Top marks for trainee teacher

Anthony Maratty started his School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) course at St Bede’s Catholic Primary School, South Shields, last September and has been named as the top trainee at the Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust.

Mr Maratty, 31, said he was “over the moon” to win the accolade at the Trust’s annual awards.

The Trust, which runs 25 primary schools and five secondaries in South Tyneside, Sunderland and East Durham – including St Bede’s in

Claypath Lane, South Shields - runs the 12-month course in partnership with Teach First.

The training programme gives teachers hands-on experience in the classroom while they train and includes online and face-to-face training, support from mentors and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) on graduation.

Mr Maratty, from Ryhope, in Sunderland, said he was “over the moon” to win the award.

He added: “I’m shocked, delighted and over the moon to have won.

“St Bede’s was kind enough to put me through my teacher training and it’s been wonderful. I have learned so much and it’s been brilliant to do my training with the Trust.”

His shortlist entry said: “Anthony is a breath of fresh air. He began his teacher training this year and made a fantastic impression on all of the staff and pupils.

"He is conscientious, committed, kind, calm and caring and this shows in his interactions. All the staff regard him as an incredible asset to the school.”

It added: “He is always happy to help and regularly stays back after school to support the wider school community. The pupils find him inspiring, and his enthusiasm is infectious.”

Mr Maratty’s training has seen him complete placements at other schools in the Trust including St Leonard’s Catholic Primary School and St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, both in Sunderland.

He is now due to start at another of the Trust’s schools – St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Jarrow, in September.

His former teacher, Christine Johnson, who works at St Bede’s Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College, Peterlee, won the Mentor of the Year award.