Teachers shine at awards bash

9:45am Friday 27th June 2008

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A SCHOOL governor and six teachers from across west and north Wiltshire have been celebrated for their excellence in education.

Rebecca Humphries, a teacher in Warminster and Jane Ratcliff, a headteacher in Chippenham, won awards at the coveted West of England Teaching Awards held at the Assembly Rooms in Bath on Tuesday.

Keith Clover, chair of governors of The Manor School in Ruskin Avenue, Melksham, received a distinction in the Department for Children Schools and Families - Governor of the Year Award.

Two other teachers receiving distinctions were Linda Hunter-Henderson of Langley Fitzurse Primary School in Kington Langley in the primary school teacher of the year category, and Anne Orme, of Colerne Primary School, who was nominated for the Ted Wragg Lifetime Achievement award.

In addition, commendations were awarded to teacher Luke Dart, of Kings Park Primary School in Lowbourne, Melksham and governor Andrew Rome, of Westwood-with-Iford Primary School near Bradford on Avon.

Mrs Ratcliff, headteacher of Kings Lodge School, in Lodge Road, Chippenham, won the Ted Wragg Award for Lifetime Achievement.

She said: "I am completely overwhelmed. I couldn't believe it when I was called up.

"It's fantastic to be receiving this award because he (Ted Wragg) kept teachers sane for so many years."

Mrs Ratcliff, who is retiring in August at the age of 60 after 39 years in teaching, is passionate about education in England and believes in less testing and more creativity.

Since taking over the school ten years ago, Mrs Ratcliff has encouraged creative learning with residential trips, and art and music events.

She has overseen the landscaping of the school grounds, started a range of after-school clubs as well as mentoring other headteachers through a partnership arrangement.

Fellow winner Miss Humphries, who joined St Johns Church of England Primary School in Boreham Road, Warminster, two years ago, triumphed in the BT award for Teacher of the Year in a Primary School.

She said: "I am absolutely delighted and over the moon. The children make it all worthwhile. I'm really looking forward to seeing them tomorrow (Wednesday) morning."

Miss Humphries is a teacher renowned for making learning fun and has taken pupils to visit HMS Victory, organised a Year 6 leavers picnic, led a sponsored dog walk, and introduced a set of puppets to help pupils talk about their learning.

She also co-ordinates the school's provision for gifted and talented children, and has set up a wide range of out-of-school clubs, for mathematics, German, gym and rounders.

She coaches the hockey team, has run a Christmas craft fair, and staged two successful pantomimes.Her pupils describe her as "fab" and school inspectors say her teaching is "inspirational".