Social School Awards

Teacher of the Week

Our Teacher of the Week category will showcase some of the most dedicated and inspiring educators across the social media community.

Whether it’s finding creative ways to inspire students or going out of their way to solve a problem, Teachers of the Week are resourceful, hard-working and generally passionate about teaching.

This week continues to raise new challenges for teachers as they work on educating children at home and also taking care of the children of key workers.  We have admired the great work that they’re doing to support students and the wider community, whilst also continuing to support one another on Twitter to share useful tips and resources. We salute you all!

This week’s winner is…

Miss Cowley, the SENCO at Benton Park School in Leeds. We’ve heard all about the fantastic work you’ve been doing during lockdown, going above and beyond for your students.

We received a nomination from a parent who said: “She’s an outstanding practitioner and has been an absolute hero during lockdown. Day in and day out, she travels around Leeds, Bradford and further afield meeting with (often vulnerable) children on their doorstep and checking on their wellbeing and progress, never missing a single week. As a teacher myself, I am absolutely inspired by her capability, warmth and commitment. I wouldn’t want to hazard a guess how many miles she must’ve clocked each week since the school was shut but her weekly visits are always a huge boost to our son.”

This week’s runner up is…

Miss Duffy (@ScotinManc), who shared fantastic ‘book cheat’ resources this week to discuss emotions related to lockdown or transition with a child – what a brilliant idea!

NQT of the Week

Our NQT category aims to recognise the excellent work of those at the initial stage of their teaching career. From going to great lengths to increase their own teaching knowledge, to networking with teachers and finding new and innovative ways to connect with pupils, NQTs of the Week find the perfect balance between learning and teaching.

This week’s winner is…

Miss Elsdon (@miss_elsdon), who shared the ultimate inspiration for the new term. If you’re in need of a little motivation to get organised, this could be for you! Good luck in your induction year Miss Elsdon.

This week’s runner up is…

Emma Willetts (@GeogWilletts), who has been busy making GCSE and A-Level bookmarks in preparation for September – brilliant idea!

Edublog of the Week

The Edublog of the Week category is designed to bring attention to some of the best educational bloggers that share experiences and expertise with the online teaching community.

From insider tips and tricks to offering unique insight on educational trends, our Edublogs of the Week will be helpful, friendly and fascinating.

This week’s winner is…

James Durran (@jdurran), who recently shared a blog post on resuming the curriculum in September – a must-read for teachers!

Global Class of the Week

In an increasingly global world, it’s more essential that ever that young people are equipped to tackle the global issues facing us today, including climate change, poverty and inequality.

The Global Class of the Week award aims to recognise those engaging in valuable conversation around international issues within the classroom. Whether it’s participating in shared projects, learning about the Sustainable Development Goals, learning a language, or getting involved with the local community, a Global Class is one that takes an active interest in protecting the world we live in.

This week’s winners are…

Bubble 5 at Florence Melly Community Primary School (@Flomellynews), who had a Spanish themed afternoon this week. The pupils enjoyed a Spanish food tasting session, painting the flag and dancing to the Macarena – so much fun!

School of the Week

Our School of the Week award aims to celebrate those schools finding new and exciting ways to encourage learning.

This could be through a school trip, engaging in a school-wide project, fundraising or pulling off a performance or event. It could even be something as simple as making changes to students’ learning environment to boost motivation and increase productivity.

This week follows schools that are continuing to learn and study from home, whilst a small number of children will continue their studies in school. We have selected some of our favourite posts shared by schools this week, demonstrating their positive and creative approach to pieces of work.

This week’s winner is…

Valewood Primary School (@valewoodprimary), who wrote letters to themselves for the end of the school term. Miss Clark asked the children to reflect on how they have overcome challenges over recent weeks and to write themselves positive affirmations for the rest of the school term. What a lovely idea!

This week’s school of the week runners up are…

Badar Primary School (@BaderPrimary), who held their very own BAFAs for the purple bubble! The exclusive event was filled with VIPs (Very Important Pals). The class voted and everyone was recognised for having a very important friendship quality. Well done everyone involved!