TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Dr Tom Horler-Underwood, Head of Sixth Form, shortlisted for a 2018 Wiltshire Life Award in the Teacher of the Year category, came out on top when he was awarded the top accolade at the awards ceremony.
The 2018 Wiltshire Life Awards was hosted at a gala ceremony on the evening of Friday 23rd March at STEAM the Museum of the Great Western Railway. The ceremony consisted of a drinks reception, followed by a three course meal, and the unveiling of this year’s inspirational winners. The Wiltshire Life Awards Team scour the county for tales of hard work, creative endeavour, bravery, community spirit, business acumen and young entrepreneurship and sportsmanship. They champion all that is great about the county of Wiltshire.
The Headmaster, Mark Mortimer, commented on Tom's nomination and win, “Tom is a person who very much puts his pupils first. The key to being a fine teacher is to demonstrate to pupils that you care about them and put their interests first. Tom does this, both as a teacher and also as a quite outstanding Head of Sixth Form. He is their champion. He is kind, compassionate, thoughtful and devoted to the pupils in his care. What more could any pupil want in a role model and teacher? It is a thoroughly well-deserved win. We are all very proud of him.”
Tom said of his win, “The awards ceremony at STEAM was a fantastic evening. The ceremony was a wonderful celebration of all that makes Wiltshire great, and a true reflection of the exceptionally hard and excellent work being done in so many different areas. To hear the stories of so many of the winners was inspirational, and to have been nominated alongside people working so hard to make other people’s lives better was a great honour. Every day, I get to work with some fantastic people – amazing staff and, most of all, wonderful pupils. I consider it a privilege to work with such dedicated, hard-working and diligent people, and it really is a team effort of which I’m incredibly proud to play a part. As Head of Sixth Form I have the best job in the School, helping young people to take their final steps in secondary education and preparing them, academically and personally, for whatever they may face in their lives ahead.”
Congratulations, Tom, from all of us at Warminster, a truly deserving winner.