Shrewsbury School teachers recognised for ‘outstanding’ achievements

A Shrewsbury School teacher has received ‘Outstanding’ in all areas of his PGCE grading, with his mentor also receiving a Certificate of Excellence for her work.  

Henry Bennett, Philosophy and Theology teacher, completed his PGCE from the University of Buckingham at the end of summer term and achieved the ‘Outstanding’ grade.  

His mentor and Head of Philosophy and Theology, Emma Wheeler, was also awarded the Certificate of Excellence in recognition of her ‘expertise and commitment’ shown while mentoring Henry. 

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year at Shrewsbury and am very grateful to the school for supporting me through my PGCE at the University of Buckingham,” said Mr Bennett.  

“There have been many challenges completing the PGCE during COVID, not least balancing the demands of online studying myself, whilst delivering lessons remotely for students. I am indebted to the Philosophy and Theology faculty for allowing me to observe their lessons and specifically Miss Wheeler for her countless hours spent giving me feedback, encouragement and for being an excellent mentor." 

Miss Wheeler added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to mentor Mr Bennett through his teacher training in this most exceptional year.  The challenges have been significant – with remote learning fundamentally changing the nature of normal teaching practice.  He has overcome every hurdle with impressive energy, adaptability and humour.  

“The Philosophy and Theology faculty is delighted to have received an award for excellence in mentoring; it instils confidence in our ability to nurture best teaching practice and we look forward to supporting Mr Bennett as his teaching career progresses.” 

Dr Richard Kowenicki, Deputy Head of Academic said: “We are absolutely thrilled that Mr Bennett and Miss Wheeler have won these prestigious awards. They are testament to the collective commitment and hard work of an excellent team of Philosophy and Theology teachers and highlight the school’s commitment to career development, particularly for those just embarking on their teaching journey.  

“Training to be a teacher is challenging enough in normal times, so huge congratulations to Mr Bennett for navigating much of this process online.”