Rewarding excellence
Amy Banks is the Ogden endorsed Primary Science Teacher Award winner for 2023.
Published: 13 July 2023
The Primary Science Teacher Awards (PSTAs) are sponsored by the PSTT. They recognise teachers that are doing incredible work, raising standards, excelling in tough conditions and going above and beyond in their teaching. This year, The Ogden Trust endorsed an award for Amy Banks from Greenfields Community Primary School, Wideopen, Newcastle.
Amy leads science at the school in addition to her wider responsibilities as a Deputy Headteacher and SEND Co-ordinator. For a year, she was seconded to North Tyneside Learning Trust as the Science Lead Practitioner. She worked with all the schools to develop science teaching and learning across the trust, and helped to establish the NTLT established collaboration partnership within the Ogden School Partnerships programme. Amy’s strong subject leadership was recognised in her appointment as a Specialist Leader in Education for science, with her support for colleagues in the region being extensive.
Amy encourages children to use critical and creative thinking throughout her teaching of science. She motivates learners to apply their knowledge and understanding of the subject content to real-world situations in science, rather than focusing on simply memorising facts. She is conscious that creativity, asking questions and connecting ideas is key to developing children’s deeper understanding and the school has seen a positive impact in the children in every year group from Amy’s leadership of the subject.
“I am thrilled to have received this award and for it to be endorsed by the Ogden Trust is extra special,” says Amy. “During my time working for North Tyneside Learning Trust, my biggest achievement was helping to form the established collaboration partnership with the Ogden Trust for NTLT. I am so excited to see how the cross-phase cluster groups progress over the coming years and I have been lucky enough to attend the Earth & Space Phizzi CPD at the Centre for Life. My passion has always been science and I feel very privileged to pass on some of this enthusiasm to the children I teach.”
As a PSTA winner, Amy will be invited to join the Primary Science Teacher College as a College Fellow and will have access to PSTT resources. Cat Boaz, who leads the Odgen Oxfordshire South Partnership and Jodie Lea, co-ordinator at the Ogden Cotswolds South Legacy Partnership were PSTA winners in 2021/22. They all received their awards at this year’s celebration event and are pictured above with Ogden Chief Executive Clare Harvey.