Saltash.net History Teacher named 'UK Innovative Teacher of the Year' at Microsoft's National Partners in Learning Awards Ceremony

History and RE Teacher, Katie Boothman, has been named one of 4 UK Innovative Teacher winners at Microsoft's UK headquarters in Reading.  Only into her second year of teaching, Katie wowed the judges with her VCT (Virtual Classroom Tour) featuring the work she has done to enhance the use of new technologies across the History Department at Saltash.net Community School.

A group of Year 9 students, calling themselves the 'HIT Squad' has been given the responsibility of coming up with a range of ways in which ICT can be used to improve the students' learning experiences, making the lessons as engaging as possible in History and other Humanities subjects.

As a result of Katie's UK success she will be attending the Microsoft European Innovative Teachers' event, to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, in March next year.  Joining her will be deputy headteacher at the school, Dan Roberts, who has been invited to attend as a judge.  Dan, a previous worldwide Innovative teachers' winner, has been selected as a result of the outstanding contribution he has made, and continues to make, to the UK Partners in Learning Programme.

James Edwards, teacher of ICT and Business Studies at Saltash.net school, was also a UK finalist at the Innovative Teachers' event. His work on the use of 'Kinect' in the classroom also impressed the Microsoft judges and, although not selected as one of the overall winners, the Microsoft team have asked him to be a lead presenter at the national BETT technology show to be held at Olympia in January.

Speaking after the event, Microsoft's Innovative Teachers programme Manager, Stuart Ball, said: "I want to thank Saltash.net for their commitment to the Partners in Learning programme. The staff and students continue to make valuable contributions to this programme which adds to the outstanding reputation the school has developed."