Preston teacher nominated for national School Superhero award

Mrs McCaul, Year 5 teacher at The Blessed Sacrament Primary School, with Telvin

A Preston primary school teacher has received a nomination for a national School Superhero award.

Claire McCaul, Year 5 teacher at The Blessed Sacrament Primary School, was nominated for the award by Laura Nicholson, whose son Telvin attends the Ribbleton school.

The award is part of a national campaign by fintech Miconex and the Preston Gift Card to recognise school staff.

Laura said: “I have seven children, so I have seen a lot of good teachers over the years, but Mrs McCaul goes beyond what you’d expect. Telvin is currently being assessed for autism. Mrs McCaul has worked hard to organise his educational plan.

“Telvin can really struggle with academic work, but Mrs McCaul has adapted Telvin’s learning to suit him. During the lockdown, the class had work and live lessons, but Telvin just couldn’t do it. When I contacted Mrs McCaul, she said it was fine and arranged work for Telvin that he could complete at his own pace.

“Telvin can get emotional easily and takes things literally. If you say break a leg, he thinks that you really want him to break a leg. I really worry about Telvin because of his additional needs, more so than my other children, but Mrs McCaul’s professionalism helps hugely.”

Laura was recently worried about Telvin moving up to the next class, but Mrs McCaul put her at ease after finding out that she will also be his teacher in Year 6.

If Telvin struggles over the weekend, Laura knows she can email Mrs McCaul, and she will get back to her straight away. She also knows that she will chat with Telvin in the morning and help him with any worries.

Laura said: “If I ever take a concern to Mrs McCaul, she will deal with it. I never have to follow it up or chase school about things because Mrs McCaul has sorted it out.

“The love Mrs McCaul has for the children is evident. She treats the children like they’re her own. I have two other children at The Blessed Sacrament Primary School, two at nursery and two at high school. The Blessed Sacrament is a brilliant school.”

The school has provided families with hampers when they have not had access to food, and Laura said their attitude is ‘don’t stress and worry at home, tell us’.

Laura said: “Even if it’s not school-related, they will help. My two younger children were premature and in and out of hospital during lockdown. The school arranged for my three primary aged children to have places at school when they were limited.

“Regardless of whether Mrs McCaul goes on to win this School Superheroes award, I want her to know how appreciated she is. She really is a superhero.”

Colin Munro, managing director of Miconex, said the School Superheroes campaign shows appreciation for school staff and schools.

He said: “From ensuring children are treated as individuals and receive the help they need, to emotional support when times are hard, even practical help with food hampers.

“Congratulations to Mrs McCaul and Blessed Sacrament on your nomination, and we look forward to announcing our winning School Superhero in September.”

Families have up to 31 August 2021 to nominate their superhero, which can be any staff member working in a school, including teachers, support staff, coaches, catering staff and more.

One school superhero will receive a £50 Town and City Gift Card for their choice of over 60 schemes around the UK and Ireland, including the Preston Gift Card, with their school or class receiving a £250 cash prize. The Preston Gift Card can be spent in over 80 businesses across the city.

For more information, visit – https://townandcitygiftcards.com/schoolsuperhero

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