Dunfermline 'digital innovator' honoured in prestigious UK celebration of teaching

Submitted by Pearson UK

A teacher at at high school in Dunfermline, Fife, has been named as one of 80 Pearson National Teaching Award Silver Award winners across the UK today (May 26).

Sarah Clark, a teacher at Queen Anne High School, is honoured with a Silver Award in the category of Digital Innovator of the Year for her outstanding commitment to changing the lives of the young people she works with every day.

Sarah is a teacher of biology and has a whole school responsibility to develop digital pedagogy in Queen Anne High School in Fife. Digital approaches are woven into all aspects of her lessons to engage, enhance learning and develop the digital skills young people require in the 21st Century.

Sarah leads the way in digital pedagogy, and this year, has supported Queen Anne High School to achieve the national Digital Schools Award and international Microsoft Showcase School status for the third time.

Sarah is also Lead Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Fellow in Scotland, supporting the digital community of MIE Experts as they support young people and teachers across Scotland in the use of digital technology in their classroom. She supports staff and young people in a one-to-one capacity, developing confidence in the use of digital technology and this year has trained over 1000 teachers across Scotland and beyond.

As a Silver Award winner, Sarah has now been shortlisted to win one of just 16 Gold Awards later in the year, in a programme to be broadcast on the BBC. Recognition of this once in a lifetime achievement will be broadcast on the BBC’s The One Show as part of a week-long celebration of teaching, which sees famous faces honour award winners every night in the run up to the ceremony.

This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the exceptional school staff who have worked wonders to bring together their local communities despite the challenges of the past few years.

The Silver Award winners are being honoured as part of the wider celebrations for national ‘Thank a Teacher Day’, bringing together everyone across the country to celebrate the schools and colleges at the heart of our communities.

The Pearson National Teaching Awards is an annual celebration of excellence in education, founded in 1998 by Lord Puttnam to recognise the life-changing impact an inspirational teacher can have on the lives of the young people they work with. This year marks its 23rd year of celebrating our school staff across the UK.

Catherine Morgan, curriculum innovation & tech integration at Queen Anne High School said: “It's really hard to express the impact that Sarah makes on the lives of others.  She is bursting with energy and enthusiasm, and her passion for making learning more accessible, enjoyable and meaningful for students and teachers shines from her.

"I saw how she rallied for her colleagues, as well as teachers around the UK during the pandemic, and despite her own exhaustion, how she showed up time and time again to provide after hours advice, training and support to people like me - people she didn't really know who needed some help.  

“She did all of this in her own time, usually following a call out for help from someone on Twitter or Facebook.  Her generosity seems to know no bounds, and she asks for nothing in return but that we pay it forward and help other educators who need some support.

"I would love for Sarah to receive some much deserved recognition for her efforts.  I haven't had much 'space' to add in tangible evidence here, but her social media feeds are full of gratitude and thanks from people around the world.  Thanks for the opportunity for me to recognise the work of this incredible educator.”

Sharon Hague, managing director of schools at Pearson UK, said: “Congratulations to today’s Silver Award winners on their incredible achievement, they should all feel very proud of themselves. And thank you to all the incredible educators and support staff across this country who really do make our schools and colleges so special.

"I am delighted that we can take this opportunity to say how much we appreciate all that you do for the young people in your care.”

Elise Ecoff, group education director at Nord Anglia Education, said: “Congratulations to Sarah Clark on this fantastic achievement. Today is an important opportunity to celebrate teachers in schools who are making a real difference in their students’ lives, whether that’s through their learning or by supporting their overall development.

"I always love seeing teachers use their passion to truly inspire students to develop the confidence, resilience, and creativity needed to succeed.”

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Congratulations to Sarah on this incredible achievement, and for the hard work and dedication which led up to it. Winning this award is impressive, well-deserved and shows her commitment to helping students achieve their full potential.”

Michael Morpurgo, celebrated author and former Children’s Laureate, and President of the Teaching Awards Trust, said: “For so many of us, it was someone at school who changed our lives, was at our side through hard and difficult times, who lifted us up when we were down, helped us find our voice, gave us confidence when we needed it most, and set us on a path that we have followed ever since.

“No matter who we are, school has touched our lives and played a central role in our childhoods. School is about so much more than learning, and we see that now more than ever before.

"Schools really are the beating heart of our communities. Every person that cares for our children in schools should be celebrated loud and clear on Thank A Teacher Day 2022.”

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