People are being encouraged to nominate their Teacher of the Year in a national competition with £1250 in Ilkley Gift Cards as a possible prize. The teacher with the most nominations will be crowned as Teacher of the Year.
Ilkley primary school teachers have been nominated in a national Teacher of the Year competition, led by Miconex and sponsored by group collecting platform GiftRound.
Miss Day, a teacher at Ashlands Primary School in Ilkley was nominated for the award by a number of parents with children at the school. Stacey Green is one parent who nominated Miss Day in the national competition and said: “Miss Day was new to Ashlands Primary School this year and wow has she made an impression! The care and understanding that she shows our children is above and beyond. I feel so privileged to have her teach my child, Ollie. Her love and passion for teaching shines through the children.
“Ollie comes home every day inspired, confident and loving his learning. They have become a family within their class this year. Quite a few children have extra needs and the children have all learnt to be extra caring and respectful. It’s such a lovely class.
“Miss Day has a love for music, which she uses in her class, getting the children’s attention by singing ‘are we listening’ and the whole class stops and sings ‘yes we are’ before listening to what she says next. It's amazing. Ollie comes home singing the songs they’ve learnt, which are positive and inspiring. Miss Day truly deserves an award for being an amazing, kind, caring and inspiring teacher, bringing out the best in each individual pupil.”
Miss Day was also nominated for the award by Sarah Bradbury, whose daughter attends the school. Sarah said: “Last year, Ember struggled in school - particularly emotionally. This school year, Miss Day has turned Ember’s experience around completely. Ember is a much more confident child now, who can advocate for her own needs, and be more open about how she feels; Miss Day has created the kind of environment where she feels comfortable to do that.
“Miss Day has this phenomenal sense of what each child needs, and teaches to each individual child’s ability. When I was growing up, teachers just seemed to teach everyone in the same way and if you didn’t get it, you just didn’t get it. Miss Day makes the most of each child’s strengths and supports them to do their best. As a teacher, Miss Day also encourages the children to see and appreciate each other’s individuality. She is warm, and fun; the children seem so comfortable with her. The pride she has in her class when she talks about teaching is so lovely.
“Mainstream school can be such a difficult environment for neurodivergent children that a teacher who intuitively understands them and caters to their needs seamlessly without the children even knowing, is above and beyond. Seeing Ember into school each morning knowing she is comfortable, happy and confident has made the world of difference to us as a family.”
Mr Preece is another Ashlands Primary School teacher who has been nominated in the competition.
A parent said: “Both of my sons have been taught by Mr Preece and they both say what a wonderful teacher he is. Mr Preece goes above and beyond for his pupils, adapting to how they learn and is so supportive of the children. My younger son is currently in Year 3 with Mr Preece and he is thriving, both academically and socially in how happy he is to go to school every day. When your child is happy, it means the world and I feel that Mr Preece deserves recognition for his efforts.”
Other Ilkley schools with teachers nominated in the Teacher of the Year competition so far include Ben Rhydding Primary School, Ilkley Grammar School, All Saints Primary School, Sacred Heart Primary School and Ghyll Royd School.
It is free for people to nominate their Teacher of the Year and all types of teachers are eligible including primary and secondary school teachers, higher education teachers, early years teachers and special educational needs teachers in the UK. The Teacher of the Year competition runs until the 31st August 2024 and the winning teacher will be announced in September 2024.
The teacher who receives the most nominations will be crowned as Teacher of the Year in the national competition. The Teacher of the Year, and their school, will each win a £500 Town & City Gift Card, such as the Ilkley Gift Card. One person who nominated the Teacher of the Year will also win a £250 local gift card.
Sarah Brookfield-Almond, Ilkley BID Manager, said: “We’re pleased to see nominations coming in for Ilkley schools and teachers in this national Teacher of the Year competition. This is a lovely story from Ashlands Primary School, demonstrating the real impact that teachers like Miss Day and Mr Preece have on children’s lives. We hope to see many more nominations for Ilkley schools and teachers, so an Ilkley based teacher can take the Teacher of the Year crown.”
The Ilkley Gift Card, part of Miconex’s Town & City gift card scheme, can be spent with over 80 local businesses, encouraging a ‘shop local’ ethos and locking spend into local economies.
Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex and said: “Teachers can have a transformative effect on children’s lives from preschool to reception, high school to college. Our competition is for all teachers and it’s free to nominate with a fantastic prize. With the end of the school year fast approaching, what better time to show your appreciation for a special teacher.”
The Teacher of the Year competition is sponsored by group collecting platform GiftRound. Founded in 2018, GiftRound gives people an easy way to collect money for various occasions, including end of term gifts.
Consumers can buy the Ilkley Gift Card pre-loaded with any value from £5 to £500 at the Visitor Information Centre or they can pick up a card at selected retailers to load at home as well as buying online at www.ilkleygiftcard.co.uk. Digital cards are also available which you can add to your phone wallet for a quick, contactless transaction.
Nominate a teacher in the Teacher of the Year competition at teacheroftheyear.co.uk