Recognising our fantastic people

Upgrade Team Leader Barbara Catchpole added: "Dee had worked with special needs children previously, but this was a totally new role to her. She understood the importance of professional development and trained to deliver a programme that has proved very effective and has thrown herself into it totally with a lot of enthusiasm."

Mrs Caldicott added: "Dee is a kind, caring, passionate and very enthusiastic woman with a great sense of humour. Her planning and implementation is of a very high standard and she really gets results."

The second nomination was for Peter Mitchell, who is an outstanding governor of both The Milton Keynes Academy and the Bulwell Academy in Nottingham.

Mrs Caldicott said that the huge input Peter has given both Academies in the 18-month lead to the openings and in the first six months of operations has been wonderful. She added: "Peter's contribution has been extremely powerful and he has helped us to create two new schools that are really working well with enormous student progress."

Graham Roberts, the Principal of Bulwell Academy, believes that Peter's background as a successful Head Teacher gives him a unique advantage as a Governor. 

He said: "Peter's great strength is his considerable experience. He has done the job and knows what it is all about.  He is committed, extremely professional and is a good problem solver with the ability to act strategically."

Peter was a Head Teacher for 18 years in Staffordshire and Walsall, and during that time he was seconded to lead a school out of special measures. He was a founding trustee of independent education foundation Edge and is now its full-time Education Director. Edge is the sponsor of both Academies.

Peter is an enthusiastic advocate of Edge's campaign to raise the status of practical and vocational learning, so that all young people have the opportunity to achieve their potential, and the UK's future workforce is equipped with the skills to be successful in the modern economy. He also believes that ‘learning by doing' is as important as academic learning, and that there are many paths to success.

Working with both Principals, Peter has helped to put into effect curriculum changes involving an emphasis on practical learning that have engaged students and started to make a real impact.