A Leicester teacher, who’s been praised as a champion of inclusivity, has been named among one of the UK’s finest.
Edwina Maguire, of New College Leicester (NCL), has been named as a finalist in the prestigious Times Educational Supplement (TES) Awards 2023.
Nominated by her NCL colleagues, Ms Maguire has been recognised for the impactful work she has delivered in developing New College into a fully inclusive school and ensuring that all children, no matter their background or acquisition of the English language, have access to a wide and varied curriculum.
Over 50 languages are spoken at New College and Edwina has guided the school to fully integrate EAL teaching across the curriculum. This strategy has improved the academic achievement of students and has supported their integration into the school.
Edwina has championed inclusivity across the school and has built a workforce of staff who are ambitious for students learning EAL and who strive to ensure that children develop a sense of belonging and are encouraged to take part in some of the wide-ranging opportunities that are available at New College.
This approach has led to New College securing the coveted Inclusion Quality Mark Flagship School status and maintaining it for the past three years. It is the only coeducational school in Leicester to have achieved this award, and one of only 100 schools in the UK
“Edwina’s impact on New College and the learning outcomes for all our students has been transformational and I am delighted that she is a finalist in the awards,” said Jane Brown, Principal of New College.
“She’s the big personality that can draw staff and students into engaging with the school agenda and has the energy to keep the momentum for high quality teaching and learning moving forward. Not only is Edwina having an impact at New College she is also training other local schools in Leicester in how to become more inclusive and has presented evidence to the Minister of State for Education on the issue of EAL students, new to the country with no KS2 data, not being recognised in schools Progress 8 exam data. This potentially allowed less inclusive schools to ignore or not fully meet the needs of these students which goes against the values of New College.”
Edwina Maguire EAL coordinator comments: “I am an educator and an advocate for students, and I want to help all students feel valued and give them the skills and belief to help them achieve their goals, no matter their background. This approach is shared by my colleagues at New College which is one of the reasons we are having a positive impact on our students and are proud to be part of a city which celebrates diversity. This is now being recognised by leading educational organisations such as TES and IQM.
“I am very proud to be a finalist, and proud of the work we are doing as a team here at New College.”
Ms Maguire will be up against other educators at the national awards on Friday, June 23.
For more information about the awards visit: https://www.tes.com/en-gb/schools-awards
