Award for newly graduated secondary school teacher
A new secondary school teacher in Tattershall has earned an award after his first year in the profession.
Piers Pike, from Fulstow, near Louth, is a secondary history teaching graduate of Lincoln Bishop University, graduating in June 2024.
Mr Pike then moved into his first teaching role at Barnes Wallis Academy, in Tattershall.
Now he has won the David Ross Education Trust Inspiration Award for New Teacher of the Year, just one year into his first teaching role after completing his PGCE.
The award recognises outstanding early-career teachers who have made a significant and positive impact in their school. The academy is one of the 36 schools overseen and administered by the David Ross Education Trust.
Piers said he was “incredibly honoured” to receive the award. “It’s a moment I’m deeply proud of, and one that truly reflects the excellent preparation and support I received during my time at Lincoln Bishop University,” he said.
“My PGCE year at Lincoln Bishop was extremely informative. The course didn’t just prepare me to teach but helped me to understand what it means to inspire. The emphasis on reflective practice, subject passion, and the sense of community among my cohort help give me the confidence and support I needed to become a good teacher.
“I owe a particular debt of gratitude to Kim Edwards, whose guidance, encouragement, and belief in her trainees make such a lasting difference. Her support throughout the year helped me to grow both personally and professionally, and I’ll always be grateful for the time and care she invests in her historians.
“The award is as much a reflection of the incredible training and mentorship I received at Lincoln Bishop, as it is of my own journey.” Kim Edwards, Senior lecturer ITE and PGCE History lead, said: “This is a truly well-deserved recognition of the impact he is already making in the classroom so early in his career.
“At Lincoln Bishop University we are deeply committed to developing subject specific beginning teachers who are not only confident and reflective practitioners, but who also bring a strong sense of professional identity and purpose to their teaching.
“This award is a testament not only to Piers’ talent and hard work, but also to the power of subject-specific training and sustained mentoring. We are incredibly proud of him and look forward to seeing the continued impact he will have as a teacher of history.”