Primary Language Teacher of the Year Award 2010
Somerset teacher wins Primary Language Teacher Award 2010
Janet Mair of Neroche Primary School in Ilminster, Somerset wins national award to recognise the best in Primary Language teaching.
"Passionate.” "Lively.” "Inspiring.” Just some of the words used to describe Janet’s outstanding skills as a primary modern foreign language teacher. In fact anyone who wants to see just how exciting language learning can be should visit Janet’s classroom!
Janet, who teaches Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) to all pupils at the School, is fluent in French, German, Spanish and Italian. Janet embraces language teaching in a totally cross-curricular way, using storytelling and singing to make language learning fun. Very young children can hold conversations with each other and some even order for their whole family in foreign restaurants! She has organised whole school international projects throughout this year, run Local Authority training events, been extremely active in supporting colleagues as well as other schools and has inspired other teachers to teach primary languages themselves.
Geoff Swinn, Education Consultant and Chair of the Judging Panel says: "Janet is a most deserved winner and we were really extremely impressed with her, as we were with the high standard of all the entries. Janet has been the driving force behind the implementation of primary languages in her area. Her passion for languages and intercultural understanding means that she opens up the world for children and inspires them to be passionate about languages too.”
The Finalists Award Ceremony was held on 16 November at the House of Lords and hosted by her ladyship The Baroness Joan Walmsley, Liberal Democrats spokesman for Education, Families and Young People. The Baroness said: "I am delighted to be here to support the teaching of something that encourages face-to-face communication and broadens children’s horizons”.
La Jolie Ronde and Scholastic decided to launch this award, now in its third year, from a shared desire to recognise and celebrate the very best in language teaching taking place in primary schools across the UK. General Manager for La Jolie Ronde Steve Baker says, "The teaching of foreign languages is sometimes hard for teachers, particularly if they don’t have a background in languages themselves. The Primary Language Teacher Award aims not only to celebrate the very best in language teaching, but also aims to inspire and build confidence in language teaching in all primary schools. La Jolie Ronde congratulates Janet and all our finalists, their enthusiasm and determination to embrace and support language learning with primary aged children is outstanding".
Janet with her local MP David Laws who was also in attendance
Janet wins an all expenses paid two-day trip to Northern France, from La Jolie Ronde, for up to 30 children and five teachers. She will also receive more than £1,000 of La Jolie Ronde resources and £1,000 of Scholastic books, plus a glass engraved trophy, framed certificate, a Scholastic Modern Foreign Languages book and a Scholastic magazine subscription of her choice.
The four finalists were
- Laura Tullock (from Spring Gardens Primary School in North Shields, Tyne and Wear)
- Danielle Dion-Jones (from St James’s Catholic Primary School, Twickenham)
- Janet Mair (from Neroche Primary School, Ilminster, Somerset)
- Maggie McNulty (from Hinton St George C of E First School, Hinton St George, Somerset)
They were selected by a Panel of experts:
- Geoff Swinn, Education Consultant and Chair of Judging Panel
- Colette Hallam, Founder of La Jolie Ronde
- Denise Cripps, Managing Director of Scholastic Education
- Peter Satchwell, Independent Language Consultant
- Britta Giersche, German Managing Editor Mary Glasgow Magazines
* Click here to view all the finalists show reels
2009 Winner Sally Mitchell, St Luke’s CE Primary Sch, Bournemouth; 'For a short time, winning the award was like being a celebrity, being on TV, giving live radio interviews and even being recognised locally. The long term gains have been even better, the children at school enjoy the prestige of having an award winning teacher and it has boosted their enthusiasm for French. Several unexpected opportunities have come my way too: I have been teaching a gifted and talented Spanish group at school, I am now a member of the local authority primary languages steering group as a lead teacher and we are currently working on a project linking languages to literacy. I have even been asked to do some advisory work with the bbc on their primary languages website! None of this would have happened without the profile of the award, and we still have our free trip to look forward to after sats this summer! So thank you Scholastic and La Jolie Ronde'
