'Gadget man' teacher in national award finals
Transformation of the culture of a Retford school has earned Neil Oldbury a place in the 2009 Teacher of the Year finals.
Head of IT at the Elizabethan High School, the 43-year-old pioneer is one of only 11 East Midlands teachers who will travel to London in October for the national final.
The father-of-two nicknamed 'The Gadget Man' by his two sons and hundreds of pupils at the school, was singled out for excellence in the next generation section of the country-wide annual awards.
And he became the first teacher to be nominated by a private company after specialists Frog – who installed the high school's learning platform – insisted that Mr Oldbury's name went forward.
His Teacher of the Year citation included many reasons why the Trent Poly design and technology graduate, who switched to IT eight years ago, was ahead of the rest of the field.
"Neil realised the opportunities available to the school when it moved from old, split-site buildings to new, wireless-enabled, modern facilities," it said.
"He has worked diligently to promote interactive learning, and transformed the culture of the school resulting in a truly personalised learning experience for pupils.
"Ofsted described his work on the learning platform as absolutely outstanding," it went on.
"One of the most important and well-used ICT systems in the school is the student progress tracker.
"It has proved so precise and easy to use that departments such as humanities and PE are now using it.
"Students can now select their GCSE options on-line and make changes from their own home, using the virtual learning environment.
"Neil also helps to run ICT after-school clubs, ensuring that the technologies and content are relevant.
"The popularity of ICT with students has grown during his leadership, and more students are now choosing to do the subject at GCSE and beyond.
"The judges said Neil has lifted teaching and learning throughout the school".
Sam Ward (16) has just completed his ICT course at The Elizabethan.
"Mr Oldbury has earned his award because he's a really good teacher," he said.
"He's very helpful and does his best to make sure you reach your full potential."
Mr Oldbury lives in Elkesley with his supply teacher wife Sonia and their boys Alistair (nine) and Owen (six).
He has been at the school for four years and travelled down to the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham for the regional ceremony hosted by BBC TV presenter Anne Davies.
The winners from the East Midlands will be joined by other champions from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, who will go forward to the UK star-studded Teaching Awards ceremony on Sunday, October 25.
The celebration will be held at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and broadcast later that day on BBC2. The ceremony is part of the Teaching Awards fellows' weekend, which celebrates all winners and their achievements.
