A teacher from Spalding has won a national award for his work with Special Educational Needs (SEND) and vulnerable children.
Nathan Shortland has been given the Pearson National Teaching Awards silver award and is now in line for the gold award, the highest accolade available for a teacher.
The 34-year-old has taught at St Thomas’ Primary School in Boston for seven years before which he was a teaching assistant at Spalding Primary School.
Mr Shortland was nominated by the assistant head of St Thomas’ Charlotte Morris and had to go through a set of gruelling interviews before landing the award.
“It was a bit of a shock,” he said of getting the award. “It’s nice to be recognised for what I’m doing, but I don’t see myself as doing anything particularly special.
“I’m just doing what I can for the children.
“I guess it’s a reflection of the hard work, not just that I do but the young people themselves and all the staff I have around me.
“The children in particular are over the moon for me.
“I was presented with the award at assembly and it was an amazing feeling seeing their faces light up.”
Mr Shortland is now in the final 11 in line for the gold award which will be unveiled at a gala in London on November 30.
“I’ve always loved working with children and trying to get the best out of them,” he continued. “It’s really a rewarding profession where no day is the same.
“I look at it as trying to shape their future and helping the children be the best versions of themselves they can be.”
