And the winner is…

The Terry Paul Award

In memory of Terry Paul, the late co-founder of Renaissance who was truly passionate about accelerating learning for all, we give the Terry Paul Award each year to an individual. Whether a teacher, educator, or someone influential in the education world, we select someone who embodies Terry’s ambition to help all children achieve their potential.

Winner: Eileen Bolton, Duke’s Aldridge Academy

Eileen works at Duke’s Aldridge Academy in north London. Her school has been using Accelerated Reader since 2008, and signed up to the Renaissance School Partnership programme in 2014. Her dedication to generating reading enthusiasm is unmatched: from stopping a busy Jacqueline Wilson on the street to record a quick video message for her students, to attending the Haringey children’s book award laden down with a pile of books to be signed and take back to school, she is creative and imaginative in her ways of inspiring young readers. She is always happy to help other schools too, and we can personally name several schools that have changed the way they implement Star Assessments after watching Eileen and her class. Hers is the only UK school to have achieved Master School certification five years in a row.

Our judges said: “We admire the way Eileen exemplifies Renaissance’s mission statement in her school and throughout the UK: she is surely what Terry Paul would have had in mind when thinking of an educator determined to accelerate learning for all.”

As well a trophy the award carries a £500 book voucher for library books.