The sheer variety of things Amara Copsey has achieved as a new teacher and her enthusiasm for her subject, history, is “truly inspirational”.

She inspires students to see themselves as historians and pursues her vision of developing critical, kind and caring young adults in her role as a subject teacher and form tutor. She provided high-quality support for every student throughout the lockdowns by rewriting midterm plans to adapt her practice for online teaching.

Copsey uses CPD opportunities and research practice to drive progress. She puts inclusivity at the heart of her practice and uses differentiation highly effectively to support student learning. She has delivered whole-school training on the use of metacognition, and her self-reflective approach to feedback means she has constantly improved her teaching as well as her students’ outcomes.

In her NQT year, Copsey was promoted to head of house. She researched, created and delivered a sequence of form-time sessions and assemblies on the Black Lives Matter protests, LGBTQ+ month and International Women’s Day with students across all year groups, so that every student could benefit. She was recently promoted to part-time head of year, a testament to her ability and hard work.

Copsey also regularly blogs about historical events. Students are able to read, comment and ask questions on the posts, which improves their literacy and their engagement. In addition, she has developed a whole-school reading programme based on research of positive reading behaviours so that students can develop their literacy skills.

Judge Sam Twiselton said: “The future of the teaching profession is in excellent hands if this year’s nominations are anything to go by. Amara Copsey is a truly inspirational example of this as her passion for her subject, her pupils and the broader school community really stood out.”