The contribution of teachers from across Portsmouth was celebrated at a glittering awards ceremony at the Gaiety Bar on South Parade Pier on Friday 4 Oct.

On behalf of Portsmouth Educational Partnership, Portsmouth City Council hosted the second annual Teach Portsmouth award ceremony to recognise those inspirational and hardworking teachers who excelled in the nine categories of outstanding progress, creativity, innovation, community, inclusion, wellbeing, partnership, unsung hero and overall achievement.

Laura Nerssessian from Trafalgar School won the outstanding progress award. She has achieved outstanding results for her GCSE classes, securing progress grades which put the students in the top 5% of the country for both grades 5-9 and 7-9. The department is one of the two top performing departments in the school and Laura’s passion for teaching and learning is continuously driving the department forward. Laura’s aspirational goals for the students have been key in motivating and supporting them to achieve above and beyond.

Cllr Suzy Horton, Portsmouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “It was a real privilege to share in the celebrations for our motivational and dedicated teachers tonight and I congratulate them all. The quality of candidates for the awards was superb and the winners must be very proud to know that they are held in such high regard by their pupils and peers.”

With almost 80 Lifetime Achievement Awards presented for teachers with over twenty years services, the winners of the other categories were as follows:

• Outstanding progress – Laura Nerssessian from Trafalgar School
• Creativity – Mrs Griggs and the Upper Junior Team at St George’s School
• Innovation – 11 by 11 at Ark Dickens School
• Community – The School Council at College Park School
• Wellbeing – Jeanette Leavers from Castle View
• Inclusion – Helen Merel at Lyndhurst School
• Partnership – Reading resilience volunteers at the Youth Chaplaincy
• Unsung Hero – Charmaine Caruana at Copnor School
• Overall Achievement – joint winners Steve Labedz, Natalie Sheppard, Debbie Anderson and Polly Honeychurch

As the finale to Teach Portsmouth week – in which schools took part in a variety of activities from Teach the Parents, tutor group takeovers – the event prompted children and schools to put forward more than 100 nominees, demonstrating just how valued teachers are across the city.

As a further celebration of teachers in Portsmouth, on 29 – 31 October, in half term week, the winners of the ‘My Teacher on a Postcard’ competition will be shown in an exhibition at The Hive in Portsmouth Central Library. Children and their families will be able to visit the free event. The competition saw over 2,000 entries being submitted in a visible and moving demonstration of the regard in which pupils hold their teachers.

I am pleased to be able to inform you about three exciting leadership opportunities that are available to Portsmouth’s schools, two of which are free and the other heavily subsidised, details of which are given below.  All are available on a first come first serve basis.

Teaching Leaders: free Middle Leadership Development Programme in Portsmouth

As a result of a successful bid to the Teaching and Leadership Innovation Fund (TLIF), ASL is able to offer to all Portsmouth’s schools on a first come first served basis a two year leadership development programme for high potential middle leaders looking to improve pupil outcomes and close the achievement gaps for disadvantaged children across their area of responsibility.  They will be supported to increase their impact as a leader through a blended learning approach. The programme is due to commence in August 2019. Further details of the programme are attached together with contact details : Future Leader – Value of Programme – flyer

Future Leaders: subsidised Leadership Development Programme for aspiring Heads

A number of schools in Portsmouth (list attached) are eligible for ASL’s subsidised Future Leaders programme which is a selective two year programme for those aspiring to headship working in schools in challenging contexts.  The total cost is £1,000 per year and details of the programme are attached. The deadline to register your interest is 27^th November 2018:  Future Leader – Value of Programme – flyer

Career Leaders: free six month programme for Careers Leaders

ASL, in partnership with The Careers and Enterprise Company have launched a new Careers Leadership Programme focusing on developing the leadership skills of careers leaders to successfully implement a whole-schools careers strategy that directly supports young people in making informed choices about their future.  The six month programme provides an enhanced development experience and gives participants access their network of thousands of school leaders facing similar challenges. There is no charge for this programme and schools receive a bursary upon completion of the programme. All training takes place outside school hours. The deadline to register your interest is 21^st December 2018.  Details about the programme are attached:   Career Leaders

Please contact Vanessa Idika if you are interested in any of the above at [email protected]. 07908 126157 or 020 3906 8661.