Nominate teacher or school volunteer for Sussex award

Then now is your chance to nominate them for the new Sussex Teacher of the Year Awards and help them get the recognition they deserve.

Anyone who does paid or unpaid work in a school can be nominated, and anyone can nominate them – colleagues, parents, and even pupils.

Children’s charity School Inspirational Services, which works with schools across the south east to improve pupils’ health and wellbeing, is organising the awards which will take place every year.

Chief executive Simon Dolby explained: “We started these awards to mark the vital contribution that teaching staff make to our community, and to recognise the expertise and dedication that is the hallmark of an outstanding teacher.

“A good teacher can change someone’s life. Many of us remember with great fondness a teacher who instilled a love of a subject in us – maybe shaping what we went on to study at university or do for a career.

“Yet teachers remain underpaid, overworked and undervalued – so we hope we can do our bit to give a confidence boost to nominees and winners and remind them that people do appreciate them.”

A panel of judges will choose winners in categories including primary teacher; secondary teacher; newly qualified teacher; non-teaching staff such as dinner supervisors and caretakers; and volunteers - including reading volunteers, PTA members, governors, and parent helpers.

Tracy Morrison, business development and marketing manager with accountants and financial advisors Kreston Reeves, said: “There are lots of unsung heroes in schools, and they’re not always the people you recognise – they’re the whole support team.

“Schools are facing lots of challenges at the moment, and I think it’s very important that those people are recognised.”

The deadline for nominations is noon on Thursday, April 12, and the winners will be invited to an awards dinner in June at the Mercure Brighton Seafront Hotel in Kings Road.

Organisations supporting the awards include Sussex Newspapers, East Sussex County Council, 3D Recruit, Kreston Reeves, KCS, and the Best Western York House Hotel.

For more information, or to make a nomination, visit www.sussexteacheroftheyear.co.uk.