Inspirational teacher becomes first in UK to win global award
An art and textiles teacher from an inner city school in the UK has won a US$1 million (£720,000) prize.
Andria Zafirakou, who works at Alperton Community School in Brent, north-west London, was one of ten finalists shortlisted for the fourth annual Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize.
She hailed the power of the arts after being named as the winner of the award, which recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession, at a glittering ceremony in Dubai. Prime Minister Theresa May said the prize was a “fitting tribute” for everything Ms Zafirakou had done for her pupils.
Alpert on community school is in one of the poorest areas of the country and pupils come from a variety of backgrounds.
Ms Zafirakou has learnt how to say basic greetings in many of the 35 languages spoken at the school, including gujarati, Hindi, Tamil and Portuguese. She re designed the curriculum with fellow teachers to make it relevant to pupils, helped set up girls-only sports clubs for those from conservative communities and is also known for taking the time to understand pupils’ lives by visiting their homes. Ms Zafirakou, who is the first UK teacher to win the award, said: “The community where I teach in Brent is beautifully diverse and one of the most multicultural communities in the world.”