Stafflex is Huddersfield’s leading independent recruitment company and is delighted to sponsor the award for Teacher of the Year for the sixth time in 2014.
Stafflex provide and promote the use of temporary engineering, industrial and commercial staff to local industry.
In these uncertain times, Stafflex believe that the use of temporary skilled and unskilled labour can take the heat out of human resource problems by providing a flexible, fit-for-purpose workforce when needed and for as long as required.
In particular, the education division of Stafflex is proud to be provider of supply teachers and support staff to local schools and colleges. Stafflex provides a personal service to schools and staff alike and will always go the extra mile to put the right teacher in the right placement. The 24/7 hotline 01484 351010 is always available for emergency bookings.
We at Stafflex have nothing but admiration for the skill and commitment prevalent throughout education in Kirklees and consider ourselves privileged to be able to deal positively with such consummate professionals on a daily basis.
We offer our congratulations to all the nominees and are looking forward to meeting the Teacher of the year 2014.
Community gives people the gift of confidence which enables them to go on and achieve more than they could alone.
Huddersfield University lecturer and musician Dr Liz Dobson is a woman who is channelling her considerable energies into bringing about creative communities where students and artists can flourish and go on to make their mark in the world.
Liz, 38, lectures in music technology which covers scoring music for films and sound design for picture.
Classically trained and having performed with the viola and violin and viola, as well as conducted, Liz became interested in music for films several years ago.
In October 2012, she set up CollabHub which today brings together some 660 people – both students and members of Huddersfield’s creative community – to exchange ideas and “incubate” new ideas and networks incorporating different disciplines, including music, film making, theatres, dance and writing.
Through ColabHub, some of these people have gone on to set up businesses together.
Liz said: “CollabHub has taken me on a most unexpected journey, introduced me to a lot of remarkable people – students, staff, local artists – and taught me a lot.
“Most of all it has taught me that all you need is a platform, a community. Confidence comes from this, along with control and the flexibility to take risks.
Most creation and innovation comes out of communities. It gives people huge confidence and they don’t necessarily have to think within the box. They get a sense of true belonging and go on to achieve more.
“I am very fortunate that this community has been enabled and celebrated at Huddersfield University.”
Liz also teaches Taekwondo to help women learn the art of self defence.
Nominator Abigail McAlpine said: “Liz is a brilliant inspiration to many students - including ones she doesn’t even teach! As well as lecturing, she also encourages other students to get involved in enriching their university experience.
“Liz gives everything she can to make sure others have a rich, full, quality life and new experiences. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious and she has recruited hundreds of students and alumni into the Collabhub project, all working on projects that help create a culturally rich experience for all students and the people of Huddersfield too.”
Gail Newton is one in a million.
She has been a lifeline for pupils at her school and for families who have had to cope with the trauma of having a child with serious medical issues.
She has freely given her spare time to visit families to give them her support.
She travelled to a Newcastle hospital three times to visit one of her former pupils, George Sutcliffe, now 15, who had life-threatening heart surgery over a nine-week period last year. She even took his grandma, Mollie Sutcliffe, to see him in hospital and also takes Mollie out for coffee and a chat sometimes on a Saturday morning.
Gail, 56, has taught in the Colne Valley and Dewsbury areas since leaving college 35 years ago. For the last 16 years she has been headteacher at Linthwaite Clough Junior Infant and Early Years School as well as an early years moderation manager for Kirklees, helping other schools with good early years practice.
By a strange quirk of fate, Linthwaite Clough has had a cluster of children with serious heart issues and Gail has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help them and their families, which often involves giving up her free time.
George’s mother, Rayne Sutcliffe, said: “Gail is one in a million – she has been an absolute rock for me. All the parents of the children with heart problems will say the same – she has been there for all of them. She takes a personal interest in every single child, whether they have problems or not.
“She is absolutely amazing and I would like to thank her for her tremendous support.”
Gail said: “I work with an excellent team and it is all about putting the children first. I have got very high aspirations for all the 300 children here, whatever their academic abilities or personal challenges.
“I have always seen our children with issues as something positive, a privilege. I love my job and we have a happy school where children feel safe, cared for and trusted.”
Seven-year-old Dyson Whitwam was more matter-of-fact about Gail’s achievements.
“Mrs Newton does good as a teacher and a headteacher,” he said. “She takes responsibility about what’s been happening and actually cares about the children. That’s what headteachers should do, shouldn’t they?”
Everyone remembers their best teacher and Rukhsana Maqsud is one that inspires children attending North Huddersfield Trust School.
She loves her job and that sheer enthusiasm comes across to her pupils. The 31-year-old believes every child can achieve and shows them how to do it.
North Huddersfield Trust School headteacher Loz Wilson said: “Rukhsana is a gifted educator who instils in her students a love of learning. Her devotion to her students is uncompromised. She demonstrates tireless energy, passion, professionalism and purpose in her teaching.
“She is an inspirational and dedicated teacher always going the extra mile, not just for her students but for staff as well, giving everything she’s got to motivate her students to achieve and is a wonderful example of the importance and value of an exceptional classroom teacher.
“She focuses on building relationships and empowering students, often giving up a lot of her own personal time to teach some of the hardest-to-reach students in school so they have every opportunity to succeed, dedicated to the belief that all children can achieve. Her inspirational and innovative history teaching not only engages students at all levels but has meant that this is a popular choice of subject for Year 9s choosing their options.”
History pupil Hassan Said said: “Miss Maqsud makes history really fun. She changes the structure of the lessons to keep us on our toes and she makes topics easy to remember like the time when she did ‘Come Dine With Me’. She had the title music and everything!”
Year 11 pupil Ahmed Ibrahim added: “She is really well organised and has given us all individual revision timetables. She works really hard for us because she cares about how well we all do. She pushes us hard but we like being pushed because it will help us achieve the best grades. She gives up her lunchtimes to help us even when she has lessons all day.”
Rukhsana, who is the Progress Leader (Head of Year) for Year 9 students said: “I absolutely love being in the classroom and love this school. I’ve been here for nine years and in that time it’s gone through massive change but it’s like a family, it really is. Everyone pulls together, the kids are unbelievable and the school is going in the right direction.”
