Midlands teacher wins prestigious national award.
A pioneering group of 37 teachers working in challenging schools across the Midlands have graduated from TL Fellows, a leadership development programme run by national education charity Teaching Leaders and funded by the Department for Education. Talented teachers in their early stages of leadership go through a rigorous assessment process before embarking on a challenging two year programme, which takes place outside school time.
Amongst them is Ruthie Walmsley from Landau Forte Academy in Amington, Tamworth who has won a prize for her outstanding leadership.
Baroness Estelle Morris of Yardley, Former Education Secretary and Chair of Birmingham Education Partnership addressed the graduating cohort during the ceremony at Birmingham Council House. The graduation celebrates the participants’ relentless dedication to improving the life chances of children in their schools over the two-year TL Fellows programme and the impact they have had on their pupils’ achievement. The ceremony will be attended by the graduating participants and their headteachers, as well as local and national influencers of education and supporters of Teaching Leaders.
Prizes, sponsored by ASCL, are awarded to those who have shown outstanding commitment to developing as leaders. The ASCL Leadership Prize in the Midlands has been awarded to: Ruthie Walmsley, Landau Forte Academy in Amington, Tamworth. At the start of Ruthie’s Teaching Leaders journey, she was promoted from Curriculum Leader for Key Stage 4 English to Head of English. She has now been promoted again to Director of Learning for English and Mathematics Curriculum. Two years of consistently outstanding leadership led to English becoming one of the most improved departments in the academy, with 65%of pupils achieving A*- C grades in 2015 compared to 43% in 2013.
Ruthie says of the programme: “Teaching Leaders has been such a developmental process for me and I have genuinely used so many of the strategies I have learnt on the programme to move my team forwards. The prize is just a lovely way to book-end what has been an amazing journey.”
Brian Lightman, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders added: “As the professional association for leaders in schools and colleges, ASCL encourages and support leadership development at all levels, which is why we are so pleased to work with Teaching Leaders and to sponsor this award.
It is a pleasure to award this prize to someone as deserving as Ruthie, who has been commended for her outstanding leadership skills, unfailing enthusiasm and positivity which has inspired all who work with her. Our huge congratulations go to Ruthie and all the Fellows programme graduates.”
CEO of Teaching Leaders, James Toop, says, “I am incredibly proud of what the Midlands 2013 cohort has achieved. We have seen them challenge and develop their own leadership over the two years, and they will continue to develop themselves and others in the future through their learning on the Fellows programme. This is an exciting time to be part of the movement with recognition of the vital role middle leaders play as, to quote Sir Michael Wilshaw, the engine room of the school.”
As this Cohort graduates, Teaching Leaders welcomes another 430 secondary and 390 primary middle leaders from schools in challenging contexts across England, as they start their professional development journey through the TL Fellows and TL Primary programmes.