Martin Harding, head teacher of St Michael’s C of E Primary School in Kingsteignton, Devon, is the regional winner for the south-west of England in the category National College Award for Headteacher of the Year in a Primary School.
His five-year plan is said to have transformed a school to which families avoided sending their children, and which has grown from 280 pupils to 400 since his arrival. He is credited with instilling togetherness and teamwork in the staff and with making tough decisions consistently and fairly.
Mr Harding is a runner, a climber, and a qualified pilot. Parents say his presence is felt all around the school, and have observed: “Many of us think he should be cloned. . .” Judges said of him that he “clearly has boundless energy and a passion and commitment that see him constantly looking for the next thing that needs to be improved within the school”.
Janet Lord, head teacher of Langham C of E Primary School at Oakham, in Rutland, is the Midlands winner in the same category. She is credited with being “nothing if not resourceful”, and having “unstoppable energy” and “ever-infectious positivity”. Her school is rated Outstanding by OFSTED, and also has an International School’s Award for its work in developing children’s understanding of the world around them.
Mrs Lord is credited with using staff talents to the full, never being afraid to listen to ideas from others, creatively embracing new technology, and handling difficult situations with sensitivity. When a group of travellers arrived in the village, causing controversy among local residents, she successfully integrated their children into the school.
“As a result, the youngsters have become valued members of the school community, and the existing pupils have had the opportunity to learn about different lifestyles,” the judges said.
Kelly Steeples, North of England winner of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Award for Outstanding New Teacher of the Year, is reported to have been “snapped up” by Southdale C of E Junior School in Ossett, near Wakefield, where she had been a trainee the previous year.
The colleague who nominated her said: “Her efforts enthusiasm, talents, passion, and drive know no boundaries. In over 30 years of teaching, I have never come across such a unique, outstanding teacher who is so worthy of recognition.”
Judges described her as “a jewel in the educational crown, and one who is very likely to rise right to the top of the educational ladder”. She is a talented dancer with a passion for the performing arts that has made the annual school production so sophisticated and ambitious that it is now staged at the local high school over two evenings.
Mark Cripps, known at St Andrew’s C of E Primary School, Bath, as “Mr Mark”, is a gifted teacher, animator, cartoonist, and mime artist, whose classes are said to be as confident with a microphone and camera as they are with paper and pencil. He is the regional winner of the Becta Award for Next Generation Learning for the way he uses innovative technology to enhance and support his creative teaching style.
The mother who nominated him said: “He brings teaching to life, so children don’t even know they are learning, and his warmth and kindness make him a very special and real teacher in times when teachers are almost encouraged to take a hands-off approach.”