley go from strength-to-strength, pushing on from their first ever ‘Good’ Ofsted judgement in 2020 to continue to offer an exceptional standard of education for the students of Keighley. 2022 saw the school achieve its best examination results ever, an even more impressive feat against the backdrop of the pandemic, with our highest rates of attainment and progress.

“A continued culture of high expectations for young people means that the standards of behaviour and attendance also continue to improve. As a result the school has become the school of choice for the area, and is now oversubscribed for the first time in its history. Along with all schools in the Carlton Trust, the school has launched an innovative programme, The Carlton Edge, which aims to build the cultural and personal development of pupils, incorporating educational visits and experiences, wider-curricular activities, careers education and character development aligned to its core values of ambition, resilience and respect. As a result of the work of this programme, the school has been awarded the highly prestigious World Class Schools quality mark, and joins only 120 schools across the country who are acknowledged for their exceptional work in developing the character of pupils.”

Holybrook Primary School

Headteacher Chris Lloyd said: “Holybrook Primary School is a happy, lively, caring school at the heart of the vibrant, strong Eccleshill village community. “We are a school with a strong ethos of learning through ‘courtesy, kindness and respect’, which underpins our curriculum. Holybrook Primary School has committed, dedicated, enthusiastic and conscientious staff who plan carefully for the different learning needs and learning styles of the children school.

“Having built our curriculum around the needs of our pupils and community and invested in the school grounds to enhance learning at every possible moment, we believe our children can achieve anything. “Our community plays a huge role in all we do: parents, carers and local organisations are all welcome to join school in all we do. “The hard work and dedication of our staff, pupils, governors and community was acknowledged in our recent Ofsted inspection where we were judged to be ‘Outstanding’ in all areas in April 2022.

“We are delighted to be selected as a finalist in the T&A School of the Year awards.”

 

PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Beth Pollard - Peel Park Primary and Nursery School

Beth has been a primary school teacher for 25 years and despite the challenges, still has a deep love for the job.

She said: “I work with a fantastic team of colleagues at Peel Park Primary and we are always striving to help our pupils to reach their full potential. “Since becoming reading lead, I have been dedicated to improving reading attainment and developing a real passion for reading in all our pupils.

“I created a set of ‘Recommended Reads’ books for each year group. These books were carefully selected to fit with our wider curriculum, our class novels and to be a ‘mirror’ allowing our students to see themselves represented in books.

“Our daily class novel time is my favourite part of the school day; it’s wonderful hearing the gasps and giggles as pupils react to the stories and seeing how eager they are to discover ‘what happens next.’

“We celebrate reading every week in assembly where I award certificates and book prizes. It’s great seeing how proud the children are of their success and I love it when pupils come up to me in the playground to tell me about what they are reading, to chat about their class novels or make requests for new books for their classrooms.

“I am totally stunned to be nominated but it is so lovely to feel appreciated.”

Kelly Wilson - St Stephen’s School.

Kelly has been part of the St Stephen's school family for 20 years, beginning as an NQT and is now Assistant Head for the school’s Early Years phase.

A spokesperson said: “In recent years she has overseen and led significant improvements in our Early Years, transforming the learning environment for our children and ensuring that our youngest children get the best possible start to school life. “She leads a strong and happy team and is dedicated to giving our children as many opportunities as possible.

"Her determination and unfaltering commitment to the children and families of St Stephen's shines through every day. Her nurturing approach ensures the children enjoy coming to school and settle in quickly. Without Kelly and her leadership our children would not grow and flourish into well-rounded, happy, caring individuals in the same way.”

Saiqa Azam - Marshfield Primary School.

Saiqa said: “My passion and dedication to providing the very best early years education for young children has always included establishing strong and caring relationships with parents and carers. I was very lucky to have been involved in delivering children centre services where I learnt so much about how to put this into practice.

“I have always been driven by some key values, these included ensuring positive relationships, secure attachments, promoting a love of learning and making every child feel safe. Given the right support, at the right time these can be achieved with all children and families.

“I have always had a positive and optimistic attitude and I think it is this that has enabled me to engage so many families at Marshfield along with the fantastic support of my amazing team where we believe offering the children a secure foundation enables them to be resilient, respectful of each other and have the drive to be ambitious in the future.

“I feel very lucky to be in a position to be a positive role model within the diverse community that we serve, promoting high expectations for every individual.”

 

HEADTEACHER OF THE YEAR

Jackie Bracewell - Canterbury Nursery School.

Jackie is incredibly passionate about early years education and the difference it can make. She has led Canterbury Nursery School from a school deemed as ‘requiring improvement’ to ‘outstanding’ in her time of Headship.

Co-headteacher Rachel Sowerby said: “Canterbury is now a flagship school for Inclusion and currently caters for 170 pupils (aged 2-5 years old) including 40 with complex special educational needs. She believes that a quality early years experience can ensure that all children have a level playing field to thrive in education and in their adult lives.

“A staff team of 60 members are inspired daily by her passion, enthusiasm and dedication to the children and their families in the Canterbury estate. Following the murder of our much loved colleague, Bori Benko, in November 21, Jackie held the ship steady and supported us all whilst honouring Bori’s memory and legacy.

“She not only supports development at Canterbury, she has worked across the City and country sharing her expertise with various school to school projects.

“Jackie is incredibly passionate about early years education and the difference it can make. Jackie started her career as a secondary school music teacher. Although she enjoyed this age group she was keen to understand how children engaged positively with education. She enjoyed researching the pedagogies of the early years and soon found herself teaching the youngest children in the education system.”

Gavin Hamilton - Shipley CE Primary School.

Gavin Hamilton is headteacher at Shipley CE Primary School.

He said: “Both my Deputy and I joined the school in September 2021 after a period of significant change. A local lad; I have worked at several Bradford schools over the last 15 years or so.

"During my time at my previous school I was Deputy Head and then Head of School when the school moved from a Requires improvement to Good Ofsted judgement. I was delighted to have the opportunity to join Shipley Primary and the Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT) to, once again, ensure that change was realised for the children at school.

“Our children deserve the best opportunities and my vision for school is one that is based on love, lifelong learning and growth in all areas. I have established a strong, confident and driven team at Shipley, with the support of our amazing Trust. This year has seen all these efforts recognised as the school moves from strength to strength. In September, the school was rated Good in all areas by Ofsted, an improvement for the school of two full judgements.”

Shipley CE Primary School is located on Otley Road, Shipley and part of the successful Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust which leads a family of fourteen primaries and five secondaries across the region to deliver high quality education within the context of Christian belief and practice.

Linda Wright - Riddlesden St Mary's CE Primary School.

Linda Wright has been teaching in Bradford since 2004. She is currently Headteacher at Riddlesden St Mary's CE Primary School and Interim Headteacher Keighley St Andrew's Primary School.

A spokesperson said: “Linda has a successful history of leadership, ensuring children are at the centre of all she does. She is advocate for all children, particularly the most vulnerable, being a voice when theirs cannot be heard.

“She brings an enthusiasm like no other, often embracing creative ideas as an opportunity to raise life chances for the children in her care as well as inspire the staff teams to do the same. Her open-door policy enables all staff to feel valued and supported which is vital, given the challenges education can often face. She inspires change in a personable way, focussing on change whilst meeting the well-being needs of both staff and children alike.

“Linda is an outward-looking leader and in addition to her Headteacher duties, she also co-chairs a district-wide Headteacher group (Bradford Schools in Partnership) and is also a mentor for new Headteachers. Staff who work with Linda report that her ambitious vision provides staff and pupils with lots of opportunities to thrive.

“Her nurturing approach makes others feel safe, encouraging them to take risks to be the best they can be. Her positive character and strength of values have provided a focus for all staff, pupils and parents within the area. Linda firmly believes she is only as strong as the team she leads and feels privileged to do so.”

 

STAR STUDENT OF THE YEAR

WILLIAM BENTLEY - BRADFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

William Bentley will be setting off to study in the US later this year.

William, from Cleckheaton, is a Year 13 student at Bradford Grammar School's sixth form and has received two scholarships to study at Lindenwood University in St Charles in Missouri. He has been offered both an academic scholarship and a scholarship to play rugby for the university.

Will is currently studying PE, Psychology, and History at A-Level with predicted grades of A*AA. He hopes to major in Psychology and minor in Criminology whilst at university.

“My parents are tremendously proud and helped me throughout the process," he said.

He visited the university earlier this month and had a look around the campus.

“It’s amazing, it’s a whole world out there," he said.

Dan Scarbrough, Specialist Sports Coach at Bradford Grammar said: "Will is a talented athlete, a highly skilled rugby player, and is a fine example to the younger years of what can be achieved here at Bradford Grammar School.

"The opportunity for him to develop further in an incredible environment overseas, in one of the top sporting universities in America, is an exciting one and we will be watching and supporting from across the pond here in Yoirkshire.”

IQRA Academy Group - Laiba Ahmed, Halima Khan, Ryaan Iljaz, Aisha Siddiqa, Mohid Nadeem, Subhan Ali and Mustafa.

IQRA Academy, a primary school in Bradford, part of the iExel Education Trust, has won the National Primary Innovation Award from the Business of Science Conference for their creative solution to air pollution.

The IQRA winning idea proposed installing pollution meters on traffic lights in the streets of Bradford. The children’s idea was one of many national entries submitted in the awards across three categories, primary, secondary, and people aged over 18.

They were asked to propose their big science dream for fixing a real-world problem.

Entries were judged on the ambition, design, and positive change the idea would create for society.

The award is the culmination of a 10-week programme the IQRA students completed last year with Born in Bradford (BiB) and Leeds-based creative education provider, IVE, to design new ways to reduce air pollution. The initiative was part of the BiB Breathes project, which paired 30 young innovators with industry experts to co-produce inspiring new ideas to tackle the city’s air pollution problem.

As part of their prize, IQRA Academy has been awarded £1,000, which will be used towards supporting STEM education in their school.

The award also aligns with the school's focus on becoming a leader in STEM education. iExel Education Trust has invested £0.5m on cutting-edge STEM facilities for science, design and technology, and food sciences laboratories for IQRA. The CEO of the Trust, Professor Khurshid Khan, congratulated the children and staff at the Academy on receiving the national award.

Amy Taylor-Howorth, Beckfoot Thornton.

Amy, who is nearly 14, was nominated for the Star Student Award by her proud mum Rachel Taylor.

Rachel said: “She is exceeding everything in her school work.”

She said Amy had a low attendance because she also does filming - and has appeared in series such as Waterloo Road.

She said: “She has obviously had time off for that, which has brought her attendance down, but she has managed to maintain a high level of work.”

She is also doing her Duke of Edinburgh Awards and volunteers in a charity shop.

Rachel said: “She is absolutely amazing at school. She always gets her head down. She is pretty much top of the class and she’s in set one for everything.

Amy is hoping to study at Oxford University and wants to become a biology teacher.

SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Tristan Hainsworth - Oasis Academy Lister Park.

Tristan says he has had the privilege of working in Bradford for eight years, serving the community of Manningham for the last two and half years as Deputy Principal at Oasis Academy Lister Park.

He said: “Working at Lister Park is a great honour and the students we serve are wonderful with unlimited potential. The school has been on a journey of improvement under its current Principal who is truly inspirational, and I am lucky to have been able to help implement her vision for the school and community ‘To deliver the best possible education, care, and support to all our young people so that they may go on to live happy, healthy, and successful lives.’

“As a result of the successful implementation of this with students, staff and the community we achieved the best results the school has ever achieved this summer, well above the Bradford average for progress and more than doubling our 5 and 7 plus figures, we are excited for further improvements this summer.”

Emma Nawaz - Bingley Grammar.

Emma said: “I've thoroughly enjoyed my experience as a mentor. Teaching is a very rewarding profession, but it can be tough, particularly in the early stages of your career - that's something I've always tried to keep in mind. One thing I have learned, both as a teacher and as a mentor, is that being reflective and open to new ideas is key. Not only that, but it's important to foster the confidence to share and collaborate so that we can all learn from each other.”

Alex Dean, Senior Deputy Headteacher, said: “Emma was nominated by Bradford Birth to 19 SCITT in recognition of her ongoing work as an Initial Teaching Training mentor. She has mentored a colleague for three years now right through from her teacher training year and throughout her Early Career Teaching induction. Emma is always calm, patient and is always positive. She’s made her mentee feel safe and has allowed her to grow and develop into a strong teacher. She has always been supportive but challenges her mentee to be the best version of herself.

“Emma has no idea how good at her job she is and the difference she makes to teachers who are new to the profession. This is married with her work as an English teacher and temporary subject leadership role where she works hard to support her colleagues. All of her efforts are focused around helping students achieve the best that they possibly can both in her classes and on a wider school level.”

Also nominated Matthew Grist - Dixon Trinity