Staff at Hethersett Academy recognised at National Teaching Awards

On Thank a Teacher Day, we are proud to announce that three of our staff members have been successful in achieving recognition in the Pearson National Teaching Awards. These prestigious awards recognise the dedication and effort that all our staff bring to our academy every day to support the education of our pupils. From teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and cleaners, everyone works together to create the best possible learning environment in our school.

On the morning of the 18th June, all of our staff came together in a celebration briefing where we thanked everyone for what they do to support our school and highlighted our award winners for the whole school to see.

Site Manager, Lee Smith has been recognised with a Silver Award for Unsung Hero of the Year. He has been an invaluable asset to Hethersett Academy for over nine years, creating an environment where students thrive through absolute inclusion and where staff feel privileged to work. His dedication to providing resources that other employers can only dream of ensures that staff never want to leave. Lee has gone above and beyond to support the opportunities of pupils at Hethersett Academy, continuously providing new sets for school productions and creating spaces around the school where pupils can reflect and relax on their breaktimes.

Most notably, Lee has been recognised for supporting colleagues, where he quite literally saved a colleague's life. When he noticed this team member was absent from school, he was worried and wanted to make sure they were okay. This culminated with Lee breaking down their door (on threat of arrest!), where they discovered the colleague slipping into a diabetic coma. Lee's quick thinking and selflessness in this situation was truly incredible; without his action, who knows what may have happened. 

Executive Principal at our academy, Jane Diver, has been awarded Bronze Winner in the Headteacher of the Year in a Secondary School category. Alongside this, Jane has also been nominated for the Headteacher of the Year – State at the Tes Awards, which will be awarded this coming Friday (best of luck)! In her role, Jane also supports two other secondary schools, providing support and advice to new principals and sharing her experience to empower them. She has excelled at fostering a culture of high expectations and a love of learning, valuing partnership and collaboration in the successful operation of Hethersett Academy. Jane is a force for good, constantly driving up standards and has continued to lead the academy from strength to strength.

Head of Technology at Hethersett Academy and Subject Specialist Lead for Design Technology at Inspiration Trust, Kate Finlay has been successful in achieving Certificate of Excellence status in the Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School category. Her infectious enthusiasm about her subject inspires colleagues, students, and visitors to get involved with design and technology. Last year, she organised a national conference, The Big D&T Meet, which was a huge success and attended by over 300 educators, all eager to develop their subject knowledge and skills. This commitment to improving teaching practice makes her an extremely valuable member of our team as she drives forward the learning of students across Inspiration Trust.

We also invited another award winner from Inspiration Trust to our celebration, in recognition of her Silver Award for Lifetime Achievement. Nicola Coe is the Director of Maths across the 18 schools of Inspiration Trust. Through her 35-year teaching career, she has taught more than 1500 students and now works in our trust, leading the central maths team, where she has developed a comprehensive outreach programme, benefiting students across local schools and inspiring thousands at events throughout the year. Her commitment and innovative approach make her an extraordinary leader and a beacon of inspiration in maths education.

Thank you to all of our colleagues who make every day at Hethersett Academy successful.