National honour for Rotherham school's green champion
A Rotherham headteacher has been rewarded for his environmental work.
Headteacher Alex Wirth made history when his school was rewarded for its green credentials with a sapling from the iconic Sycamore Gap tree, felled by vandals.
The young tree was planted in the grounds of Anston Greenlands in recognition of the biodiversity ethos embraced by the youngsters.
Now Alex has put down even stronger roots with a personal honour for his leadership at the Edinburgh Drive school.
And pupils were quick to applaud him after he received a bronze award for Primary Headteacher of the Year in the Pearson National Teaching Awards.
His deputy Kate Roberts said: "Only ten headteachers across the whole country attained this accolade so it is a real achievement – we’re all very proud of him!
"The application process was extremely thorough and assessors were clearly impressed with many aspects of Mr Wirth’s work.
"His passion for biodiversity and the environment has been recognised, including the ‘Rewilding Schools’ Award which he set up to encourage schools across Yorkshire to rewild areas of their school grounds.
"Alex’s work on our immersive curriculum was mentioned, as well as his promotion of the Arts throughout school.
"Assessors were clearly impressed with his approach to inclusion.
"All of the staff and children at Anston Greenlands are incredibly proud of Mr Wirth; this award is so well-deserved.
"He is a fantastic colleague, a brilliant school leader and a great teacher. It is wonderful that the children have such a strong advocate for environmental issues as their headteacher. His energy and passion for education have inspired us all."
Teaching assistant Sarah Inglis at the North Anston site added: "As soon as Alex became the head at Greenlands, I knew that he would bring our school to life by igniting the spark in each child to allow them to shine brightly."
Special Educational Needs Coordinator Claire Bratt commented: "Alex is an inclusion champion..he has genuinely supported and inspired me in moving inclusion forward in our school.
"He doesn’t just talk about inclusion, he’s embedded it into every part of school life, making sure that children and adults with all kinds of needs feel understood, valued, and included. His passion and dedication shine through in everything he does, and it’s made a real difference to our whole community."
Sir Michael Morpurgo, the celebrated author and former Children’s Laureate, who serves as the President of the Teaching Awards Trust told Alex: "The work you do – day in, day out – is life-enhancing, life changing. It is also often hard and exhausting. But it can be hugely rewarding too.
"There are days when it feels like the best job in the world and days when it feels...well not like that at all.
"For a child to have a great teacher like you is so important. You open doors, shine a light. You spend your working life passing on to children all that you know and love. Your devotion to them, to colleagues, to the schools you work in has been extraordinary.”