Caroline Vernon has been put through to the final three for the dedication she shows to her school its children and hte wider community in her role as HeadTeacher at Victoria Academy in Barrow.
Caroline is the Headteacher at Victoria Junior School, Barrow. The school has recently transitioned into an academy under the guidance of Caroline, who is well loved by her pupils and has a strong team working beside her to to help her achieve her goals and ambitions for the school and the surrounding community.
Caroline has helped set up many activities that her pupils take part in including The Healthy living and lifestyle project for Barrow which was about helping young children to understand the importance of eating healthy and looking after themselves and the Step Up To Serve programme which sees many of hte school pupils being accepted as part of the #iwill programme, where they travel to London as part of a larger project.
Caroline is always striving for her staff and pupils to be the best that they can be, always available to sit and chat about any problems or listen to new ideas.
As well as inside the school, Caroline is a big advocate for the community and the wider area becoming a leading figure nationally in student led research and critical skills. The work carried out at the school helped to shape the national curriculum for primary schools and has been done in partnership with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).
A spokesperson for QCA describes how they were able to “… seize upon work … observed in Victoria Juniors (to) help develop work on a national scale.” Similarly OFSTED hailed this work at the school as outstanding. Caroline has been working alongside other Barrow and Cumbrian head teachers during this work and has also begun to speak at national conferences describing the work around student led research and critical skills.
Caroline has led on the local Furness Learning Transition Project exploring issues around young people’s transition from primary to secondary school. Caroline has linked this work with Lancaster University. Caroline’s work has attracted further national attention including interest from the Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education and the University of Wolverhampton.
In 2013. Caroline has visited the House of Commons to talk about her work as one of the founders of Furness Education and Skills Partnership, first in April 2013 to speak to members of the Education Select Committee and secondly in June 2013 to attend a launch of a new initiative about bridging the gap between education and industry.
One of the pupils at her school says “Mrs Vernon is friendly and listens to you, she is fair but firm and encourages you to be your best and to try different things, she treats everyone the same, and has helped me so much with my confidence and to achieve what I have and without her support I don’t think I could have done it. I owe her a lot.”
TO VOTE FOR CAROLINE IN THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
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The winner will be announced at The Love Barrow Awards on Friday 10th March 2017 and will be announced via Facebook and Twitter also.