Staff at the Rowans AP Academy on Churchill Avenue in Chatham were given a Gold Plato award at the Pearson Teaching Awards on Sunday 22nd October.

The ceremony was held at the East Wintergarden in London.

The team was honoured by pupils, parents and colleagues for the prestigious award. This is after accepting a Silver Teaching Award in June to recognise ‘exceptional contribution to the teaching profession’.

Rowans’ staff team has been working hard on improving standards, progress and behaviour, and was rewarded in February 2015 as the school received outstanding ratings in all areas by Ofsted.

The school takes pupils that have been or are in danger of being excluded from mainstream schools, having roughly 56 pupils enrolled. These pupils may have additional learning needs or behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

The Pearson Teaching Awards annually celebrates exceptional teaching, and will be broadcast on BBC Two at 6pm on Sunday 29th October. It was founded in 1998 by Lord David Puttnam, who retired from film production the same year to focus on education.

Michael Morpurgo, Children’s Author and Pearson Teaching Awards President said:

“Through the Teaching Awards, we hope to enhance the reputation and value of the teachers in our lives, their importance in our society, and thus help to encourage the most talented and committed young people to become teachers.”

Mrs Caron Johnson, Headteacher at Rowans AP Academy, said:

“I am shocked yet incredibly proud to accept this award on behalf of The Rowans’ team. They are without a doubt the most selfless, kind, inspiring and hard-working people you will ever meet, and I am privileged to be their Headteacher.”

The team won one of 11 Gold Plato awards presented each year, with their category being ‘Outstanding School Team of the Year’.