Education charity The PTI announces winner of the Bernice McCabe Award

Education charity, @PTIEducation (formerly The Prince’s Teaching Institute), has announced the Geography Department at Broadway Academy in Perry Barr, Birmingham as the winner of its Bernice McCabe Award at a Ceremony last night at Merchant Taylors’ Hall. The department was presented with a cheque for five thousand pounds and a trophy designed by award-winning designer Sophie Conran.

Bernice McCabe OBE, who sadly passed away in February 2019, was the founding co-director of the PTI and believed in the transformative power of inspiring subject teaching. The Award has been created to remember Bernice and to promote and celebrate excellence in subject leadership in schools, recognising departments that put quality subject teaching at the heart of the classroom.

The Award prize money given to the Geography Department will be used to install weather stations at Broadway Academy, buy industry ecological fieldwork equipment, set up a green project and fund further field trips outside of Birmingham.

Jack Cockayne, Head of Department, said:

“The department and I are incredibly overwhelmed to be presented with the Bernice McCabe award and will hold it in testament to the hard work of the department and the students’ ever growing love of geography.

The PTI has been an asset to the department, enabling us to analyse our progress over the course of the year and collaborate with other schools through leadership forums and the online staffroom. The CPD provided by the PTI has been integral to the development of our vision in improving academic challenge and imparting powerful 21st century geography on our students. We very much look forward to getting further involved this academic year.”

Carolyn Roberts, Co-Director, The PTI, said:

“The PTI is thrilled to announce the geography department of Broadway Academy in Birmingham as the winner of the coveted Bernice McCabe Award. It is crystal clear that the winning, highly commended and commended departments shortlisted are truly passionate and enthusiastic about their respective subjects, which drives everything they do. The work being done in these departments is truly inspiring and will change young people’s lives”.

Professor Steve Munby CBE, Judge, said:

“This year the judges were impressed yet again by the skill, passion and powerful subject leadership shown by each department shortlisted. These dedicated departments have gone above and beyond to inspire and enthuse their students in their subject field and the results are phenomenal”.

As well as the winning department, one department was highly commended and five were commended as follows:

The winning department is:

• Geography Department, Broadway Academy, Birmingham

The highly commended departments include:

• MFL department at Holland Park School, London

The commended departments include:

• English department, Challney High School for Boys, Luton
• English department at Loxford School, East London
• English department at Queen Katharine Academy, Peterborough
• Geography department at St Edward’s College, Liverpool
• History department at Wymondham College, Norfolk

The judging panel consisted of Professor Steve Munby CBE (Chair of the Teaching Awards Trust), Carolyn Roberts (PTI Co-Director), Rod Mackinnon (Bernice’s husband, former Headteacher, and Education Consultant), Professor Dame Alison Peacock (CEO of the Chartered College) and Professor Helen Cooper (formerly Head of the English Faculty at the University of Cambridge).

The trophy designed by award-winning designer, Sophie Conran will be passed annually onto future winners.