"I couldn't ask for a nicer teacher" - that's high praise indeed for one of the finalists for the Inspirational Staff Award at Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust's (BCCET) annual celebration to showcase the amazing adults who work with children and young people.
Rachael Fairclough, RE teacher at St Anthony’s Girls’ Catholic Academy in Sunderland, is one of the finalists in this year’s BCCET annual Chadwick Celebration Awards, which celebrates the Trust’s employees for the hard work they do and recognises the individuals and teams that go that extra mile in their role within the education sector.
Also nominated by pupils in the Inspirational Staff Award is office administrator Fran Young, who works at St Matthew’s Catholic Primary School in Jarrow. She was nominated for the additional support she has provided to pupils and their families during the cost-of-living crisis, with one pupil saying: “She is extremely kind and thoughtful.”
At St Leonard’s Catholic Primary School in Sunderland, three members of staff have been nominated in the Inspirational Staff Award by pupils: Year 4 teacher Demi Henderson, teaching assistant Laura Bolam and lunchtime supervisor Lynn Brown for “their kindness which helps me with school life”.
Brendan Tapping, CEO, BCCET, said: “We have so many talented and dedicated colleagues across our Trust and these awards celebrate them, their hard work, their passion for education, and just how motivated they are to meet the needs of all our children.
“The entries made inspiring reading and the devotion, resilience and determination of our people shone through. It’s a great privilege to honour the outstanding employees and their teams and recognise the vital role they play in making a difference to our children and their families’ lives on a daily basis.”
The Chadwick Celebration Awards consists of 16 award categories, including teacher of the year, staff member of the year, governor of the year and mentor of the year. Winners will be announced at a fully sponsored glittering awards ceremony in July.
For a full list of the finalists please visit www. bccet.org.uk/chadwick-celebration-awardsfinalists-2023
Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust is a large Trust with a mix of 30 primary and secondary schools across Durham, South Tyneside and Sunderland. Celebration is one of the Trust values and supports its mission to provide Better Schools, Better Communities and Better Futures in Christ.
The Trust has a wide range of career opportunities including teaching roles, middle and senior leadership roles and professional support roles either based in schools or within the central team. They offer competitive salaries, generous pension schemes, career progression and development opportunities, access to health and wellbeing support and hybrid working in some roles. Current vacancies can be viewed at www.bccet.org.uk/vacancies