Celebrating Our Educators - May 16th 2024
JN Bank UK was proud to host the ‘Celebrating Our Educators’ event on May 16th 2024 at our branch in Brixton. This was a partnership with JN Group and iCan Teach UK. It was an inspiring evening! Teachers from other countries who are currently serving in schools across the UK gathered to be celebrated, share their experiences, and support each other.
We had two leading educators sharing in the programme. Firstly, Dr. Mark Richards, who is a Senior Teaching Fellow at Imperial College London. Dr. Richards gave a detailed presentation of students’ academic results in each stage of their school levels. He grouped these by ethnicities in the UK. This was quite insightful and caused a lively discussion on the cause of such outcomes.
We also had Angela Moore, who is the Headteacher at St. Antony’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Newham, London. She is the first Black woman to serve as Headteacher at the St. Antony’s RC Primary in its nearly 145 years history. When she took over as Headteacher just over 10 years ago it was the lowest rated school in the borough. Under her leadership, the school improved and was ranked as the ‘Best State Primary School’ in the country by the Times’ Parent Power School Guide in 2021. It is currently one of the most sought-after schools in Newham.
Angela Moore shared her inspirational journey of teaching in Jamaica and then in the UK. She emphasised that she learnt a lot from her time in Jamaica. She explained that she has been applying all that she learnt from her experiences in Jamaica in her UK roles. She encouraged the teachers to add value and make a positive difference in their schools. “Leave your mark” she said. “Jamaican Teachers are a brand that produces some of the best teachers in the world” she added. She urged: “Let your students see and feel the difference your presence make in their schools”.
JN Group and The Voice newspaper made a special presentation to Astor Tate, who was awarded 'Teacher of the Year' in October 2023 by The Diversity Awards for Education. Astor is a Jamaican teacher who is currently serving at Harris Academy Peckham (in London), as Strand Lead for the Science Department. The presentation was made by Dianne Augustin Chief Operating Officer (JN Bank UK) and Leon Hamilton Head of Collections (JN Bank UK). They both congratulated Astor and commended him on his award.
Mrs. Patrice Laird-Grant (Deputy Jamaican High Commissioner to the UK) also spoke during the programme. She applauded the teachers and wished them a Happy Teachers Day. It was the same week that Teachers Day is celebrated in Jamaica. Information was shared about the teaching and rental contracts in the UK that they should take note of. She also urged them to be mindful of the double taxation agreement that Jamaica has with the UK. She encouraged them to register with the Jamaican High Commission (JHC) so they can cater for them, keep in touch, and offer support and guidance as needed.
At the end of the presentations, the feedback was positive. The teachers told us they felt at home and refreshed by the stories shared. Many of them said they were happy to have been a part of it. It was a heart warming and delightful evening.
