Lorraine Clarke of Ark Blacklands Primary Academy in Hastings has won a Pearson Silver Teaching Award in the category Headteacher of the Year in a Primary School.
Selected from thousands of nominations, Lorraine is one of 56 winners celebrated today on Thank a Teacher Day, 16 June 2017. These outstanding local heroes of education have been presented with a Silver Pearson Teaching Awards in schools and colleges across England, Ireland and Wales.
The Pearson Teaching Awards are an annual celebration of exceptional teachers, created to recognise the life-changing impact an inspirational teacher can have on the lives of the young people they teach.
Lorraine is pictured above with the Mayor of Hastings, Councillor Judy Rogers, and Chair of Governors at Ark Blacklands Primary, Micky Sandall.
Ms Clarke, who is Executive Principal for Ark Blacklands as well as Ark Little Ridge Primary Academy, was nominated by her staff for her exceptional leadership. She has been principal at Ark Blacklands since 2013 and has led the school from special measures to outstanding in just three years. She has been clear in her vision and belief that she could make this school outstanding. Her high expectations of staff, pupils and herself have ensured the school provides the highest quality education to enable its pupils to be the best that they can be.
Lorraine will now join fellow Silver Award winners at the UK final of the Pearson Teaching Awards, a ceremony held in central London on 22 October. There, they will find out which of them has won one of just 11 Gold Plato Awards, the UK’s “Oscars for Teachers”. This ceremony, titled “Britain’s Classroom Heroes”, will be filmed and broadcast by the BBC as a showcase of excellence in education.