Leeds Teacher Wins Primary Language Teacher Award 2008
"This award has shown how many teachers are already doing great work to make language learning fun and memorable.” - Geoff Swinn, Deputy CEO & Director of Education & Skills, CILT
Nicola Davies of Green Lane Primary School, Garforth, Leeds wins inaugural award to recognise outstanding contribution to Primary Language teaching
“Enthusiastic.” “Multi-sensory.” “Innovative.” These are just some of the words used by the judges to describe Nicola Davies’s outstanding skills as a primary modern foreign language teacher. Nicola is a Year 3 and 4 teacher and Modern Foreign Language co-ordinator at Green Lane Primary School, Garforth, near Leeds. She teaches French and Spanish and has been so successful that children as young as five are able to hold conversations with each other. Nicola has also been made a Primary National Strategy Leading Teacher in modern foreign languages giving her the opportunity to share her ideas and teaching techniques, benefiting other schools in Leeds.
Scholastic UK Ltd and La Jolie Ronde Ltd decided to launch the Primary Language Teacher Award in 2008 from a shared desire to recognise and celebrate the very best in language teaching taking place in UK primary schools. New research released by the NFER shows that 84% of English primary schools now teach a foreign language and from 2010, all Key Stage 2 primary pupils will have an entitlement to language teaching. The teaching of foreign languages is already a high priority for teachers and schools, but it is sometimes hard for teachers to find the best way to approach foreign language teaching, particularly if they don’t have a background in languages themselves. This new award aims to inspire and to build confidence in language teaching in all primary schools.
Geoff Swinn, Deputy CEO and Director of Education & Skills, CILT, The National Centre for Languages, and chair of the judging panel says: “Nicola was a most deserved winner and we were very impressed with her, as we were with the high standard of all the entries. I am very pleased to be associated with this award. Teachers do so many fantastic things for our kids and fully deserve the recognition that awards like this provide. The work they are doing to promote language learning at Primary age is really important as young children have a keen ear and are very receptive. This award has shown how many teachers are already doing great work to make language learning fun and memorable.”
Nicola’s present acting Head, Caroline Bean, nominated her for this award as a tribute to all she has done, both for the pupils and other teachers in the Local Authority. Caroline says: “I have witnessed at first hand, the excitement and enjoyment experienced by the children she has taught, as they accurately speak the languages she has given them confidence to use. Nicola’s approach to teaching is truly multi-sensory and appeals to visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners.”
Nicola wins either an all expenses paid two-day trip to Northern France for up to 30 children and 5 teachers or a tailored MFL training course. She will also receive £1000 of La Jolie Ronde resources and £1000 of Scholastic books, plus a framed certificate and a class set of La Petite Presse, Scholastic Modern Foreign Languages book and a Scholastic magazine subscription of their choice.
About the Award
The Primary Language Teacher of the Year Award was launched in February 2008 and is the first award of its kind to celebrate the best of Primary language teaching taking place in the UK.
Judges:
Four finalists were announced in June as Jean Bews (from St Leonards CE Primary School, Bridgnorth, Shropshire), Nicola Davies (from Garforth Green Lane Primary School, Leeds), Nathalie Hockey (from Brook Primary School, Ashford, Kent) and Paul Phillips (from St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire). They were selected by a Panel of experts: Geoff Swinn, Deputy CEO and Director of Education & Skills, CILT, The National Centre for Languages, Michelle Guy, Editor, Junior Education PLUS, Colette Hallam, Founder of La Jolie Ronde, Peter Satchwell, Independent Language Consultant and Britta Giersche – German Managing Editor Mary Glasgow Magazines.
The other three finalists will each win £500 of La Jolie Ronde resources and £200 of Scholastic books. They will also receive a framed certificate and a class set of La Petite Presse, Scholastic Modern Foreign Languages book and a Scholastic magazine subscription of their choice.
About Scholastic UK Ltd
Scholastic UK Ltd (www.scholastic.co.uk) is part of Scholastic Inc, the largest publisher and distributor of children's books in the world and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic UK Ltd has three divisions: Scholastic Education, Scholastic Children's Books and Scholastic Book Clubs and Fairs.
Scholastic Education is the UK’s market-leading publisher of print and electronic resources for teachers. It offers professional and classroom support that meets teacher's needs and provides them with inspiration for their lessons through its website; through its range of popular teacher magazines including Literacy Time PLUS, Nursery Education PLUS, Child Education PLUS, and Junior Education PLUS; and through its teacher’s resource books including such best-selling titles as the 100s series.
As a distributor of children's books through Scholastic Book Clubs and Fairs, Scholastic is the biggest children's specialist bookseller in the UK and Ireland with unparalleled reach to children through schools, increasing opportunities for reading and book ownership for children in the UK and Ireland and donating 2 million books to schools last year.
Scholastic Children's Books publishes a wide range of books for all ages, including best-sellers and award-winners such as the Horrible Histories series and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, the Baby Einstein books and Klutz's innovative book and craft packs.
About La Jolie Ronde Ltd
La Jolie Ronde Ltd (www.lajolieronde.co.uk) is a leading provider of language learning to children aged between 3 and 11 and language resources to primary schools across the UK.
Established in 1983, La Jolie Ronde offers out of school language tuition in French and Spanish through it’s network of over 360 licensees, teaching in over 1000 centres across the UK. The La Jolie Ronde structured programmes, scheme’s of work and other detailed resources have been developed to be fully in line with the National Curriculum guidelines and are used in thousands of primary schools and independent schools. La Jolie Ronde is part of the Ulverscroft Group of Companies.
