Forest, Wokingham teacher scoops top prize in national teaching awards
Last night (October 21), Matthew Evans, assistant headteacher at The Forest School in Winnersh, Wokingham was awarded the national teaching award for enterprise.
The National Teaching Awards ceremony was held at The London Palladium yesterday with an edited version shown on BBC2 later that evening.
A crew from BBC London have visited The Wokingham Forest School twice in the last fortnight, filming footage of Matthew Evans, colleagues and students, in preparation for the National Teaching Awards ceremony.
On their first visit they met with students and colleagues at The Forest School, Wokingham. They filmed year seven pupils undertaking a hands-on enterprise activity, involving the building of a business, both theoretically and then practically – with scaled-down building materials. This is one of a range of enterprise activities offered by Central Berkshire Education Business Partnerships (CBEBP), whose managing director Mark Thatcher was on hand to oversee the event. He said: “ Matthew Evans has been in the vanguard of enterprise education. He has worked tirelessly to promote enterprise as a valuable part of the curriculum, not just in The Forest School, Wokingham or this county, but beyond.”
Students were also filmed using the specialist software designed by Matthew, entitled PET (Personal Enterprise Tool).
The BBC crew were then invited to the homes of two of the Forest’s most enterprising students, who left the school this summer with a thriving business venture. Seventeen year-olds Lloyd Pithers and Gray Faulkner spoke eloquently about their company Fish-Inn, which produces high-quality fish bait. The company was launched eighteen months ago following a ‘Dragons’ Den’ hosted by Matthew Evans and involving four successful company directors. Other ideas presented included personalised flash drives (which also went on to enjoy great success), sports equipment hire, customised cars and a school publishing company.
Lloyd Pithers said: “Mr. Evans told us the fish bait was a good idea and that if we put our mind to it we can do anything.” Gray Faulkner added: “He helped us so much. We would not be where we are today without him.”
On their second visit the BBC brought along Dragons’ Den’s Deborah Meaden to hold a question and answer session with the sixth form. Students were sworn to secrecy by the BBC for maximum impact, causing the unassuming Ms Meaden to worry that the students might not recognise her. She need not have worried as she received the warmest of welcomes from a very appreciate audience. She answered a range of questions and then posed for photographs. On leaving she asked who she would see first on Dragons’ Den, prompting a flurry of hands in the air, and then delighted them further by asking if they would be there to face her or to take her chair!
Matthew had been looking forward to Deborah’s visit, knowing how much the students would enjoy it, but was completely oblivious to the very special reason behind her visit – to present him with his award. He was very surprised, but was as delighted to share the moment with his students as they were to be present.
Genuinely surprised when Deborah pulled the award from her bag, Matthew told the students: “This is in recognition of your hard work, and that of the staff who teach you, who do a tremendous job and we should be really pleased to receive this recognition.”
The National Teaching Awards ceremony was held at The London Palladium yesterday with an edited version shown on BBC2 later that evening.
A crew from BBC London have visited The Wokingham Forest School twice in the last fortnight, filming footage of Matthew Evans, colleagues and students, in preparation for the National Teaching Awards ceremony.
On their first visit they met with students and colleagues at The Forest School, Wokingham. They filmed year seven pupils undertaking a hands-on enterprise activity, involving the building of a business, both theoretically and then practically – with scaled-down building materials. This is one of a range of enterprise activities offered by Central Berkshire Education Business Partnerships (CBEBP), whose managing director Mark Thatcher was on hand to oversee the event. He said: “ Matthew Evans has been in the vanguard of enterprise education. He has worked tirelessly to promote enterprise as a valuable part of the curriculum, not just in The Forest School, Wokingham or this county, but beyond.”
Students were also filmed using the specialist software designed by Matthew, entitled PET (Personal Enterprise Tool).
The BBC crew were then invited to the homes of two of the Forest’s most enterprising students, who left the school this summer with a thriving business venture. Seventeen year-olds Lloyd Pithers and Gray Faulkner spoke eloquently about their company Fish-Inn, which produces high-quality fish bait. The company was launched eighteen months ago following a ‘Dragons’ Den’ hosted by Matthew Evans and involving four successful company directors. Other ideas presented included personalised flash drives (which also went on to enjoy great success), sports equipment hire, customised cars and a school publishing company.
Lloyd Pithers said: “Mr. Evans told us the fish bait was a good idea and that if we put our mind to it we can do anything.” Gray Faulkner added: “He helped us so much. We would not be where we are today without him.”
On their second visit the BBC brought along Dragons’ Den’s Deborah Meaden to hold a question and answer session with the sixth form. Students were sworn to secrecy by the BBC for maximum impact, causing the unassuming Ms Meaden to worry that the students might not recognise her. She need not have worried as she received the warmest of welcomes from a very appreciate audience. She answered a range of questions and then posed for photographs. On leaving she asked who she would see first on Dragons’ Den, prompting a flurry of hands in the air, and then delighted them further by asking if they would be there to face her or to take her chair!
Matthew had been looking forward to Deborah’s visit, knowing how much the students would enjoy it, but was completely oblivious to the very special reason behind her visit – to present him with his award. He was very surprised, but was as delighted to share the moment with his students as they were to be present.
Genuinely surprised when Deborah pulled the award from her bag, Matthew told the students: “This is in recognition of your hard work, and that of the staff who teach you, who do a tremendous job and we should be really pleased to receive this recognition.”
Wokingham Borough Council
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