Teach Portsmouth Awards winners showcase: unsung hero award

We're continuing our series of articles showcasing the winners from the Teach Portsmouth Awards Live.

Portsmouth's education community came together for the virtual ceremony on 8 July 2021 as host Reverend Richard Coles announced the winners in nine award categories.

This week we meet Rebecca Britti, curriculum director for languages at Admiral Lord Nelson School and this year's winner of the unsung hero award.

Thank you for joining us, Rebecca. Could you tell us about your role at Admiral Lord Nelson School?

I am a curriculum director for languages at Admiral Lord Nelson School (ALNS). I've worked at ALNS for 17 years and have been in my current role for 10 years. ALNS is a secondary school and I teach pupils aged 11 to 16.

Congratulations on winning the unsung hero award. How did you feel when you found out you'd been nominated?

At ALNS we try to recognise colleagues throughout the academic year and my manager suggested she'd like to put me forward. When I found out I'd been officially nominated, it was a very nice surprise that made me feel special.

What did it mean to you to win the award and where do you keep your trophy?

I had no idea that I'd won, so it was a wonderful surprise when I walked into the trophy presentation and the room had been set up with balloons and decorations. It was lovely that my colleagues were able to be there when I was presented with the award so I could share that moment with them. It was a proud moment and I absolutely loved it.

I'd like to say thank you to my manager Davina Wise for nominating me for the award, and to my department for supporting me through continued collaboration.

I keep my trophy on my desk at home in the office where it stays nice and safe and sound.

How important are events like the Teach Portsmouth Awards in recognising achievements in education?

As teachers, we're recognised within our schools, however having external agencies and the local community also recognise us for the job that we do is really wonderful. It's one more thing that makes you think 'this job is worthwhile doing' because people obviously recognise what we do and how hard we're working.

Please tell us a little bit about why you chose to teach in Portsmouth?

I did a double honours degree in French and German with Italian and decided to move to Hampshire to complete my postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). I came to ALNS for my PGCE teacher training and have never left.

The children are such wonderful, lovely characters here. They're so funny, and very articulate and confident. It's a real privilege to work with them, shaping their minds and broadening their horizons.

I work collaboratively with colleagues across the city to improve our strategies, aims, and curriculum. This is a real strength we have here in Portsmouth.

What would you say to anyone who is thinking about teaching in Portsmouth?

Portsmouth is a diverse city with lots of different opportunities from a languages point of view as we're close to the European continent.

If teaching in Portsmouth is something you are interested in, it's important that you come and have a look at the schools. Speak to schools and academies locally to see if they are allowing visitors. If you can visit, this will help you get a real sense of how great Portsmouth is for teachers.

Meet the nominees

Meet the shortlisted nominees for the unsung hero award and find out more about why they were nominated.

Watch the awards again to see Rebecca's surprise unsung hero award trophy presentation at Admiral Lord Nelson School.