Pearson Awards success for Regent High School
Regent High School Teaching Assistant one of 68 Silver Award Winners shortlisted for UK’s ‘Oscars for Teachers’
Jacqueline McQuade of Regent High School wins a Silver Teaching Award in the category ‘Teaching Assistant of the Year’
Selected from thousands of nominations, Jacqueline McQuade is one of just 68 Silver Award winners across the country who will be celebrated today, on ‘Thank A Teacher Day’, as the Pearson National Teaching Awards marks its 21st year of celebrating excellence in education.
Award-winning Jacqueline will be presented with a prestigious Pearson Silver Teaching Award trophy at her school to celebrate her outstanding achievement, as will her fellow Silver Award winners across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Pearson National Teaching Awards is an annual celebration of exceptional teachers, founded in 1998 by Lord Puttnam to recognise the life-changing impact an inspirational teacher can have on the lives of the young people they teach – many of whom go on to train as teachers themselves thanks to the significant impact their teachers have had on them.
Jacqueline of Regent High School has been further shortlisted to win one of just 13 Gold Awards at the UK’s “Oscars for Teachers”. She will join fellow Silver Award winners, along with three Scottish Education Award winners and three winners of the Professional Teaching Awards Cymru, at the 21st UK ceremony of the Pearson Teaching Awards. It is a glittering event held at the Roundhouse on 20 October. It is broadcast on BBC2 the following week, on 27 October, as Britain’s Classroom Heroes, a showcase of excellence in education.
Previous award presenters include former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair, acting legends Jenny Agutter, Alison Steadman and Sheila Hancock, as well as sports and TV personalities including Shirley Ballas, Helen Glover, Brendan Cole and Nadiya Hussain.
Today, on ‘Thank A Teacher Day’, and throughout this week the Teaching Awards Trust - the charity that runs the awards - is asking people up and down the country to say “thank you” to a teacher who has made a significant difference in their lives. The Thank A Teacher campaign allows members of the public to send teachers a card in the post for free, by completing an online form and including a personal message. It takes two minutes but has a lasting impact on those exceptional teachers who receive them.
Jacqueline McQuade said: “It is an absolute honour for me to be recognised with this national award, and I am hugely grateful to be recognised as one of the Silver Award winners for 2019. There are many people I would like to thank, from our fantastic students, our very supportive parents/carers and our hard working and committed staff, especially our Headteacher, Gary Moore.
“Everyone at Regent High School does wonderful things every day, and I see this award as being as much for the school as for me. I greatly appreciate the recognition and thank Pearson for this award.”
Gary Moore, Headteacher of Regent High School, said: “I am phenomenally proud that Jacqueline has been chosen as a Silver Award winner in these prestigious education awards. It is a significant achievement to have been selected from so many high-quality nominations. Jacqueline has been an unsung hero at Regent High School, and I know that she is thrilled to have won this award in part on behalf of the Teaching Assistant team that she helps to lead, and the students with whom she works.”
Michael Morpurgo, celebrated author and former Children’s Laureate, and President of the Teaching Awards Trust, said: “So often and for so many of us, it is a teacher who changed our lives, was at our side through hard and difficult times, who lifted us up when we were down, helped us find our voice, gave us confidence when we needed it most, set us on a path that we have followed ever since. At my school I had a French teacher, who might not have made a linguist of me, but was always kind to me. He loved his subject and passed that on. I still love French, the language, the people, the literature, but even he could not persuade me to learn my French grammar.”
Rod Bristow, President of Pearson UK, said: “Congratulations to all of our Silver Award winners being presented with a sliver trophy by their pupils today. On Thank A Teacher Day, it’s a wonderful chance for them to say thank you to their award-winning teachers. We mustn’t forget that these pupils may well be the next generation of teachers, and that’s all thanks to the commitment of those currently in the profession. Recognising and celebrating teachers for the lasting impact they have on young people's lives is crucial, and that’s why Pearson is delighted to support these Awards every year.
