Emotional assembly for 'fantastic' teaching assistant as she wins national award
A teaching assistant at a Sedgley secondary school had an emotional surprise in an assembly this week when staff revealed that she had won a prestigious teaching award.
Julie Barnfield, a teaching assistant at Beacon Hill Academy, has been selected from thousands of nominations and has now been honoured with a Pearson National Teaching Award.
The 52-year-old from Sedgley has won the silver award for Teaching Assistant of the Year in a Secondary School, which honours her for her outstanding commitment to changing the lives of the children she works with every day.
She has also been shortlisted to win one of just 16 Gold Awards, which will be announced and celebrated at a gala ceremony in London on November 25 and televised on the BBC, with winners showcased on The One Show.
And on Wednesday morning, unbeknown to her, staff arranged a school assembly where they surprised her with the news of her win.
