Star teacher Fliss lands prestigious award

Silver award winner Fliss Prior (left) with Anne Ingle, head teacher at Blisthorpe Flying High Academy

But teacher Fliss Prior was soon to see some special guests seated on the school stage, including her family members and colleagues.

Also waiting in the wings was Lindsay Nadin of Pearson Teaching Awards, who was there to announce that Fliss had been awarded the silver award for her contribution to the teaching profession.

At the assembly, pupils shared with the assembled audience their thoughts about their teacher.

Lacey-May Anderson, 11, said: “You are the funniest, silliest, kindest teacher in the world.

“You are amazing and you totally deserve this award.”

Fellow pupil Kai Tuck, 11, added: “You have worked your hardest to help us prepare for so much more than SATS, you’ve prepared us for becoming young adults too.

“You are an inspiration, the best in the universe and you deserve this so much.”

Winning the award means Fliss is now in with the chance of winning the gold award at a televised ceremony in London in October.

Lindsay said: “It takes a special person to achieve silver.

“They really have to demonstrate a fantastic commitment to teaching and go above and beyond the job.”

Anne Ingle, head teacher at the school, said the award was well deserved.

She said: “We are incredibly proud of Fliss, she really is one in a million, putting children at the heart of everything she does.

“She has an infectious love of learning herself and loves to read and develop new methods of teaching which she happily shares with the team.

Fliss commented: “I had no idea this was going to happen.

“The only thing that was strange is that Anne asked me not to come in the costume I had prepared to teach one of my classes.

“Even when someone came in and said we had assembly, it wasn’t completely unusual, but then when I saw my husband and my mum there, it dawned on me that something was going on.

“I think I was overwhelmed with what was happening and the things the staff and children stood up to say about me.

“The children are ten and eleven years old and their words were clearly their own, and heartfelt, and when some of them started to cry saying their words, I got emotional.

“I certainly never thought of doing my job for any sort of recognition.

“I just do what many teachers up and down the country do – go into school each day and do their best.”