Nominations For Welsh Teaching Awards now open

Nominations are now open for this year’s teaching awards, celebrating the outstanding work of educators across Wales and for the first time is open to the college workforce as well as schools.

As our learners settle back into the classrooms, refreshed after the festive break, our education workforce will be diving back in and preparing for the rest of the school/college year.

Above and beyond

The Professional Teaching Awards Cymru recognise the excellent work that our education workforce do in Wales to go above and beyond for our young people. And people are being asked to nominate the most inspiring, talented, and dedicated education professionals they know for this year’s awards.

There will be ten award categories this year, including: Headteacher/Principal of the Year, Inspirational use of the Welsh Language, Outstanding new Teacher, Teacher of the Year in a Primary School, Learners’ Award for Best Teacher/Lecturer, Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School, and Learning Support Assistant.

The Betty Campbell (MBE) award for promoting the contributions and perspectives of Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities – a new award introduced last year – is also returning, while two new awards are also up for grabs.

Representing the previous winner of the Betty Campbell MBE Award – Llanwern High School’s headteacher, said: “We are incredibly proud to be the first school to receive this award in recognition for the work we are doing to make an inclusive school. It is thanks to our staff, governors, learners, parents and carers for their commitment to celebrate diversity, which is intrinsically embedded in our day-to-day culture.”

The new awards for 2024 are Lecturer of the Year, and Learners’ Engagement in School/College.

The Learners’ Engagement in School/College prize will be awarded to an individual, team or school/college that has demonstrated an excellent approach to help improve learner engagement and attendance. Many complex and interlinked factors can contribute to learner engagement.

Although many pre-date COVID-19, the pandemic has introduced even more complexities and factors in this context. Engagement in school/college impacts attainment, wellbeing and citizenship, and this award celebrates where learners have been supported in this area.

Recognition

Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, said: “I’m delighted to open the nominations for this year’s Professional Teaching Awards Cymru. Since the first awards in 2016 we’ve received hundreds of nominations celebrating the best in education, and this year I’m sure will be no exception.

“Improving attendance is a key issue for me. I have seen so much good work promoting learners’ engagement and it’s important we recognise this. The new award for ‘Learners’ Engagement in School/College’ is part of that recognition.”

This year the awards are open to Further Education professionals for the first time, along with qualified teachers, lecturers and support staff of learners in schools and colleges.

Anyone can nominate; the general public, teachers, lecturers, colleagues, learners, parents/carers, and this year, it’s easier than ever to do so.

Go to the Professional Teaching Awards Cymru website, click on nominate, choose an award category and complete the online entry. You’ll also find lots of tips on how to submit a great entry.

Nominations are open until 2 February 2024, and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in July.

For more details and to nominate, visit: www.gov.wales/teachingawards