Pearson Teaching Award

On 26 May 2022, The Early Years Team at Dollymixtures Nursery has been named as one of 80 Pearson National Teaching Award Silver Award winners across the country. The Early Years Team at Dollymixtures Nursery is honoured with a Silver Award in the  Award for Early Years Team of the Year for their outstanding commitment to changing the lives of the children they work with every day.

Dollymixtures is a family-run business that has been going for 33 years and is based on the site of a hospital. It has provided continuous support for the NHS over the last two years and is proud of its commitment to care and education. Alongside its Outstanding practice, Dollymixtures is very involved in intergenerational sessions with the hospital’s dementia ward. These sessions benefit not only the children but have a huge impact on the older generation helping them to feel uplifted.  

The nursery is an OFSTED-rated Outstanding setting and is strong at impacting change and encouraging access to excellent learning opportunities for all. Its successful SEND programme encourages inclusion and helps all children access learning independently. Staff take great pride in ensuring that the environment is stimulating and quality-checked, making use of all new practices and guidelines to impact on how they work. The nursery management team is proactive and supports all staff to raise best practice within the setting and ensure that all ideas, innovations, and aspirations are included and supported. 

As a Silver Award winner, The Early Years Team at Dollymixtures Nursery has now been shortlisted to win one of just 16 Gold Awards later in the year. These once in a lifetime achievements will be broadcast on the BBC’s The One Show as part of a week-long celebration of teaching, which sees famous faces honour award winners every night in the run up to the ceremony. This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the exceptional school staff who have worked wonders to bring together their local communities despite the challenges of the past few years. 

The Silver Award winners are being honoured as part of the wider celebrations for national ‘Thank a Teacher Day’, bringing together everyone across the country to celebrate the schools and colleges at the heart of our communities. 

The Pearson National Teaching Awards is an annual celebration of excellence in education, founded in 1998 by Lord Puttnam to recognise the life-changing impact an inspirational teacher can have on the lives of the young people they work with. This year marks its 23rd year of celebrating our school teaching staff across the UK. 

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said:

“Congratulations to The Early Years Team at Dollymixtures Nursery on this incredible achievement, and for the hard work and dedication which led up to it. Winning this award is impressive, well-deserved and shows The Early Years Team at Dollymixtures Nursery’s commitment to helping students achieve their full potential.”

Michael Morpurgo, celebrated author and former Children’s Laureate, and President of the Teaching Awards Trust, said: 

“For so many of us, it was someone at school who changed our lives, was at our side through hard and difficult times, who lifted us up when we were down, helped us find our voice, gave us confidence when we needed it most, and set us on a path that we have followed ever since. 

“No matter who we are, school has touched our lives and played a central role in our childhoods. School is about so much more than learning, and we see that now more than ever before. Schools really are the beating heart of our communities. Every person that cares for our children in schools should be celebrated loud and clear on Thank A Teacher Day 2022.”