English teachers earn top marks for outstanding work at school

Teachers at Torquay Boys’ Grammar School have gone to the top of the class - for their teaching of English.

The Shiphay Manor school has been awarded the prestigious Prince’s Teaching Institute Schools Programme Mark for outstanding teaching within its English department.

The award was first launched by the then Prince of Wales in 2007 to recognise and reward the development school departments that develop inspirational ideas and activities which enhance the teaching of Art, D&T, English, Geography, History, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, PE and Science, regardless of their students’ backgrounds or abilities.

The TBGS English department received the Mark in recognition of their ‘dynamic and creative’ approach to teaching in all key stages, and for the challenging and diverse range of curriculum content for 2023/24.

Mrs Claire Warde, Head of English, said: “I am proud of the whole department being recognised for their innovative and creative approach to teaching this subject and the PTI Mark will continue to motivate us to keep daring to deliver the best English curriculum possible.”

Head teacher Dr James Hunt said: “We are delighted to have been awarded The PTI Mark for our English department’s innovative work, and will be proud to carry the Mark as evidence of our ongoing commitment to inspirational teaching.”

The PTI’s Department Development Programme is open to all state secondary schools in England. 

To become members, school departments must demonstrate their commitment to increasing teachers’ subject knowledge, and to furthering their students’ understanding of and enthusiasm for the subject, regardless of their background or ability.

To achieve The PTI Subject Mark, departments have to demonstrate that they have increased the challenge within their subject curriculum, developed their staff’s specialist subject knowledge, developed subject-based links outside school and enthused their students through subject-based activities beyond the curriculum.