New award to recognise teachers’ excellence in professional development
Thu, 14 Jun 2007 01:00:00

The GTC is recognising and celebrating teachers’ commitment to professional development with a new award - the GTC Award for Excellence in Professional Development - which will be presented at Teaching Awards ceremonies in London, the North West and West Midlands in June and July 2007.

The winners of the GTC award have been selected from a shortlist of Teaching Awards finalists who, in the opinion of judges, demonstrated a particularly strong profile in commitment to his or her professional learning and personal development, engaging colleagues and contributing beyond the classroom.

Keith Bartley, Chief Executive of the GTC said, “Teaching is a learning profession and good teachers are committed to continuing professional development throughout their careers.

 “This commitment is very much a part of teachers’ dedication to providing the very best for their students. We feel strongly that teachers’ achievements in this area should be recognised and celebrated”.

Chief executive of the Teaching Awards, Caroline Evans, said: “We are delighted to support the GTC in their celebration of those individuals who show a real passion for developing their skills and those of others.

“Teachers and heads, who want to continue to update and develop their knowledge to benefit them and their pupils, should be rewarded. That’s what we, along with the GTC, will be doing this summer.”

The awards will be presented at ceremonies in London on June 13, Manchester on July 3 and in the West Midlands on July 6. Each winner of a GTC Award for Excellence in Professional Development will receive a trophy to be presented by GTC Chief Executive Keith Bartley or Council Vice Chair Sashi Sivaloganathan. The awards are part of a pilot scheme which is intended to emphasise the commitment of the GTC to promoting and recognising professional development. If successful, it is intended that the scheme will be rolled out across England next year.

The Teaching Awards are open to every school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.  The awards were established by Lord Puttnam CBE in 1998 and are managed by The Teaching Awards Trust, an independent charity. The Trust’s mission is to celebrate excellence in education and share expertise.