And the award goes to...

ECHO Awards

Partnership Matters catches up with 2018 winner Rosie Hazel Hurst.

The fifth annual ECHO awards took place at the end of June and is dedicated to celebrate teacher’s from all types of schools across the Liverpool area. ECHO regional manager Carl Wood commented that “without the firm foundation of a good schooling, our children cannot unlock and fulfil their potential”. One of these awards was to acknowledge the ‘Student Teacher of the Year’ and this year it went to Rosie Hazelhurt who is a School Direct trainee at Pensby High School.

She was nominated by the English department who commented on her fantastic relationships with both staff and pupils. She single-handedly produced Grease and contributed greatly to the production of Macbeth. She has not only immersed herself into the wider life of the school (also helping out with the Duke of Edinburgh award), she also has high expectations of pupils in her lessons. These are just a few of the reasons why Rosie was the winner of this prestigious award. From all here at Partnership Matters, a big congratulations to all the winners and nominees at this event. We would also like to give a special mentor to Jessica Talbot, who was also a LJMU finalist for this award.

“What a year! I have thoroughly enjoyed my time studying at LJMU who have helped me excel and develop as a trainee teacher. The staff at LJMU are so welcoming and approachable; in particular my mentor Diane Lloyd, who has been beyond accommodating. I have always felt supported throughout my teaching practice at LJMU and assured of help and encouragement if it was ever needed.

There are always surprises along the way in teaching and every day is different! But my final phase has been particularly rewarding and certainly surprising. I was nominated for the ECHO Schools Award for Student Teacher of the Year. I felt so honoured to be chosen for doing something I love and feel passionate about so to actually win the award was a huge achievement and something I will never forget!’ My journey into teaching has been a great start and certainly successful; I could not have done that without the support from LJMU. I am excited to continue my journey into teaching and embrace the challenges along the way!”

Rosie’s comments on being an ‘ECHO Award winner’

LJMU Primary Placements

As a part of their undergraduate course at LJMU, first year Primary Education students are required to attend an enrichment placement in schools once a week. This immersive model aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop their practice, whilst applying any theory they may have engaged with across their course. As a part of this placement, students undertake tasks, used to inform their future teaching practice.

Running for over 4 years the students state this is particularly beneficial for their training as it provides the opportunity to work across school settings and provides additional support in our partner schools. Well done to all of our first-year undergraduates who have completed placements in our partner schools!

And finally… …ending the year with the Partnership Awards

These awards form part of the Celebrating Partnership initiative and recognise the valuable contribution that both school-based mentors and university staff, linked to partnership schools, make to the training of our future teachers. The event did not only celebrate the partnership between our schools and LJMU but the special partnership that develops over time between a mentor and their mentee and how significant that is in developing the teachers of the future.

Eight mentors across the primary and secondary phases made the final winners: Antonia Clarke (The Birkenhead Park School), Keya Johnson (Wirral Grammar School for Boys), Louise Crammond (Helsby High School), Vickie Shutt (The Trinity Catholic School), Lisa Muchmore (Sudley Infants School), Michelle McClellan-Bogue (King David Primary School), Amanda Harper (King David High School) and Cath Murphy (Chesterfield High School). In addition, for the first time, we had liaison tutor awards and the three liaison tutors who were the winners were Cheryl Wilberforce, Ruth Frain and Helen Dickson. Each nomination for both the school mentors and liaison tutors recognised the individuals’ professionalism and willingness to go above and beyond the requirements of their role to support the holistic development of the trainee.

Over a hundred school partners attended this prestigious awards ceremony in the John Lennon Art and Design Academy. The afternoon started with a keynote presentation from Graham Andre. Graham is a primary school teacher working on the Isle of Wight. Trainee teachers ere able to nominated their mentor and/or liaison tutor for these awards. All nominations are linked to the DfE’s mentoring standards and are considered by a panel in the Initial Teacher Education team who this year, had great difficulty in choosing the winners.

Graham Andre delivering his inspirational keynote presentation of ‘No More Boys and Girls: Can Our Kids Go Gender Free’ which was featured as a BBC 2 documentary and been nominated for a BAFTA

Mentors and Liaison Tutor award winners with Jan Rowe, Head of ITE and Dr Andrea Mallaburn, ITT Partnership Lead, who hosted the afternoon

Finally, for the first time, the partnership had a Special Recognition Award, which was given to the Head of ITE, Jan Rowe (pictured above with Dr Andrea Mallaburn, ITT Partnership Lead). Jan has nurtured and guided many of the ITE team and our school partners across the phases, by being open and transparent underpinned by our shared core moral purpose of developing great teachers in partnership with others. A truly collaborative partnership now exists where all people feel supported and involved due to Jan’s dynamic leadership.

“Today is a real testament to all the hard work all the members of our partnership have demonstrated in being committed to developing great teachers. All nominees and award winners were very appreciative of the recognition of all their hard work from the future teachers in the profession that they had helped to mould and develop. We are very fortunate to work with truly inspirational colleagues”.

Director of the School of Education, Dr Cheryl Bolton