Skip to main content

Alperton teacher Andiria Zafirakou wins $1m 'best in the world' award

New post


Andria Zafirakou
Image:Andria Zafirakou is the first UK teacher to win the prestigious award
Andria Zafirakou, who works at Alperton Community College, picked up the award worth $1m (£717,000) at a ceremony in Dubai on Sunday.
It is the first time a UK teacher has claimed the award from education charity the Varkey Foundation.
Ms Zafirakou teaches art and textiles, which she says are "powerful subjects that help the students unlock all of their language barriers".
Ms Zafirakou is presented with her prize
Image:Ms Zafirakou picked up her prize in Dubai
Children in the area of northwest London where she works face complex challenges - including violent crime and gangs that work to recruit young people on their way home from school, she said.
High levels of deprivation also mean it is common for many families to live in the same house, leaving pupils struggling with stressful home environments and unable to find a quiet place to do homework.
Ms Zafirakou has introduced after-school and weekend support for children to give them a safe place to work, and has also worked with police and students to protect pupils as they are leaving school.

Pupils at Alperton speak 35 different languages, and Ms Zafirakou has worked to learn a few words from many of them so she can communicate better with everyone at the school.
She has also started a boxing club, keeping students off the streets after lessons and helping them build confidence and self-defence skills.

"We have to make sure we are protecting our students at all costs," she said. "Building relationships with your students is absolutely key."
Alperton College is now among the top 5% of schools in the country in terms of accreditation and qualifications - a remarkable improvement since Ms Zafirakou started at the school, the Varkey Foundation said.

Comments

TRENDING

North Korea tests completed Yongbyon nuclear reactor, say analysts

Carlo Ancelotti offers Luka Modrić coaching role at Real Madrid

How to prepare Chicken Miso Meatballs in 3 easy steps

Cakes you should taste before the end of the year

Amazon raises minimum wage for UK and US staff after working conditions criticised

How to make Blueberry Muffins

How to prepare Charleston Red Rice

How To Make Waffles

Popular posts from this blog

North Korea tests completed Yongbyon nuclear reactor, say analysts

New post North Korea tests completed Yongbyon nuclear reactor, say analysts Image: Experts say recent satellite imagery shows testing has begun at the Yongbyon reactor North Korea has begun testing a nuclear reactor that could be used to produce weapons-grade plutonium, according to intelligence analysts. The country has been developing an experimental light water reactor at the Yongbyon Atomic Energy Research Centre for several years, but activity is said to have increased in recent months. Experts say recent satellite imagery shows the reactor has been structurally finished and there is evidence testing has begun. According to a report by intelligence analysts Jane's Intelligence Review, the imagery showed emissions on non-condensable gases from a stack at the reactor. Although the reactor could be used to produce weapons-grade plutonium, North Korea is believed to already have enough fissile material for several nuclear bombs. Construction of the...

Carlo Ancelotti offers Luka Modrić coaching role at Real Madrid

 Carlo Ancelotti offers Luka Modrić coaching role at Real Madrid Luka Modrić, the Croatian star who has been a vital part of Real Madrid for almost a decade, has received an intriguing offer from his manager, Carlo Ancelotti.  Ancelotti has proposed that Modrić could join him as a coach at Real Madrid, if he chooses to hang up his boots at the end of the season.  Modrić, who is 38 years old, has been a consistent performer for Real Madrid since he arrived at the club in 2012. He has helped the club win four Champions League titles, among other trophies, and has also been a key player for Croatia at the international level.  Ancelotti’s offer to Modrić shows how much he values the midfielder’s contribution to the club, and how much he believes in his coaching potential.  Modrić is widely considered as one of the best midfielders of his era, and his skills and insights would be a great asset to any coaching team. In a recent interview, Ancelotti praised Modrić, sa...

How to prepare Chicken Miso Meatballs in 3 easy steps

Chicken Miso Meatballs Ground chicken bosom meat is genuinely lean, so milk is added to this formula to keep them damp and delicate.  As the meatballs prepare, the miso caramelizes into exquisite chomps of sweet-pungent umami.  Disintegrated Ritz wafers add lavishness and make a more succulent meatball (however plain, dry bread pieces will likewise work). To make the Ritz morsels, place the wafers in a resealable plastic pack and delicately squash them with the rear of a wooden spoon or estimating cup.  These additionally make a scrumptious hors d'oeuvre: Simply fold the blend into more modest 1-inch balls. For a fast plunging sauce, join 2 sections soy sauce to 1 section refined white vinegar, and add cut scallions, or red-pepper pieces, assuming you like hotness. INGREDIENTS  ¼   cup whole milk 3   tablespoons sweet white miso 1   tablespoon minced garlic 1   teaspoons kosher salt ¾   teaspoon black pepper ½   cup finely crushed Ritz c...

Cakes you should taste before the end of the year

Chocolate and Almond Tiger Cake This almond cake depends on lenders, the little, typically ingot-formed cakes originally made in Paris in the last part of the 1880s. The baked good gourmet specialist Lasne made and named them for his stockbroker clients, keeping them simple and slick to eat on the run - piece of cake. Made with egg whites, ground nuts and a great deal of dissolved margarine, the formula is enticingly riffable. My beloved take is the tigrĂ©, a round, chocolate-dotted cake finished off with a spot of ganache. Years prior, I misread the name, and I've called them tiger cakes from that point forward. My play on the tiger is a huge cake, somewhat less rich than the first, go through with cleaved chocolate and covered with enough ganache to leave obvious smircesh. Stockbrokers be careful. Recipes  5 tablespoons/70 grams unsalted butter, plus more for the pan ½ cup/65 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan ¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼...