Honouring the motivators

The University of Cambridge has handed out its annual Educator of the Year awards recognising the efforts put in by teachers and support staff and the vital contribution they make to their students' future success. At a special event at St John's College they were congratulated for the time they put in helping their students progress into higher education.

Melanie Thompson, who is Head of Sixth Form at Colmers School and Sixth Form College at Rednal on the outskirts of Birmingham, was nominated in the 'Foundation Year' category. This award is given to a teacher who helps their student achieve a place on Cambridge’s year-long Foundation Year course. She was nominated by Hollie Swoffer who is now studying at Lucy Cavendish College. Hollie said Melanie would “regularly hold after school sessions in order to help our understanding of Sociology” and that “she was always extremely caring about her students”.

Melanie praised the efforts Hollie put into her studies:

"I am honoured and deeply touched to have been nominated by Hollie. As our first student to go on to Cambridge University—an achievement hard fought, overcoming significant deprivation—she has given me the privilege of playing a small part in helping her realise her potential. Hollie is quick-minded and intellectually curious, with a strong interest in politics and social policy as drivers of social fairness. She is truly inspiring, and Cambridge was always the perfect place for her to flourish—she just needed to believe that she could."

Nikki Nicolaou was nominated in the 'Mature Student' category for helping her student Shaliny Lingeswaran secure a place to study Medicine at Cambridge. Shaliny is now at Wolfson College but was taught by Nikki while a pupil at Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges on the edge of west London. Shaliny, who came to the UK as a refugee fleeing civil war in Sri Lanka, said Nikki “helped me immensely with my personal statement…I was very anxious while applying but Nikki reassured me.”

Nikki said:

"I’m so honoured to have been nominated, let alone selected as a winner for this award.  Being an educator (a little like parenting) is sometimes a thankless profession. The reward is seeing our young people get closer to achieving their goals and dreams. I wholeheartedly commend Cambridge for the sentiment and thought behind this award as I truly think it means a great deal to people; teachers and students alike! I am so incredibly proud of Shaliny and all of her achievements, which are a credit to her incredible determination and resilience."

Rebecca Stevenson, who is head of Sixth Form at Grace College in Gateshead, was a joint winner in the 'Reaching Cambridge' category. She was nominated by her former pupil, Logan Ripley, who’s now studying Natural Sciences at Sidney Sussex College. He said her “faith, guidance and compassionate approach to achieving the highest standards ensured that I achieved 4 A*s in my A-Levels.”

Rebecca said it was a huge honour to have been selected:

"It was a pleasure to teach Logan and to support him through his application process and I was beyond thrilled that he was accepted to study Natural Sciences at Cambridge. Now at the end of his first year, it was wonderful to hear about the experiences Logan has already enjoyed and to see him thriving in his new environment. At the awards celebration day, listening to him speak with such enthusiasm and confidence made me feel incredibly proud. Teaching is about far more than qualifications and grades; it is about getting to know students as individuals, believing in their potential and wanting the very best for them as they pursue their ambitions."

Chris Swann, who teaches at Kingsmead School and Sixth Form in Enfield, London, was the other award winner in the 'Reaching Cambridge' category. Fiona Yeasmin, now studying Land Economy at St John’s College, nominated him saying he’d given encouragement at every stage when she’d doubted herself.

Chris was also honoured to have been nominated:

"Cambridge is a very special institution, and supporting students on their journey there, who might otherwise not choose to pursue it, is important to breaking down barriers. Fiona worked incredibly diligently and with focus to be successful in her application to Cambridge, then in achieving her offer. In many ways, Fiona was easy to support as she was so self-motivated, and just needed advice and steering a little! I'm so pleased for her and excited for her future."

Iain Lee teaches at Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge. The student who nominated him in the 'Student Support' category said he’d helped her overcome a multitude of obstacles and she would probably have abandoned her pursuit of a degree had it not been for his unwavering belief in her potential.

Iain said the day of the awards ceremony was an inspiring one:

"Each student gave so much thought and affection to their teachers - this was so moving. The day was, appropriately, shaped by immersive conversations, and gaining vivid insights into how the student has adapted to the level of learning and its pace, and carried forward their aspirations. The day also strongly validated the commitment, encouragement and belief of the teachers – going beyond – which I feel exists in every school."

Another winner in the 'Student Support' category was Steve Blades, a Maths teacher at Spalding Grammar School in Lincolnshire. Steve was nominated by Sam Ishaq who has embarked on a Medicine degree at Girton College. Sam said he helped him push beyond his comfort zone and would offer extra tuition an hour before the school day started.

Steve said:

"I feel very honoured to have been nominated for the award. More importantly though listening to how the other prize winners had impacted people's lives brought home to me the reason why having positive role models in education is so important. Well done to all of those people!"

Our final award winner was Victoria Recio Garcia who teaches Spanish at Thomas Telford School in Telford. Victoria was nominated in the 'Subject Star' category. Her nominator Dylan Fillingham is now at St John’s College reading Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. It was she, he says, who motivated him to study languages.

Victoria derives a lot of satisfaction from teaching languages:

"It has been an incredible honour to receive this award. As a languages teacher, I love not only teaching grammar and vocabulary, but also sharing the culture, traditions, music, and gastronomy that bring a language to life. Languages are all about communication, building connections, and opening horizons, and it is a great privilege to help students discover the world through them."

A fresh round of nominations will open in October for the 2027 awards.

Photos: Nick Safell

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