NORTH WALSHAM STUDENTS SAY ‘THANK YOU’ TO TEACHERS IN TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

A geography teacher has won a ‘Teacher of the Year’ Award, following a poll at North Walsham High School which gave students and teaching colleagues the chance to say thank you to staff members who had gone the extra mile for them.

Emma Walker was one of four teachers singled out for praise in the poll – which saw over 500 written nominations from students submitted offering thanks to staff members.  The geography teacher topped both staff and student polls.

Fellow geography teacher Lucy Smith, PE teacher Iain Mills and history teacher Sarah Coleman also won prizes in the Awards, the first time the school has given students and colleagues the chance to say thank you to teachers in this way.

“We don’t say ‘thank you’ enough to people,” said NWHS assistant head Paul Clark, who co-ordinated the awards, and presented the prizes at a special teachers’ assembly held in the school’s Atrium. 

“When we gave them the chance to do so, almost every student and every staff member took the opportunity to nominate someone, which just goes to show how much what staff do here is valued, even if we don’t say it as much as we should.

“What was written in the nominations shows that this was much more than a popularity contest.  Students took the chance to express their gratitude for the things that they care about – generally when teachers make that special effort to help them, encourage them and support them.

“That so many students took the chance to say thank you is a good indication of the way our staff are valued both by our students and by each other, and of the commitment they all put in to making our school successful.”

The winning teachers received prizes donated by local businesses The Beechwood Hotel, The Cockerel, Scarborough Hill Country House Hotel, and Victory Leisure Centre.