Mr Jonathan Shields, Plymouth College, Devon
Runner up, 2010
Teacher award - secondary
Jonathan Shields has shown a commitment to the teaching and learning of PFE by raising its profile not only within the school, but by gaining local and national recognition as well. After taking and passing the Life and Pensions certificate with the Chartered Insurance Institute, he designed and taught a PFE course, passing on his new knowledge to his students. Since then he has introduced a wide range of financial qualifications to the school. The College has been very successful in both the teaching of the Certificate in Financial Studies and the Diploma in Financial Studies, and has won educational excellence awards to prove it. The positive impact on the students is clear, with students consistently performing well in national examinations. Jonathan Shields has also voluntarily runs PFE workshops in London with the aim of encouraging other schools to enhance their provision following the Plymouth College model.
This teacher impressed the judges with his commitment and enthusiasm for the teaching of PFE. He proved to be an inspiration to his students, who have gone on to win awards for their efforts. His approach has led to his college building up a strong reputation for PFE and inspiring other schools and colleges to follow its lead.
