Sports department at borough college scoops prestigious award

The sports department at Wigan and Leigh College has been honoured as one of 102 Pearson National Teaching Silver Award winners across the country.

The team triumphed in the FE Team of the Year category for its work with students ranging from elite-level athletes to those wanting to play for recreational reasons.

And there could be more accolades on the way as the department has been shortlisted for one of 15 gold awards to be handed out later in the year in a programme which will be broadcast on national TV.

Wigan and Leigh College principal Anna Dawe said: “We are delighted that our Sports Centre of Excellence teaching team are a Pearson UK Silver award winner.

“Individually they are outstanding teachers but it is in their strength of working as a team that has resulted in an amazing college experience for our students.”

The awards judges were impressed by the department’s expertise in sport, which they said gave the teachers thorough knowledge of their subject to pass on to learners.

Students from the courses have gone on to universities and sports scholarships across the world.

The team has also established links with external partners to support student wellbeing and disability sports.

The Pearson National Teaching Awards is an annual celebration of excellence in education, 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 work with.

The Silver Award winners are being honoured as part of the wider celebrations for Thank a Teacher Day, a national campaign to honour and recognise school staff for their incredible work.

The celebrations follow new data which shows how the previous year’s lockdowns have significantly changed how families across the country view the role of teachers.

Research from Parentkind and The Teaching Awards Trust highlights that three in four parents and carers have a newfound respect for the teaching profession following their experiences of remote learning during lockdown, with 74.9 per cent of survey respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing that they had a higher opinion of the work that teachers do following their family’s experiences of remote learning.

The last year has seen a wealth of stories of teachers making care visits to vulnerable families, coming up with innovative ways of remote teaching, keeping their pupils settled by regularly checking in and even using their school sites for Covid-19 testing when classes did return to school.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “The hard work and dedication of teachers in schools, colleges and across the education sector during the pandemic has been inspiring, and while our teachers deserve the country’s recognition every year, this year’s Thank A Teacher Day is even more significant.

“The support they have provided children, young people and adults has been remarkable, and each and every one of us should be grateful for the part they have played over the past 18 months.

“Congratulations to all the Silver Award winning educators, and every teacher who has gone above and beyond, inspiring and shaping our future generations to be the best they can be.”

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