Liverpool teacher honoured with national teaching award

A Liverpool teacher has scooped a Silver Teaching Award for ‘Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School’.

Selected from thousands of nominations, Jay Bradley of The Academy of St Francis of Assisi (ASFA) is one of just 65 winners who is being celebrated today (June 22) on ‘Thank A Teacher Day’, as the national Pearson Teaching Awards marks its 20^th year of celebrating excellence in education.

Staff, governors and students gathered at ASFA for an assembly to surprise Jay and hand over his coveted trophy. The heart-warming moment saw a surprised Jay receive his trophy while the whole school community cheered him on.

Head of Music Jay Bradley joined the Academy over three years ago and has transformed the music department. Students have the opportunity to try projects such as Body Percussion, Beat Boxing, Film Music, Samba band and a range of school choirs. He is described as a truly inspirational teacher and a fantastic role model for students.

Head of School Tracey Greenough handing over the Silver Teaching Award to a surprised Mr Bradley!

Head of School, Tracey Greenough said: “Jay has been teaching at the Academy for almost four years and is a real asset to our school community. He is an outstanding teacher who inspires every student that enters his classroom.

“His creative approaches to teaching and learning, along with his passion and enthusiasm brings lessons to life. He’s not only totally transformed the music department but is transforming our students’ lives daily. Jay is a worthy winner of this coveted national award.”

Earlier this month, the Academy of St Francis of Assisi become a Musical Futures Champion School and Jay became a Musical Futures Champion Teacher. Musical Futures are an international organisation that promote a love of musical learning and work with many young people across the world.

The Pearson Teaching Awards are 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.

Jay will now join fellow Silver Award winners at the 20^th UK Ceremony of the Pearson Teaching Awards, a glittering ceremony held in central London on 21st October. There they will find out which of them has won one of just 12 Gold Plato Awards, the UK’s “Oscars for Teachers”.

The October ceremony, titled “Britain’s Classroom Heroes”, will be filmed and broadcast by the BBC as a showcase of excellence in education.