A Glenrothes head teacher has been named among the winners of a prestigious national award.
Alan Pithie, of Auchmuty High School, was selected from thousands of nominations to be one of 102 Pearson National Teaching Silver Award winners across the UK.
He was honoured with a silver award as head teacher of the year in a secondary school for an outstanding commitment to changing the lives of the children they work with every day.
Mr Pithie will now be considered for a gold award later in the year with the other silver award winners in London in an event which will be broadcast by the BBC.
The awards were first established in 1998 and are an annual celebration of excellence in education, recognising the work of teachers across the UK.
Provided leadership and support
Mr Pithie was selected for his work throughout the pandemic which saw the Auchmuty High head provide leadership and support to staff, pupils, and parents.
Pupils were provided with IT equipment to ensure that they had access to lessons, and parents were kept informed of all developments.
In school, pupil attendance and engagement directly influence wider achievement and attainment in qualifications.
To tackle attendance and lateness challenges, Mr Pithie also introduced pilot programmes which led to improved engagement.
‘Thank a Teacher Day’
The silver award winners are being honoured as part of the wider celebrations for ‘Thank a Teacher Day’, a national campaign to honour and recognise school staff for their work.
Sharon Hague, senior vice president of schools at Pearson UK, said:Â “After a year like no other we want to take today to say thank you to all the incredible school staff who have kept children and young people learning despite unprecedented challenges.
“We hope the celebrations today show how much you are appreciated, and that your hard work has not gone unnoticed nor unrecognised.”
Alan Pithie was honoured with a Silver Award in The Award for Headteacher of the Year in a Secondary School for his outstanding commitment to changing the lives of the children he works with every day. @TeachingAwards #TeachingHeroes #ThankATeacherDay pic.twitter.com/LachBKL1WW
— Auchmuty High School (@AuchmutyHS) June 23, 2021
Sir Michael Morpurgo, former Children’s Laureate, and president of the Teaching Awards Trust, said: “Thank a Teacher Day gives us all a chance –  children, families, all of us – to pay tribute to those wonderful educators who change more lives than they will ever know.
“Today we say thank you to the teachers who have helped our young people navigate these most difficult of times, and who will continue to inspire countless young minds over the coming years.”
