Local college wins prestigious national teaching award

The tutors not only teach students skills for a career working in the media, but also shape young lives by partnering with charities and weaving issues like inclusion, mental health and awareness raising into their projects.

Recognising a lack of work experience opportunities for students, the Creative Media Teaching Team has partnered with charities to create bespoke projects. This provides students with hands on experience and increases the reach and impact of the charities involved. The team have initiated projects on Black History with The Black Curriculum, on suicide in young men with Olly’s Future and on healthy relationships with Everyone’s Invited. Students have developed videos on poems about race, have created animated films on mental health awareness and have produced video stills about toxic masculinity. The charities involved use these resources across social media and within education programmes to boost awareness and make a ‘real life’ difference. Julie Kapsalis, CEO and Principal at Nescot said “I’m so proud of the Media Teaching Team, who consistently produce exciting, challenging, and impactful projects. They’ve been creative about getting Nescot students work experience and have worked hard to embed and champion inclusion in their work. Those on the course are offered real world, credible experience which will help them when they move into the workplace. The team are also moulding young people who understand their community, have empathy, speak up and feel heard. I hope they’ll clinch the Gold Award later this year - it would be so well deserved.” This isn’t the first award the team has received. They have an enviable tally of success at the World Skills Awards over the last decade - 5 Gold (including 2023), 2 Silver and 2 Bronze awards - a credit to their commitment, hard work, and dedication to their students.

The National Teaching Award announcement comes as students, schools and colleges across the UK are today paying tribute to all those who work in education to mark National Thank a Teacher Day, which celebrates the whole education community and shines a light on the exceptional impact they have on shaping young lives.