‘Excelente’ teaching practice leads to Sutton Manor receiving award

A St Helens teacher has been praised for her influential role in helping secure a prestigious award for her school.

Throughout the year, Alison Wilkinson, who teaches Spanish to KS2 pupils at Sutton Manor Primary School, has demonstrated a number of strengths in order for the Forest Road based community primary school to gain an ‘Enhancing’ Primary Languages Development Award.

This award is designed to give schools the opportunity to raise the profile of modern foreign language learning and to embed good teaching and learning in the curriculum.

An example of these strengths to meet the criteria of making language fun and interesting was introducing pupils to superheroes, unicorns and dragons in Spanish – as well as including Spanish books in World Book Day activities, and having a good old Spanish sing along during assemblies.

Praising Mrs Wilkinson for her ‘excelente’ work, Sutton Manor Primary School headteacher Monica Gladman said: “Alison’s commitment and enthusiasm for her job really is a breath of fresh air and this has helped our pupils grasp a basic understanding of the Spanish language from an early age which is a great advantage to have.

“On behalf of everyone at Sutton Manor Primary School, I’d like to thank Alison for her tremendous contribution. I know the children here are keen to further improve their Spanish and they’re in great hands under the guidance of Mrs Wilkinson.”