Chiswick School Music Teacher Wins Gold Award
Zac Moxon takes highest prize at national teaching 'Oscars'
Zac Moxon with his award
November 26, 2023
A teacher at Chiswick School has been announced as the gold winner of the Outstanding New Teacher of the Year Award at the 2023 Pearson National Teaching Awards.
Often dubbed the ‘Oscars of teaching’ these are given out in recognition of the dedication of individual teachers to their students.
Zac Moxon, who is Head of Music at Chiswick School was revealed as the winner at a ceremony this Saturday evening (25 November).
Zac was nominated and selected as the gold award winner amongst thousands of nominees based on his inspirational teaching, contributions to his school and community, and influence among colleagues, as assessed by judges.
In early 2021, Zac was unexpectedly asked to take over the music department having previously been employed as a maths teacher. With absolutely no experience in teaching the subject, Zac rose to the occasion. In collaboration with the rest of the music staff, Zac has successfully set up a choir, enabled students to record an album, orchestrated venue partnerships for the school's steelpan group, and increased the uptake of GCSE Music by 50% in the school since the year of his takeover. Alongside this, Zac created a scholarship where students from low-income backgrounds can take free music lessons.
His efforts were awarded last year with a silver award, but continued success has led to him gaining the top prize.
The Pearson National Teaching Awards is an annual event run by the Teaching Awards Trust, an independent charity now in its 25th year having been established by Lord Puttnam CBE in 1998.
Michael Morpurgo, author, former Children’s Laureate, and President of the Teaching Awards Trust, said, “We all know that a great teacher can enrich your life, can help you rise to the challenge, believe in yourself, find your own voice. I know that because it happened more than once to me. That’s why these Teaching Awards are so important, and important to me. Every year, without fail, we see nominations which move and inspire us and this year we have seen stellar examples of life-changing role models for young people. I want to once again congratulate the winners of the 2023 Pearson National Teaching Awards and thank them for the incredible impact they have on our communities.”
Sharon Hague, Managing Director of Schools at Pearson UK, said, “It’s an honour to celebrate and express gratitude to our teachers and the incredible impact they have on our communities. The hard work that goes into teaching and showing up for students day in and day out cannot be underestimated. Congratulations to all winners and thank you for your continuous efforts.”
Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan said, “The impact of a teacher on a child's life can be immeasurable - I know it was for me. I am so grateful to all the staff in our schools and colleges for everything they do. This year marks 25 years of the Teaching Awards Trust, which is a huge landmark. Teachers change lives and we should all feel a sense of gratitude to those we are celebrating today. Thank you again and congratulations.”
The Pearson National Teaching Awards are open to every early years setting, school and college across the UK. The awards were and are managed by the Teaching Awards Trust, an independent charity.
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