Sue Jay wins Pearson Teaching Award!

16th June 2017
Sue Jay wins a national teaching award!

Sue Jay, Head of Creative Arts at the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee school in Horsham, was surprised and delighted to be awarded a prestigious Silver Pearson Teaching Award on Friday 16th June. The Pearson Teaching Awards are an annual celebration of exceptional teachers, created to recognize the life-changing impact an inspirational teacher can have on the lives of the young people they teach. Friday 16th June was “Thank a Teacher Day” and the awards were presented nationwide to coincide with the day. Sue is one of just 56 winners from schools and colleges across England, Ireland and Wales. All silver award winners will now be invited to the Pearson Teaching Awards this October, held in central London. At the awards, she will discover if she has also gone on to win one of just 11 Gold Plato Awards, which are considered the UK’s “Oscars for Teachers.”

The special assembly was staged as a surprise for Sue, although she said “I did get a little suspicious about what was going on when my husband turned up at school for assembly!” Sue has been a teacher for 40 years and in her role as Head of Creative Arts at QEII she has taught and directed hundreds of young people with severe learning difficulties, leading them to success in national events such as the Rock Challenge dance competition and the Shakespeare Schools Festival. This has included being invited to perform adaptations of Shakespeare in London at the Lyric Theatre and a dance performance at the O2.

QEII’s headteacher, Lesley Dyer, said “Sue is a truly amazing teacher and the impact she has on our students, through her creative arts work, is life changing.  I am thrilled that she is a silver award winner and wish her every success in the finals in October.”

The assembly was attended by the whole school and also former students of Sue’s, as well as Horsham MP Jonathan Quinn and representatives from West Sussex County Council. Sue Jay also said “I am delighted to have received the Teaching Award. Recognition of my work at QEII means so much, and it was overwhelming on Friday to be supported by so many students, parents and staff, both past and present”

The video below shows some behind the scenes action from Sue's performing arts work, plus tributes from past and present drama students at QEII.