Northern Regional College is the only FE college in Northern Ireland to be shortlisted for the awards this year. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Oscars for Teachers’, the awards honour exceptional teaching professionals from across the UK.
The Creative Industries team was nominated for the accolade by pupils, parents and colleagues in the Northern Regional College community. The awards ceremony will be broadcast as Britain’s Classroom Heroes on BBC 2 at 6pm on Sunday 29 0ctober.
The team is based at the College’s Ballymoney Campus where they deliver a range of full-time Level 3 courses specialising in Animation, Interactive Media, Television and Film and Music.
Creative Industries courses at the College have an 80 per cent progression rate of students on to university. Many former students have gone on to enjoy successful media careers and are working for a range of media organisations, including Channel 4, ITV, the BBC and Saatchi & Saatchi.
Congratulating the team on being shortlisted for the prestigious national award, Professor Terri Scott, Principal & Chief Executive of Northern Regional College said: The success of students at Northern Regional College is in no small part due to the learning and motivation they receive from the Creative Industries team, all of whom have worked or are still working in the media. I’m delighted to see team’s commitment and passion being recognised at a national level.”
The College’s contribution to the teaching profession has been recognised before by Pearson. In 2016, Stuart Cullen, Assistant Head of Computing and Creative Industries department, was a Silver Teaching Award Winner in the category ‘Outstanding Use of Technology in Education’.
The Pearson Teaching Awards is an annual celebration of exceptional teachers and teaching. Founded in 1998 by Lord Puttnam, they recognise the life-changing impact of an inspirational teacher on the lives of the young people they teach.
Michael Morpurgo, Children’s Author and President of the Pearson’s Teaching Awards said: “Teachers are the quiet heroes. By telling their stories, by highlighting their skill and dedication, we can do some justice to them and to the whole profession. Through the Teaching Awards, we hope to enhance the reputation and value of the teachers in our lives, their importance in our society, and thus help to encourage the most talented and committed young people to become teachers.”
Rod Bristow, President of Pearson UK, said: "Great teaching improves the life chances of our children. It's an incredibly tough, pressured and wearing job. Teachers deserve all the support we can give them, now more than ever. That's why these Pearson teaching awards are important, and that's why I'm delighted once again to lend our support to giving teaching the recognition it deserves."
Parents and students alike can recognise and thank the teachers who are making a difference by visitinghttp://teachingawards.com/thank-a-teacher/ to thank a teacher. Doing so means they will be in with a chance of winning at next year’s ceremony.
